Content Post Words on things I watched, read & heard II

[BaconGrundleCandy]

I've ben a Gunner fanboi since he signed. It's going to be interesting to see where he's at in terms of this. Like you, I believe he's likely a year away. I think that he'll be more successful if JONES is the QB than Cam. Cam seemed to overlook him many of the times that Gunner was on the field. There were a few times he went to Gunner and Gunner made the play last year.

Gunner seems to be taking the same track that Edelman took. And I think it's working out for him the way it worked out for Edelman.

This could be a blessing for him bc he could be eased into the role. Callous up his body more, get used to the pounding. Gain a little more size. It would be quite the story if he really turned into a good full-time player.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

The pace was ramped up on Day 3 of Patriots minicamp. With the team’s quarterback competition in its infancy stages, Cam Newton and Mac Jones were again the focus. Unlike the previous two days of practice, we saw more reps and deeper throws between the two quarterbacks.
With the competition heating up, both quarterbacks had good moments on Friday, but it was Newton who stuck out with a very strong finish.
The veteran quarterback completed 14-of-20, hitting 70% of his targets. Newton started Friday’s session on a slow note, completing 2-of-5 passes in the first two 11-on-11 periods. There were some awkward incomplete passes during that time frame, but Newton turned on the burners hitting his next six targets in a row. That stretch included two nice touchdown passes to N’Keal Harry and Jonnu Smith.
Newton kept up that pace for most of practice. He looked great in the last full-team period as well, hitting 4-of-5 passes. That included touchdowns to Nelson Agholor (over J.C. Jackson) and Gunner Olszewski (over Jonathan Jones). The veteran looked more comfortable on Friday and has the edge over Jones in this quarterback competition.


Jones had some notable moments as well. The first rounder started strong, completing his first three passes in the first 11-on-11 period. All three throws were great, including two eye-opening touchdowns to Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. When Jones is on, he throws a very, very nice ball. With the rookie, however, you also had inconsistencies. Jones finished 8-of-18, completing just 44% of his throws in full-team drills.
Jones had some bad luck with two drops – one on a great deep ball to Agholor and another to Devin Ross – and an incomplete on what Agholor thought was a holding penalty. The rookie had struggled toward the end of practice in each of the last two days of camp.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

​

Quarterback competition​

• Cam Newton led off every period for the third consecutive day and completed 14 of 20 passes in team drills. His targets: Jonnu Smith (3 of 3), Nelson Agholor (3 of 5), James White (1 of 2), Damien Harris (1 of 1), N’Keal Harry (1 of 2), Jakobi Meyers (1 of 1), Brandon Bolden (1 of 1), Matt LaCosse (1 of 1), Gunner Olszewski (2 of 3), Hunter Henry (0 of 1).

• Mac Jones went second in every period and was 8 of 18 with two dropped passes. His targets: Brandon Bolden (1 of 1), Nelson Agholor (2 of 4, drop), Kendrick Bourne (2 of 2), Kristian Wilkerson (0 of 1), Jakobi Meyers (0 of 2), Matt LaCosse (1 of 2), Gunner Olszewski (1 of 2), Sony Michel (1 of 1), Jonnu Smith (0 of 1), Devin Ross (0 of 2, drop).

• Newton rotated back in then hit Harry for a touchdown on a slant in another tight window against Virgin. He followed with a touchdown to Smith on a crosser against Adrian Colbert.

• Jones tried to hit Meyers on a longer ball, but Meyers couldn’t make the tough catch. It hit Meyers in the hands but would be unfair to call it a drop. Jones then felt pressure, stepped up and made a quick delivery to LaCosse for a touchdown on an out route to the right side.

• Newton finished strong by going 4 of 4 in the final period against the scout team defense. Agholor made a nice adjustment on a deep post to steal the ball from D’Angelo Ross for a 35-yard touchdown, then Newton hit Meyers on another post, Bolden on a screen and Smith on a drag route.

