{"id":7500,"date":"2016-08-21T05:00:26","date_gmt":"2016-08-21T09:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=7500"},"modified":"2016-08-21T15:41:39","modified_gmt":"2016-08-21T19:41:39","slug":"new-england-patriots-news-8-21-afc-east-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/08\/21\/new-england-patriots-news-8-21-afc-east-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"New England Patriots News 8-21, AFC East Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning, here are\u00a0Sunday\u2019s Patriots news 8-21<\/strong>\u00a0and notes on what\u2019s happening around the AFC East.<\/p>\n

Trey Flowers Making Another Strong Push for Playing Time:<\/strong>
\nAfter a strong training camp in 2015, Patriots DE Trey Flowers made the 53-man roster but injury issues limited him to just a single game and he never truly got to show what he could do. Well, the 2nd<\/sup>-year player from Arkansas is showing that not only that the performance was not a fluke but is rapidly becoming a force on the edge.<\/p>\n

With the injuries to Rob Ninkovich, Jabaal Sheard, and Shea McClellin this week, Flowers was thrust into a starting role opposite veteran Chris Long. Now playing against starters rather than backups, the result was the same. Flowers played very solidly again, he shared a sack with Anthony Johnson, batted a pass at the line and was a disruptive influence showing good power and moves in getting after the QB.<\/p>\n

Chalk this up as a wait and see but hey, don\u2019t look now Patriots Fans but \u2026 Marcus Cannon\u2019s<\/strong> play at RT has been markedly improved lately, especially in the running game. Looks like the bringing back of Dante Scarnecchia is already paying dividends.<\/p>\n

\"DE

DE Trey Flowers looks bigger, strong and quicker this season<\/p><\/div>\n

Joint Practices, A time for Player Evaluation:<\/strong>
\nOne of the areas that the coaches always tout as a positive for the joint practices is the chance to further evaluate their players. Some of the fringe players or specific role players may get only a snap or two in a preseason game. But the joint practices allow the coaches to really see more of what these guys can do.<\/p>\n

The other thing that the joint ventures do, and this is something that Bill Belichick has done a lot of in the past, is allow you to take a close look at the players of your opponent. A player that may not fit the scheme of your foe this week may be a key cog on your team the next.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d keep an eye on trades coming up, the Patriots are deep this season, so scouts from other teams are bound to be watching and seeing who gets cut loose and possibly working a deal for a player that fits their needs. Chicago, in particular,\u00a0could be a prime trading partner again.<\/p>\n

Clock is Ticking for Players on PUP:<\/strong>
\nThe first two preseason games are in the books and the roster cut-down to 53 players is rapidly approaching on September 3. It is just a mere 13 days away, so the time for the players on the PUP to get either ready for the regular season or stay on the PUP for the first six weeks is nearing.<\/p>\n

There is little time for evaluation for these players which will allow them to properly prepare for the season. So this may be a big week for guys like Danny Amendola, Dion Lewis, Sebastian Vollmer and Tre\u2019 Jackson. If they can\u2019t return to the team and start preparing for Arizona, will one week or less be enough? If we don\u2019t see any of them by the time the team leaves for Carolina, I\u2019d say that they start the season on PUP. Of all of those players, Amendola seems the closest to returning.<\/p>\n

And what about the players who\u2019s been banged up and are now far behind the power curve in terms of roster spots and playing time? Jonathan Cooper, Bryce Williams, Donald Brown and D.J. Foster have all missed valuable practice time and are in danger of losing roster spots.<\/p>\n

Cooper who was brought over in the Chandler Jones trade is suffering from plantar fasciitis and hasn\u2019t been seen since the first padded practice. Williams and Brown had early flashes in camp but are now on the outside looking in.<\/p>\n

Roberts Takes a Big Step Forward against the Bears:
\n<\/strong>Patriots 2nd<\/sup>-year CB Darryl Roberts has been somewhat of a forgotten man this year at training camp. With all eyes on top pick Cyrus Jones and the talk centered around this year\u2019s UDFA crop of athletic corners including Jonathan Jones, Cre\u2019Von LeBlanc and V\u2019Angelo Bentley, Roberts has been kind of an afterthought.<\/p>\n

\"Mitchell,-Roberts\"<\/p>\n

To be fair, the play of the Jones\u2019 and LeBlanc has been better than his body of work thus far this summer. But all that changed on Thursday night. Roberts had \u2026by far his best day this summer in the game against the Bears.<\/p>\n

Roberts was targeted seven times against Chicago and gave up just two receptions for a total of 11 yards. He also was credited with three passes defensed and looked strong and physical out there. He got flagged on a ticky-tack personal foul call but that should in no way dampen the strong game he had. With the battle for the final corner spot still hanging in the balance, Roberts has again entered the fray. The final two weeks of practice and preseason games will tell the story.<\/p>\n

Players Involved in Al Jazeera Probe Agree to Meet with the NFL:
\n<\/strong>The four NFL players implicated in the Al Jazeera\/Charlie Sly doping scandal have all agreed to sit down with NFL investigators. While there is considerable pressure on these players to come forward, a cautious approach is what will work best.<\/p>\n

These men are athletes, not lawyers and we all saw how the NFL manipulated, twisted and outright lied about Tom Brady\u2019s \u201ccooperation\u201d and testimony. Pittsburgh\u2019s James Harrison said it best when he thinks the media and video cameras should be allowed into the proceedings to record them.<\/p>\n

The NFL said it had \u201cmore credible evidence\u201d than just the Charlie Sly interview. But it refused to share it with the NFL Players Association. And it is unclear although doubtful that any of the players, (Harrison, Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, Mike Neal) hired a team of investigators to descend on their former health clinic on a shredding<\/span>, er fact-finding expedition.<\/p>\n

Harrison is right\u2026film every second of it, because it probably will get ugly.<\/p>\n