5 mini-camp observations
Posted by Mike Reiss, Globe Staff
June 6, 2008 02:15 PM
FOXBOROUGH -- Here are five observations from today's mini-camp practice, which was held in shorts and jerseys (no pads):
1) Tom Brady and the long ball. If there was one play that stood out from the entire session, it came in 11-on-11 work. Quarterback Tom Brady took the snap, rolled to his right, and then set his feet to unload about a 60-yard bomb to sprinting receiver C.J. Jones in the end zone. The ball was beautifully thrown, so that it arced over defensive back Lewis Sanders in coverage and dropped into an area where Jones could make the catch. In this case, the seemingly only negative part of the play was Jones being unable to corral it. After watching the throw, and seeing Brady move his feet with ease, it seems clear that the ankle injury that nagged him in the playoffs is not an issue.
2) A hold-your-breath moment with Tedy Bruschi. There was silence during 11-on-11 work when linebacker Tedy Bruschi remained on the ground, apparently in pain after the play. It was difficult to tell what happened to Bruschi -- he might have gotten caught up in traffic at the line -- but it was enough to warrant the trainers coming to his aid. Bruschi gingerly walked under his own power to a makeshift sideline. It wasn't long before he returned, with teammates applauding and whistling as he made a jump-shot motion as if he were a basketball player (Paul Pierce, perhaps?). It was a situation where a potentially scary moment turned somewhat humorous.
3) Multiple WRs vs. multiple DBs. Much like last week's organized team activity sessions, the Patriots spent much of the practice working with multiple-receiver packages against multiple-defensive back packages. Our attention was primarily placed on the defense because that's where most of the new players are lining up. One aspect that stood out was the versatility among defenders. Is Tank Williams a defensive back or linebacker? Rodney Harrison -- linebacker or safety? Is Lewis Sanders a cornerback or safety? Is Shawn Crable playing an on-the-line linebacker role, or off-the-line? Is Brandon Merirweather in the slot in a cornerback-like role or back at safety? This will be one area to monitor in training camp, as it appears the Patriots have a lot of parts to move around, giving them a lot of options. It's early yet, but the defense could be laying the foundation to do some dynamic things when not in a base 3-4 set.
4) Offensive line shuffle. With right guard Stephen Neal and recently signed Oliver Ross (assigned jersey No. 76) not practicing, the Patriots shuffled the deck a bit. Kaczur spent the practice at Neal's spot, with third-year man Ryan O'Callaghan assuming the right tackle position. Last year, when Neal left the Super Bowl with a knee injury, the team inserted Russ Hochstein at right guard. In this case, it's probably a situation of building some more positional flexibility into the line, as Kaczur has worked at guard in practice before, just probably not extensively. Hochstein, who is best suited for either the center or guard spots, took some reps at right tackle.
5) Rodney Harrison the coach. For a player who enters the final year of his contract and has seen the Patriots sign multiple players in the defensive backfield, Rodney Harrison shows few signs of insecurity. Early in practice, after a 7-on-7 drill, he spoke with fellow safety/linebacker Tank Williams about what appeared to be a technique in coverage. At one point, Harrison put his hand on Williams' hip, almost as if he was coaching him. Later in the practice, Harrison was on the sideline, seemingly doing the same thing with veteran Lewis Sanders.
EXTRA POINTS: Nick Kaczur declined media requests to be interviewed, as did receiver Randy Moss. ... Quarterback Tom Brady is expected to address reporters at some point over the weekend. ... Head coach Bill Belichick, running back Sammy Morris, running back Laurence Maroney, safety Rodney Harrison, kicker Stephen Gostkowski and offensive tackle Matt Light were a few players who answered questions from reporters. ... As the practice neared its end, the team focused on situational work, with QB Matt Cassel handed the reins for the first trip down the field, then QB Matt Gutierrez. The defense seemed to have the upper hand.