• Jones avoided pressure again by stepping up into the pocket and delivering a strike to Olszewski on a deep seam route. He then overthrew Meyers in the left seam, although Jones appear to get bumped on the windup. He then hit Michel on a screen but missed Smith on a go route against Colbert, who was in tight coverage.

• With the starting defense on the field, Newton hit Agholor for a touchdown in the left corner, LaCosse for a touchdown on an in-cut against Kyle Dugger then missed Olszewski on a right corner route.

• Jones had a hard-luck 1-of-3 period. He couldn’t hit Olszewski at the left sideline in the end zone after everyone was covered, although Jones did respond with a perfect touchdown pass to Agholor on a post. But again, with everyone covered, he threw intentionally high for Ross, who was blanketed by Dugger. This has remained a theme over the past three days, with Jones unable to find an open receiver and making the conservative play to either outright throw it away or intentionally lead a well-covered receiver far enough that the pass would have two outcomes – either a highlight catch or an incompletion. Who knows how this competition will shake out, but the easiest way for a rookie quarterback to lose it would be a pattern of turnovers.

• Newton took one more pass at the end of the period and misfired to Henry, who might have run the wrong route because he wasn’t close to the pass then hit the deck for push-ups.

• Newton finished strong for the second day in a row with a 4-of-5 period to end it. He hit White in the left flat, found a leaping Agholor for a terrific catch in the back of the end zone against J.C. Jackson, then Olszewski with a perfect ball in the right corner of the end zone against Jon Jones and Olszewski again on a left out. Newton’s final throw was intentionally high in the back of the end zone for Harry, who was draped by Jackson.

• Another theme: Jones took a quick sack when the line was immediately swarmed by the pass rush. He had no chance. Jones then hit Bourne for a touchdown on a post against Myles Bryant, had a crosser for LaCosse broken up by Dugger, a drop by Ross on a slant and a bid for Agholor broken up by Michael Jackson in excellent coverage.

• Newton was overall the better quarterback because he got the results. He only had one true shank, although his downfield accuracy was spotty. Still, Newton made five terrific throws and was more consistent.

• Jones’ numbers were worse than the overall performance. He also made five grade-A throws, including two when he stepped up to avoid the rush, and he was quick with his decisions and release. He was bitten by two dropped touchdowns, had five incompletions when no one was open and had the better downfield accuracy of the pair.

• Newton maintains a slight lead over Jones through three practices.

• Newton and Agholor finally found a rhythm. Newton was 1 of 4 when targeting him in minicamp, and they missed their first three attempts of training camp before hitting their last three Friday, all of which were touchdowns. After practice, Newton noted the importance to get some passes to Agholor on film to build their chemistry.

• Newton is still just 3 of 9 with an interception while targeting Henry. After a good burst to close Thursday’s practice, Newton missed his only target to Henry on Friday.

• Newton has been locked in with Smith, as they’ve connected on 5 of 6 balls in camp.

• Jones has been particularly fond of Bourne, as they’ve been a perfect 6 of 6 together.

• The rookie hasn’t had as much of a chance to work with the top tight end tandem. He hasn’t targeted Henry in camp and is 0 of 2 with Smith.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

 

[Uptown]

 

[SlowGettingUp]

The pace was ramped up on Day 3 of Patriots minicamp. With the team’s quarterback competition in its infancy stages, Cam Newton and Mac Jones were again the focus. Unlike the previous two days of practice, we saw more reps and deeper throws between the two quarterbacks.
With the competition heating up, both quarterbacks had good moments on Friday, but it was Newton who stuck out with a very strong finish.
The veteran quarterback completed 14-of-20, hitting 70% of his targets. Newton started Friday’s session on a slow note, completing 2-of-5 passes in the first two 11-on-11 periods. There were some awkward incomplete passes during that time frame, but Newton turned on the burners hitting his next six targets in a row. That stretch included two nice touchdown passes to N’Keal Harry and Jonnu Smith.
Newton kept up that pace for most of practice. He looked great in the last full-team period as well, hitting 4-of-5 passes. That included touchdowns to Nelson Agholor (over J.C. Jackson) and Gunner Olszewski (over Jonathan Jones). The veteran looked more comfortable on Friday and has the edge over Jones in this quarterback competition.


