MORSE: Rookie Camp Invitees and Draft Notes
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Non-Contract Rookie UDFA Invitees to Rookie Mini Camp
The Patriots will conduct their annual Rookie Mini-Camp May 10th and 11th at Gillette (not ope to the public). This is a combination of workouts and indoctrination of those players selected in the Draft and those players signed as UDFAs.
In addition to those players, the following players have been rumored to have received an invitation to tryout at the Rookie Mini-Camp. As an incentive to these invitees, the Patriots have held one contract available for a complete roster. This is like a carrot on a stick to get the donkey to move! However, if you remember the story of Super Bowl hero, Malcolm Butler, he was an invitee and impressed so much at mini camp, the Patriots cut one of the rookies they had just signed in order to sign Butler.
The following players have been identified as receiving an invite:
Jay Person, Edge – Chattanooga
Measurables: 6’2.2” 234 Lbs 4.78e 40
A quad injury prevented Person from running a 40 at his Pro Day. However, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year (2022 and 2023) is a terrific pass rusher with 16.5 sacks the last two years. He also averages 1.45 Tackles for Loss per game.
Vince Blanchard, K/P – Laval University (CAN)
The 25-year-old kicker made 74% of his kicks in his career. Last season he upped that to 94% with a long of 49 yards. In the Championship game he was 5 for 5 on FG attempts. For his career he was 88 of 89 on extra points. He was 2nd team All Canadian last year.
Terrell Jennings, RB – Florida A&M
Measurables: 5’11.2” 216 Lbs 4.66 40
One of the Rattlers all-time leaders in rushing. Grew up with Patriots Pop Douglas.
Tariq Stewart OT North Carolina A&T
Measurables: 6’5″ 302 Lbs 5.44 40
All Big South 1st team in 2022. Finisher mentality. His strengths are that he is a physical tone-setter and has OT/OG versatility. Weakness: Level of competition, overall technique, and his frame/body mass / arm length.
John Davis Jr, CB – North Texas
Measurables: 6’1” 188 Lbs 4.55 40
6 year college career started at Texas Tech and transferred to North Texas. Special Teams ace.
Trajan Bandy, CB – Miami
Measurables: 5’ 7” 186 Lbs. 4.52 40
Two time All-ACC at Miami. UDFA in 2020 and was on the Steelers and Bengals Practice Squads.
Looks like that prediction that Scott Pioli dropped came true. If you have been following my draft articles, I dropped a tidbit from Pioli that the Patriots were likely to draft two QBs. Joe Milton’s selection was a pleasant surprise in what was an underwhelming draft by the Pats.
Warren Sharpe, the NBC Analyst I have a great respect for had the Patriots Draft ranked 29th in the league. I know, you can’t really judge a draft for 3 years, but this is not a good sign.
Do you get the same feeling that I do about Drake Maye and his brothers? It’s the Gronkowski’s all over again!
My feeling on the selection of Caedan Wallace is they truly like him and his upside. However, they selected him much earlier than they expected because of the run of Offensive Lineman. I felt they were unprepared for that and didn’t prioritize Left Tackle position. He was immediately penciled in as a Left Tackle on a depth chart that was revealed in one of the press photos from the draft room.
I didn’t like the selection of Layden Robinson although I agreed they should have taken a guard at this spot. They just took the wrong one! When I did a side-by-side comparison of Robinson to Mason McCormick, using the Relative Athletic Score, McCormick won hands down. McCormick was 9.96 to Robinson 8.20. Also not measured were the 35 reps that McCormack did on the Bench Press. The only item that Robinson had in favor over McCormack was that he played at a higher level of competition in SEC. McCormack was a 3-time team captain too!
I’m not sold on Javon Baker. He talks a good game, just like Terrel Owens, even used his line of bring your popcorn! However, he hasn’t done anything in this league yet. Also, his 21.9 Yards Per Catch was against very inferior competition. He couldn’t cut it against the competition for playing time at Alabama, so he transferred to UCF to play down to the competition there.
Eliot Wolf had a tough initial draft. He asked for the moon and didn’t get it in trade talks for the #3 pick. Reports and who knows if they are true, indicated that he did get an offer from MIN of #11, #23 and 2025 1st, as well as an offer from the Giants of #6, 2024 2nd #47 and their 2025 1st. Either one of these trades would have worked. Instead, they select Drake Maye (Im OK with the selection of Maye) and trade their next best trade chip #34. However, they don’t get back any additional draft capital. It’,s only a swap of picks. This hurt the Patriots later in the draft when the run of Left Tackles and they couldn’t / or wouldn’t trade up.
Another rumor has surfaced the Patriots tried to move up in the 1st round to try and get WR Xavier Legette (South Carolina). They were talking with Buffalo, but they wouldn’t help out a division rival, but would help the Super Bowl champs instead! Then at #32, BUF traded with CAR and dropped back one spot.
Undrafted Rookie RB DeShaun Fenwick received some good reviews of his work at the East / West Shrine game practices. The report said that he “had some juice when he had his hands on the ball”. Fenwick is the only signed RB on the roster.
The Patriots roster is at 89 presently.
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