Day 4 of Patriots Training Camp was another 90-minute practice. This was the last mandated conditioning practice and was conducted in helmets, shorts, and shells.
Morgan Moses, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Carlton Davis didn’t come on the field until after the initial individual position drills were completed. Moses and Stevenson competed in 11 on 11s, but Davis just rode the stationary bike (in uniform).
No change to the PUP or NFI players.
Injury – Jahlani Tavai had some type of injury and was led off the field by trainers and didn’t return.
Maye Inaccurate Throwing Downfield
Unlike previous practices, Drake Maye concentrated on throwing the ball downfield. All QBs are less accurate when throwing downfield. He was 8 of 17 in 11 on 11 with two drops. The best play of the day and probably of all practices was an escape by Maye against pressure and a rollout right. Pop Douglas was running an out-route and turned it upfield when Maye escaped the pocket. Douglas beat Kyle Dugger for a 50-yard TD. I don’t want to see Dugger as a deep safety – he has no instincts for the position and takes bad angles. Javon Baker and Efton Chism got some plays with the 1st team and Drake Maye.
Pop Douglas Popped
Not only did he have that big 50-yard bomb, but he had 3 other catches to lead the wide receivers. Stephon Diggs had a quiet day and wasn’t targeted much. Javon Baker had a big 60-yard TD catch from Josh Dobbs. TreVeyon Henderson is going to be fun to watch. Josh McDaniels is looking to get Henderson in space and let his legs do the talking. Henderson had 4 catches and a drop. He had a nice TD catch against Marte Mapu in which he did a little stutter-and-go and left Mapu in the dust. Mapu was so faked out that he wasn’t even in the frame of the video anymore.
Offensive Line Pass Blocking is a Major Concern
The Pass Rush had another great day with 5 would-be sacks of Drake Maye. This from Greg Bedard “on all three attempts during one of Maye’s sets (coincidentally, that was when Jared Wilson started at center). It was somebody else each time: Milton Williams beat Mike Onwenu, Keion White got Cole Strange, and then K’Lavon Chaisson got around Will Campbell.”
Is the Defense this good, or is the O-line this bad? We won’t know until Monday with the pads on and they start doing one-on-ones. The definitive answer will come in the joint practices. If they are having the same issue in joint practices, then we have a big problem. Defense is always ahead of Offense this early in Training Camp, but signs of improvement need to be shown. Same starting line combination with Wilson subbing at Center with the 1st team and both Guard positions with backups. Marcus Bryant has been the primary backup at Left Tackle
Defense Put on a Show
Robert Spillane had two Pass Breakups (PBU). Spillane is not known for his coverage skills. Jack Gibbens also added two PBUs against Josh Dobbs, one of which was picked off by Jabrill Peppers. DJ James had another strong day. If he keeps stacking days, he is someone that we will have to look at fighting for a roster spot.
Kicker Competition is Heating Up
Definitely, Andres Borregales missed an Extra Point badly. Depending upon who is reporting and what angle they were looking at, both kickers had kicks that sailed directly over the uprights. Whether they were good or bad would have been a call on the field. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and say that Borregales was 3 for 4 and Romo had another perfect 4 for 4 day. At this point, I think John Parker-Romo has the slight edge. How they do on kickoffs may be the determining factor.
Patriots’ New Uniform to be Revealed
On the Thursday Night Football game between the Patriots and the New York Jets, both teams will have new uniforms called the NFL Nike Rivalries uniforms. The reveal of the uniform will be on August 28th.
They will also wear their “Pat Patriot” Red throwback uniforms. In Week 3, versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, they will wear the throwback uniforms, and in Week 13 on Monday Night Football, versus the New York Giants.
Keion White Leads the Defense This Spring
“Leading with violence is always my type of style,” White said following Friday’s walkthrough. “So, whenever I can do that and not read as much, that’s definitely beneficial for me.”
In addition to the violent approach, Mike Vrabel and Terrell Williams’ new defensive system will feature a more aggressive and attacking defensive front. That should suit White and his fellow linemen well, as the emphasis is no longer to read-and-react and instead pushing up the field to make plays in the backfield.
Keion White has expressed a strong stance on the defensive standard for the Patriots, stating that it should be “negative yards on every play.”
Polk and Baker
Do Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker not want to be here as part of the New England Patriots? It appears to me that they are doing everything they can to be cut by the team so they can go to another team. Polk knows Vrabel’s stance on “Soft Tissue” injuries. Baker was seen dancing after being spoken to by coaches. Even Stephon Diggs spoke with him during practice. Polk was not spotted on the field for a 4th consecutive day. You can’t make the team from the tub.
A possible trade suggestion made by Heavy.com has Polk being shipped off with a 7th Round pick to Arizona for just a 6th round pick. That’s how far Polk’s value has dropped.
Players day Off on Sunday
This is a mandatory Day Off in accordance with the CBA. Monday at 10:15 will be the first padded practice, and the boys will get the chance to pound each other. I think you will see a bigger emphasis on the running game in the upcoming practices. I expect the practice time to be extended to 2-hours on Monday.
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Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.