Jones had some notable moments as well. The first rounder started strong, completing his first three passes in the first 11-on-11 period. All three throws were great, including two eye-opening touchdowns to Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. When Jones is on, he throws a very, very nice ball. With the rookie, however, you also had inconsistencies. Jones finished 8-of-18, completing just 44% of his throws in full-team drills.
Jones had some bad luck with two drops – one on a great deep ball to Agholor and another to Devin Ross – and an incomplete on what Agholor thought was a holding penalty. The rookie had struggled toward the end of practice in each of the last two days of camp.

One interesting point from Bedard today:

• The QBs often rep the exact same plays, which is a disadvantage for Jones because he goes second and the defenders are not idiots.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

One interesting point from Bedard today:

• The QBs often rep the exact same plays, which is a disadvantage for Jones because he goes second and the defenders are not idiots.

Good point. Not to mention players know what they're working. Individual drills, red zone, 2 min stuff. They're not going in blind. Coaches are letting them know. Anyone smart will be getting close to vets who pass down info. They know what's happening, what's coming. So if it's red zone they've been coached on certain points and playing it a certain way.

Also some of these plays go on for like 10 seconds. There's no real rush at times. DB's always have that mind. So counting up, Cam/Mac went 17/27 or w/e isn't useful or very helpful. It's worth noting if someone is seriously struggling but the other stuff matters so much more.

How was their footwork? Smooth drop? Did they have to move, slide, step up? How quickly did the ball come out? In stride with the target? Overall communication between players is big. Very few quiet leaders on the field.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Bill is going to make Mac take it. On the field, film room, in between plays, in the locker room. It's going to have to be obvious. Not just to Bill btw. Mac needs to make the team believe. Do that and coaches usually follow. It's got to be KO or TKO though.

Fwiw ...
"Mac, he's a young guy, but you can't really just refer to him as a young guy," right tackle Trent Brown said at the end of minicamp. "You can tell he's been at a place where (he got) some coaching. I think he's going to be special here in the future."

With all of that in mind, a comment from an unnamed Patriots player to NFL Media’s Mike Giardi should raise some antennas.

“It’s not just the physical that stands out,” Giardi wrote. “The Pats have thrown everything at Jones, and his grasp of a playbook that’s over 20 years in the making has been impressive. As one offensive teammate told me, ‘Mac sees the game the way (offensive coordinator) Josh (McDaniels) sees it.'”




“I don’t think we want to evaluate players at any position off of one or two plays or maybe a day,” Belichick cautioned when asked what he will look for when making a decision on a starting QB. “From a consistency standpoint, that’s always important. Obviously production. Hopefully those things will be good and I’m sure it’ll be a hard decision. But we’ll see how it goes. We’ll just let them play and try to do what we feel like is best for the team based on their performance.”

Fortunately for Jones, his production and consistency in the practices has extended far beyond “one or two plays or maybe a day.” He’s been accurate, decisive and consistent in that there just isn’t a huge disparity between his best plays and his worst.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

With more athletic ends, LB's playing on the edge you'll see this more. Already being used. OL'm are spinning to find the rush, out of position. Takes away quick hitters/slants. Backer kind of gives it away here. I'd like to see him get his hands up in the middle if he's not getting to the QB or even to switch it up. I could us use some form of this.


Beautiful rep. This is how you dictate, redirect. Don't give up any ground.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Good point. Not to mention players know what they're working. Individual drills, red zone, 2 min stuff. They're not going in blind. Coaches are letting them know. Anyone smart will be getting close to vets who pass down info. They know what's happening, what's coming. So if it's red zone they've been coached on certain points and playing it a certain way.

Also some of these plays go on for like 10 seconds. There's no real rush at times. DB's always have that mind. So counting up, Cam/Mac went 17/27 or w/e isn't useful or very helpful. It's worth noting if someone is seriously struggling but the other stuff matters so much more.

