Yates: What makes a successful camp

[BradyManny]

What makes a successful camp - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

6. Develop camaraderie, identity. Not much about training camp is fun for players. Spending hours in exhausting heat followed by more hours perusing film in a dark room makes for monotonous days, but they’re critical. Critical toward the development of a team, and with each team comes a sense of camaraderie (or a debilitating lack thereof), and an identity.

The Patriots had an active offseason, adding a number of veterans in free agency and drafting seven players. Integrating the new faces with the old, along with establishing camaraderie, will help to set the tone for the season.

Nothing earth-shattering, but I think Yates pretty well spells it all out here. I like the insight he brings.

I think #6 is a big one for this team. Last year's team had less talent, more inexperience and dealt with some key injuries. The overall talent base now is much stronger. Last year's team almost won a SB in part thanks to the intangibles, thanks to mental toughness. If this team can maintain the work ethic, chemistry and mental toughness it had last year - I know it will be improved on the field, and the result may be a team that resembles the 2004 squad in many ways.