PATRIOTS NEWS OTA 6/10/24

[Ross12]

One good thing for Ryland is that it seems likely he would make the PS if he was waived during roster cutdowns, so they could continue working to develop him even if Slye is the starter on the 53.

 

[sb1]

Another awful draft pick.

At least he made the team. More than another one of Bill’s head scratcher kicker selections can say (Rohrwasser)

 

[PatsFan2]

Losing hope with Ryland.

He’s got a strong leg but he can’t be missing short FGs.

Mayo would be a fool to go into the season with Chad Wide-Left he stinks Kickers are a dime a dozen. A Team that's in transition don't need a Bad Kicker it's not like we don't know: the man who Traded up and Drafted him wouldn't have kept him this year.

 

[PatsFan2]

Mayes going to make it very difficult for Mayo not to start him week 1 if Maye keeps practicing/playing like this.

The Third overall who could have been #1 I would sure hope so.

 

[The Gr8est]

Total guess on my part, something like:

LT (3) – Caedan Wallace, Chukwuma Okorafor, Calvin Anderson, Zuri Henry (PS),
LG (2) – Antonio Mafi, Layden Robinson, Cole Strange (I),
C (2) – David Andrews, Jake Andrews, Charles Turner (PS),
RG (1) – Sidy Sow,
RT (1) – Michael Onwenu, Tyrone Wheatley (PS),

You can move them around all you want, but David Andrews is likely your starting center having just extended him a year. They're definitely auditioning for his backup now though. If you can play center you can also play guard, and having two guys on the interior who can do both is better than one with David's age, wear and tear.

Jake and Layden are the next guys up, both can potentially also play guard. I put Jake ahead due to experience, he also had a lot of functional strength leaving college along with good athleticism. He was strong... but his arms aren't long and Wolf seems obsessed with wingspan, that could be a problem except at center.

If I knew Robinson could bench it close to thirty times I'd say Andrews/Robinson were close to identical prospects but Robinson was a shade better because of his wings. We don't know, Layden might be weak and better next season after a year in the strength and conditioning program.

Onwenu can play wherever he wants as long as it's on the right side of the line, he can also play nose tackle on defense in a pinch... he just got paid. He was a two way player in college and superior at both. I'd use him 2-3 plays a game, especially short downs and on the goal line.

By season's end Sow was playing great, he's big, athletic and strong. Sow could possibly play tackle but they probably like him right where he is next to Onwenu. That's a lot of beef and road paving blocks on one side. They played well together in a bad situation.

Mafi is massive and puts pancakes on tape, if his mental ever catches up too his physical he can play guard in the NFL. Jake Andrews much like Mafi struggled as a rookie and started showing flashes at the end of last season. There's still some unknown there, but you could say that about all young players who aren't phenoms. An overwhelming number of rookies have growing pains.

I just disagree they're making cutdowns at OTA's, guys running around in shorts. Even the guys they brought in who I potentially have on their practice squad have talent. I think Zuri Henry is darkhorse, he is similar to Wallace. Both are straight ahead fast, have really wide wingspans. Zuri had good not great strength but at least he lifted. His agility drills were terrible just like Wallace's were... but both have tools.

Calvin Anderson is a real X factor as a swing tackle or potential starter, can he come back from malaria? If so he has unique athleticism and strength, he could probably play 5 out of five positions along the line... center being the only one we don't know about.

Hopefully Cole Strange returns, they still view him as a starter and should if healthy.

Okorafor is my surprise to cut in preseason, or he could end up starting. The run game will suffer, but he doesn't give up a lot of sacks. Now that Trent Brown is gone, Okorafor has the biggest wingspan on the team and has decent tackle size... he's just not much of an athlete. Michael Jordan and Leverett aren't good athletes, but they play snaps also.

Charles Turner is weak and would benefit from a year in the program, but he's got a massive wingspan for a center... again, a theme with all these Wolf guys. He's also got good agility and might make the practice squad.

You can’t pancake what you can’t catch. Mafi has a great weakness in lack of speed.

It’s worth a shot to see if Mafi can develop the skills needed as a center, like snapping out of the shotgun, because he could be an unmoveable rock at center.

 

[The Gr8est]

The Third overall who could have been #1 I would sure hope so.

Is it too early to say he should have been #1 overall?

I would take Maye over both Williams or Daniel’s.

 

[Sicilian]

Is it too early to say he should have been #1 overall?

I would take Maye over both Williams or Daniel’s.

I think it's too early to say anything about any rookie on any team. All these OTA's and minicamps are mostly teaching camps, getting everyone on the same page about how practices are run and what's expected of them, so that they all hit the ground running when real camp starts. That's where guys are actually fighting for roster spots and roles. Until then we can't really judge any rookie (positively or negatively).

 

[Wozzy]

You can’t pancake what you can’t catch. Mafi has a great weakness in lack of speed.

It’s worth a shot to see if Mafi can develop the skills needed as a center, like snapping out if the shotgun, because he could be an unmoveable rock at center.

Not knowing your assignment or who to block is not a lack of athleticism… that’s been his problem, the mental.

But in his defense the owners hired his line coach last season and the guy bailed on the team and his players midseason… as a rookie that’s a challenge. We’ll see if he can catch up to this new scheme and if he put in the work this offseason.