How was their footwork? Smooth drop? Did they have to move, slide, step up? How quickly did the ball come out? In stride with the target? Overall communication between players is big. Very few quiet leaders on the field.

One interesting point from Bedard today:

• The QBs often rep the exact same plays, which is a disadvantage for Jones because he goes second and the defenders are not idiots.

Just to expand on this a bit. Most DB's are specifically taught NOT to play the ball. NOT to touch a target.

Fine line. Here the S gets beat and misplays the ball and pretends it's bc he did the right thing and didn't put hands on the WR lol. Man Herbert was great last year for a rookie. Still can't believe he was ignored bc the Lynn was boys with Taylor lol.

 

[Uptown]

We actually won this game…crazy..

Bittersweet…Vintage comeback, but we also lost Gronk.

Edit: Just realized the wrong tweet was posted.

 

[Tony2046]

Hello. Let's football everybody! Go Pats!!!

I'm going to use this thread to talk about all things Pats, NFL. I'll definitely be looking at and making OL/DL clips every week since that's my favorite. Pretty much the same as last year. Talk about upcoming games, players, coaching decisions as well as what's going on around the league. I wanted to include more clips but GamePass is absolutely positively horrible. They've been down for over a week and just announced they're down for a few months. Hopefully the start of the season. A lot of jobs depend on it. A lot of people in different countries depend on it to watch the games. Its fun for losers like me. It sux hopefully it's up by Sept.

The day after we drafted Mac I said he was a "Josh" pick and he would beat out Cam in camp. Draft thread I believe, one of them. Everything that has happened since only reinforces those thoughts for me.

I have no idea how much power Josh really has outside of the obvious but it's clear to me Bill signed off on Jones but it was Josh that picked which QB to go after and had the most influence over this pick. We could have gone after Fields. Waited for Mills, Riess suggested we liked him as QB2 but we stayed put and landed Mac. Between the time on road, the time Josh spends in-season with a QB. Bill being closer to the end than beginning. A QB at 15. This was more Josh than Bill in terms of who we went after.

From the jump Mac was being prepped for right after the draft. At mini-camp, looking at different coverages trying to make him think twice where to throw but Jones didn't panic or flinch. He didn't look lost, he took the safe stuff but was calm and collected. Sometimes that's a good thing or the best answer. Fast forward he's communicating between/after plays, controlling tempo/energy. Accurate, putting the ball in the best spot for the WR. Getting the ball out quick, decisive in his actions. Knowing where to go. I've heard he looks the part from a command sense. Doing everything fast isn't easy but is a huge part of mastering any position. Physically and mentally. Being vocal, communicating. He's handling it and looking the part. It was mentioned to me twice by two different people up there that if Mac had a stronger arm this might not be much of a competition at all. That's probably the thing that separates them the most. Mac is quicker, more decisive & accurate along with passing with better placement & more touch. Cam just has him beat with velocity but that can be improved.

Mac shines at practice. The above mentioned combined with consistency matters a lot rn. Right away he looks the part on the field.

While Cam is a leader himself he's also streaky and inconsistent in several areas. Trying to hang onto his last best shot at a starting job. Bill obviously likes Cam, especially at this price. We'll see if he loves Cam and how far his allegiance goes. Cam is full of life, takes responsibility, is a team first guy but his mechanics and inconsistent nature will stand out next to Mac and obviously not in a good way. We haven't seen much but I didn't notice any big changes From what I've seen and heard with that stuff and let's be honest. Cam has been working on his mechanics or something else now for a decade. I love Cam fwiw. I really do. I got behind bully ball last year. One of my favorites ever in college, had a 1st round grade on him but his better days are behind him now imo. And so far I've heard he looks almost exactly the same. It's day two but I've been watching Cam for over a decade and trust the two people that are nice enough to share what they see with me.

His best chance is truly taking control of the offense since its year two. Being in command, start directing and being more aware pre-snap - rec blitz, rec what's in front of him & moving our guys etc .. Limit the errant/TO worthy passes. Show off his arm in a good way. Displaying he can touch any area of the field with proper velocity. It's also year two so he should be head & shoulders above Mac. Should be.

We'll see what happens but I really believe Mac will stand out, pull away very late and be the BEST QB on the team in a few weeks, in almost everyone's eyes to win the job. We'll see what happens and how Bill decides.

If Cam puts it together in year two I'll be a happy but there's nothing wrong with pulling for the 15th overall pick. He's supposed to be the future. Either way I'll be pulling for both to play their best. Nothing but good things can come of that.

It looks like both had a good day yesterday but Mac made some passes that stood out. Was more accurate, had better placement. Put the ball in front of his targets. Cam was up & down. Both had a few drops but Mac looked a little better all things considering. Quicker, more decisive. From everything I've read and heard today it was pretty even for the most part but Cam had a better day overall. I heard both days Mac looks like he's doing things we've done before. A lot faster from snap to pass, knows where he's going and even if he makes a mistake he's confident and quick in his actions but demonstrative in showing displeasure.

Last year around this time I & others were concerned about the RT spot. Bill went out and brought Trent Brown back! We lose Thuney. Onwenu steps up in a huge way and is a perfect fit to slide in at guard. Shaq is an absolute beast and Andrews is a very good C. I won't speak to the depth rn but our starting 5 is nasty! We have mauling potential, serious potential with a little luck in the health department. Both Wynn, Brown & Andrews have missed time recently. Stay healthy and we're killing teams on the ground, simple as that. I'm not even sure most know how good this group could be but in case you didn't know we have 3 top 10-12 run blockers in Wynn, Onwenu and Shaq coming back.

Some clips of Wynn facing an array of rushers. Finesse, speed, crafty, power rushers in ... Robert Quinn (HOF), Yannick Ngnkoue, Michael Bennett, Frank Clark, Carl Lawson ... His hands and strikes are very quick, accurate and effective. His feints are effective and improved. Great feel on his drag hand (3rd eye). Plus grip strength. His footwork might be better. His positioning is almost always balanced and ready to strike/move, dangerous from different sets letting him handle a variety of different rushers. Great anchor / hop and core strength to handle power.
Hes a great run blocker as well. So far better than pass pro. Top 10 by PFF last year even though they suck. Tape backs it up though. Look at some of the movement he gets himself with Thuney. Shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, step for step. Now imagine him and Onwenu on the left side moving people down the field. Yeah that's why Onwenu is there. That side is going to be nasty. They're going to swamp guys on combos. Wynn is also very good and getting better in space. His quicks and footwork stand out climbing to the 2nd level. Efficient angles.











If Meyers, Bourne and Agholor continue to hit their trajectory, back to back good years and keep progressing we have a pretty complete group. A few tough WR's that get open, catch and block. Slot, outside, they have a little versatility. No world beaters. Sure we could use a little more help but this ain't a bad group at all. I'm curious about the slot. Typically we've had a reliable, known option. I wouldn't be surprised to see a bit of a revolving door and that could be a very good thing in terms of matchups. White, Bourne, Meyers, Smith, Henry can all contribute right away and can be effective from the slot. Could be a game by game basis depending on personnel. I'm sure Bourne & Meyers get the majority but remember Agholor can contribute as well. Remember even though we'll feature our TE a lot the position gained almost 3k in two years while we were running it with Welker in there. I would think Agholor would mainly be X/Z. Bourne & Meyers bounce from X/Slot.

The TE group might be the most improved group in the league. We go from about 7 rec from the entire position to having two top 10 guys in our room that can do a lot. Asiasi & Keene can breathe a little and don't have as much pressure on them. I'm still excited for both, mainly Asiasi. He came into the league more complete. Last year was an absolute sh¡tshow all-around. Judging rookie TE's, a position that almost never makes an impact as a rookie under those conditions isn't smart or fair.