I don’t think they envision him playing center, they just want to know what everyone can and can’t do.

 

[rkarp1]

Not knowing your assignment or who to block is not a lack of athleticism… that’s been his problem, the mental.

But in his defense the owners hired his line coach last season and the guy bailed on the team and his players midseason… as a rookie that’s a challenge. We’ll see if he can catch up to this new scheme and if he put in the work this offseason.

I don’t think they envision him playing center, they just want to know what everyone can and can’t do.

look at you standing there stating the owners hired Klemm and not Bill

 

[Wozzy]

look at you standing there stating the owners hired Klemm and not Bill

You’re correct, I should have said “collaboration.”

An innocuous way of doing what you want but still having a fall guy if it doesn’t work out.

 

[signbabybrady]

You’re correct, I should have said “collaboration.”

An innocuous way of doing what you want but still having a fall guy if it doesn’t work out.

Collaboration is now. With Bill I think ownership made some more general requests but it was still on Bill to execute them. Like allowing personnel/scouts more input on draft day and Bill chose to promote Groh. Or demands may have been made about getting a QB but ultimately it was Bill's choice to stand pat at 15 and let Mac fall to him.

 

[rkarp1]

Collaboration is now. With Bill I think ownership made some more general requests but it was still on Bill to execute them. Like allowing personnel/scouts more input on draft day and Bill chose to promote Groh. Or demands may have been made about getting a QB but ultimately it was Bill's choice to stand pat at 15 and let Mac fall to him.

I think it is beyond discussion that Bill had final and total say. zero questions asked.
the fact that Wozzy continues to shift the blame on the franchises hard times from Bill to everyone but Bill, is irrelevant. the buck stopped with Bill.

 

[signbabybrady]

I think it is beyond discussion that Bill had final and total say. zero questions asked.
the fact that Wozzy continues to shift the blame on the franchises hard times from Bill to everyone but Bill, is irrelevant. the buck stopped with Bill.

I think following the 2020 seasons there was a slight shift in final and total say nothing to the extent that Wozzy has suggested.

I choose to believe he still basically had final and total say but there were more opinions he needed to listen to and some of those opinions cut the checks so they couldn't be ignored.

 

[DaBruinz]

It seems the new coaches are just playing around with lineups and seeing what they all have in their tool chest.

Nothing really matters, especially on the line until pads come on and hitting begins.

I just was saying it's interesting.. Neither good nor bad. Not reading into it or anything.. Just interesting.

 

[rochrist]

Mayo would be fool to go into the season with Chad Wide-Left he stinks Kickers are a dime a dozen. A Team that's in transition don't need a Bad Kicker it's not like we don't know the man who Traded up and Drafted him wouldn't have kept him this year.

Bad kickers are a dime a dozen. Great kickers are priceless.

 

[DaBruinz]

look at you standing there stating the owners hired Klemm and not Bill

It's been well documented that Kraft was directly responsible for the re-hiring of O'Brien and, with O'Brien, the hiring of Klemm.

How is this even debatable?

 

[DaBruinz]

I think it is beyond discussion that Bill had final and total say. zero questions asked.
the fact that Wozzy continues to shift the blame on the franchises hard times from Bill to everyone but Bill, is irrelevant. the buck stopped with Bill.

Wozzy has probably forgotten more about football than 90% of the people on this board. I don't agree with him on some things, but you are the one who isn't paying attention.

Going into 2022, it was well Documented that KRAFT is the one who insisted that Patricia and Judge be re-assigned. It was Kraft who brought back Bill O'Brien over Belichick's objections (Belichick wanted to stick with Patricia). It was Kraft, with O'Brien, who made the decision on Klemm.

Wozzy isn't shifting anything. The problem is that you don't seem to understand that Bill created the problems in 2020 and 2021 and Kraft felt the need to step in after 3 straight subpar seasons.

Patricia over-promised and under-delivered. He alienated the players that he should have relied on (T. Brown and Bourne). Guys who had EXPRIENCE in the Offense they were trying to implement. Bourne landed in the doghouse for most of the season, to the detriment of the team. It's further come out via Damien Harris and some other players that Patricia and Judge were the issues.

Saying that the Buck stopped with Bill would have been true up through the 2021 season, but it changed in 2022 after the Patricia/Judge debacle.

 

[signbabybrady]

It's been well documented that Kraft was directly responsible for the re-hiring of O'Brien and, with O'Brien, the hiring of Klemm.

How is this even debatable?

Really?

 

[rkarp1]

It's been well documented that Kraft was directly responsible for the re-hiring of O'Brien and, with O'Brien, the hiring of Klemm.

How is this even debatable?

I would counter that it has been documented that Bill's contract stated that he had total and final say on all football decisions. if a decision was made the he did not approve of, his contracted voided and he was a free agent.
now, if you wish to argue that RK strongly suggested Bill consider OB, ok, I am game. but forced him to hire OB? no way. even more so no way with Klemm.

 

[DaBruinz]

Yeah.. there have been at least 2 articles about Kraft being the one who hired O'Brien and that Belichick wasn't the one who wanted to bring him back. Belichick wanted to stick with Patricia despite the chaos on offense.,