Potentially we have a very deep RB group. Been watching a lot of Harris and his game is exactly like his scouting report reads. Excellent vision. His ability to press the line/set up a hole, set up 2nd level defenders. Lateral ability. Stand out when compared to Michel. Both are physically capable when it comes to setting the tone, carrying the load but Harris's vision, patience and ability to bounce outside is something we haven't had from a feature in a while. I'm hoping we keep Sony unless its for a 3rd, maybe 4th but his worth here as a RB2, potential RB1 with injury is too valuable imo. Both are solid in pass pro. I want to keep him. Give me the best possible groups. Add in White, JJ and this could be a nice group. One thing to watch for is if Stevenson can really crave out a role on ST. Show he can handle 150 carries. If he can it'll make things more interesting regarding cuts. Not a good start so we'll see there. He needs to really make an impact with the bodies in front of him bc we know how Bill feels about rookies and ST.

Are Bill/Josh zigging while the rest of the league still zags?

So it's pretty obvious we're going to be running a ton of 12 personnel (1 RB, 2TE) - little tip when looking at "personnel" just count the RB & TE's. So this particular grouping hasn't been that popular and has been dwindling down in terms of usage - teams aren't prepared to counter it, esp not all game. It can also be somewhat predictable bc of who's on the field and a lack of creativity. Think about it, a heavy run blocking grouping usually won't have many options to pass out of (Hou led the league last year I believe?). You need guys that can do more than one thing and do them really well. Despite the emergence and influx of athletes at the position it's tough to stay on the field and handle all responsibilities. You can block but can you get open and catch? Again it's a tough position to learn and master.

From Warren Sharp ...
"Instead of teams embracing heavy personnel packages to run the ball, they should start to use those heavier personnel packages to gain an advantage through the air, especially with 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends, and two wide receivers).

12 personnel usage dropped drastically league-wide in 2018. Teams used that package on 24 percent of plays in 2016, then on 25 percent of plays in 2017 but that dropped to just 16 percent last year. As most teams have embraced the pass, 12 personnel has fallen slightly out of favor. Because of the use of multiple tight ends, 12 personnel has always been a run-heavy package.

In 2016, teams passed just 47 percent of the time from 12, a rate that went down to 45 percent in 2017. Passing rose to 48 percent in 2018, but it’s still a far cry from 66 percent pass rate from 11 personnel.

This matters because passing from 12 can be incredibly efficient. Last season, teams averaged 8.08 yards per attempt, 0.15 Expected Points Added per attempt, and had a positive play rate (the percentage of plays with positive EPA) of 54 percent from 12 personnel, per Sports Info Solutions.

From 11, those averages were 7.16 yards per attempt, 0.03 EPA per attempt, and a positive play rate of 49.5 percent. There is a sample size discrepancy there because there were significantly more pass attempts from 11, but that’s kind of the point. Teams really should throw more from 12."

Luckily we have a really, really good group and Josh who has plenty of experience with these types of groupings. Most teams don't have the versatility or coaching we have. The ability to flex Smith or Henry out while keeping one in to block, put them in the slot, motion/reverse. The freedom and ability to stay on the field is what it's all about. Teams are just not ready to defend a full fledged attack from that package bc they'll mostly likely be in base to combat the run threat.

Like everything else it depends on QB play and health but the pieces are there on this side of the ball to make a play for the division. Here's to good health and good QB play. Go Pats!!!

How did I miss this gem yesterday? Best thread posted in a while. Thanks.

Re Andrews. A few years ago I did a deep dive into his impact at center and it impressed me. He's good with power blocking, great in zone blocking and is fantastic with communication. He seems a bit undersized but through technique he more than carries his weight. I love his scrappiness. I once posted a picture of him jacking up Suh. Haha.

Re 12 personnel - this is exciting. A stout running game with two top TEs? I can't wait to see how that produces.

Hearing that Agholar is tearing it up at camp? Wow.

We have two competitive QBs duking it out at camp for the starting position, a nasty looking defense on paper and an offense that looks to be a serious upgrade to last season. I'm pumped.

Love your stuff BCG. Thanks

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

How did I miss this gem yesterday? Best thread posted in a while. Thanks.

Re Andrews. A few years ago I did a deep dive into his impact at center and it impressed me. He's good with power blocking, great in zone blocking and is fantastic with communication. He seems a bit undersized but through technique he more than carries his weight. I love his scrappiness. I once posted a picture of him jacking up Suh. Haha.

Our interior is really ****ing good. Onwenu Andrews Mason could be as good as it gets when you talk about run blocking. Wynn/Thuney was one of the best left sides in football (when healthy) and I'm hoping, expecting that to continue. Those combo blocks from them two could be special. Big Mike pulling behind Shaq.
I'm really excited for our running game. We could have a really good stable. I love Harris. Posted a few clips of him. He's such a natural runner. Sony should be on fire & in great shape. Stevenson is a Patriot-Type all the way. Tough kid with some attitude, I noticed that about all our draft picks - lots pf attitude. Anyway he's a a very good runner as well - stands out in a gap/man scheme imo. Then White & JJ. We could have a great running game.

Re 12 personnel - this is exciting. A stout running game with two top TEs? I can't wait to see how that produces.

I'm thinking Bill is going use some 3 TE sets as well. I'm really hoping we see Asiasi contribute. If we're running a lot of 12 we're going to need depth so it's a just someone else steps up.

Hearing that Agholar is tearing it up at camp? Wow.

He's been great this week. Came as advertised - field stretcher that will really put some defenders & DC's in the bind with all out slot/MOF options. His speed is much needed!






Bill has the boxing gloves or mittens on the DB's again.

We have two competitive QBs duking it out at camp for the starting position, a nasty looking defense on paper and an offense that looks to be a serious upgrade to last season. I'm pumped.

If Newton is poised for a good season. Showing off the good side of his streaky-self I'm all for him starting. These are some of the best weapons Cam's ever had believe it or not. Great OL. It's there for the taking. If not I'm hoping Mac takes the job and doesn't look back. I know we don't have a true WR1 but any QB would be happy to run with these guys.

I'm very excited for the defense as well. We have some potential there and it could be nasty. I think this unit is going to great. We loaded up on run stoppers. Have about 6-7 guys that can really get after the QB and a vg secondary.

I'm hoping we see big contributions from Barmore, Dugger & Uche. Big picks and playing big parts. I miss the days of having a dominant defensive lineman and we've had plenty. Barmore has a ton of potential. The book on him was good when rushing the passer & not so good playing the run but he is so raw & talented that he should be great at both. I've super excited for all three and have heard all 3 have big-time expectations on them.

Love your stuff BCG. Thanks

Thank you! Hope to see you around!

*Edit*
I want to see all our RB's catching passes this year!

 

[Uptown]

 

[DaBruinz]

“It’s not just the physical that stands out,” Giardi wrote. “The Pats have thrown everything at Jones, and his grasp of a playbook that’s over 20 years in the making has been impressive. As one offensive teammate told me, ‘Mac sees the game the way (offensive coordinator) Josh (McDaniels) sees it.'”

I honestly don't know if this is a good thing or not. There have been more than a few "Josh WTF" moments over the past decade. Particularly in the red zone. Hopefully, with all the new TE pieces he has to play with, not to mention Harris, Michel, White, and Stevenson, the Red Zone offense will be significantly improved.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

I honestly don't know if this is a good thing or not. There have been more than a few "Josh WTF" moments over the past decade. Particularly in the red zone. Hopefully, with all the new TE pieces he has to play with, not to mention Harris, Michel, White, and Stevenson, the Red Zone offense will be significantly improved.

Absolutely, Josh definitely has his faults. I'm on record of giving him siht at times. He's also shown he's one of the best out there at putting odd pieces together and making it work to the tune of a top ten offense. That's what gives me lots of hope. He's never worked with "traditional" and most of times comes out ahead of the pack.

Multiple TE's & smaller WR's, almost never had a legit WR1. Lots of RBBC. He's been ahead of curve in a lot of ways.

That said I'm not married to Josh. Almost all that was with Brady driving the car. I'm confident that if he gets competent QB play this will be one of the better offenses in the game.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

From Mike ... I've been told and I'm sure this evident to anyone there Mac is connected to Josh a good amount of the time. Always checking in after plays, mistakes. Seems like he's walking a fine line. You have to be vocal, aggressive and fight to earn your spot but also don't want to come across a certain way. He did it at Bama, very likable kid. He knows how to come navigate these waters.

8. Mac's courtesy: It was a small gesture, but one that was hard to miss. Newton had just started his post-practice news conference Friday, which drew a large crowd of reporters, when Jones arrived for his. At that point, Jones could have stepped up to one of the open microphones and started his news conference, but he elected to wait for Newton's 15-minute session to finish, presumably out of respect to Newton and (possibly) the media.

Jones, who has exclusively taken No. 2 reps behind Cam Newton through the first stretch of practices, has shown promise when it comes to processing information and releasing the ball on time.
Along those lines, teammates have taken notice of Jones' accountability on the field, and how much he's investing in them in the locker room.

"He's a great guy off the field, so it makes it easy to play with him on the field," wide receiver Jakobi Meyers said. "Guys who want to get better, it makes it really easy to play football with them."

5. Judon's sprint: When Patriots players retreat to the conditioning hill at the end of practice, outside linebacker Matt Judon has been running with the wide receivers, his blue No. 9 jersey standing out among all the white jerseys. Judon's immersion into the Patriots' culture is in its early stages -- he wasn't around for the majority of the spring -- but he talked about already developing a connection with fellow linebackers Dont'a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy, Ja'Whaun Bentley, Raekwon McMillan, Josh Uche and others. Summing up his transition from the Baltimore Ravens, he said: "Now, I'm not in enemy territory."

6. Red zone blues: The Patriots had 26 touchdowns in 48 trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line last season, a 54.2% success rate that ranked them 24th in the NFL. Not ideal, and one might say perhaps that is a driving factor as to why the first four days of 2021 training camp were spent almost exclusively in the red zone. But as Belichick pointed out, the Patriots always have a heavy emphasis on that area early in training camp -- a reminder of its importance to any team's success.

9. Tuesday's checkmark: The Patriots have had their first four practices of training camp, although Belichick essentially said camp begins Tuesday in his view. That's when the team can first wear full pads and the tempo ramps up. So any pure evaluations are on hold, which explains his answer when asked how Jones is doing retaining information in the playbook. "We'll see," Belichick said. "We haven't really got to that yet in training camp. That'll be coming. So I don't know. We'll find out."



I really hope people are excited about Judon. Dude has some impressive flexibility and decent bend. Much more than a power rusher. He threatens to take the arc/run the loop almost every passing play.

Arizona rushes - At times it's literally his get off, lower half flexibility (Ankle & Hip flexibility) with his upper half getting flat or dipping under. Subtle little hand work - sweet little feint to bait the tackle, little rip to ensure his man is on his back. Lots of nuance to his game.


Onwenu gains almost none and is toast from the start. Kind of shows what tackles have to deal with. His get off is so good you must want to gain some depth in your sets so you can give yourself a chance but his strides/stride length - ability to change direction/come back inside is very real. He's a handful.

 

[DaBruinz]

I really hope people are excited about Judon. Dude has some impressive flexibility and decent bend. Much more than a power rusher. He threatens to take the arc/run the loop almost every passing play.

Arizona rushes - At times it's literally his get off, lower half flexibility (Ankle & Hip flexibility) with his upper half getting flat or dipping under. Subtle little hand work - sweet little feint to bait the tackle, little rip to ensure his man is on his back. Lots of nuance to his game.

I wanted Judon after the 2019 season before he was tagged by the Ravens. Judon played 2020 on the tag of 16.8M. His AAV with the Patriots is 13.6M.. And people say that the Patriots don't get deals on players.

I really like his game and I think that he's going to be the first double-digit sack guy we've had in awhile.