The good news has piled up over the last few days. First, Logan Mankins put on pads and got to work. Then the Patriots signed world class sprinter Jeff Demps (despite the oblations of the Jets and former Florida teammate Tim Tebow). Now we’re hearing that OT Sebastian Vollmer and TE Daniel Fells will be activated and begin practicing next week. How psyched am I? I’m actually counting the hours to kick-off Monday night, knowing full well I won’t see anything of Demps other than college and Olympics clips and with the near certain expectation of Brian Hoyer starting at QB.
Best Case Scenarios
I’m cautiously optimistic on Vollmer’s return. In the wake of last year’s nightmare it’s easy to forget that Vollmer started 16 games in 2010 and was considered by some Pigskin Pundits and Bobbleheads to be one of the best right tackles in the NFL. So, there’s that. Vollmer is a beast and with Fells on his right and Gronkowski flanking Fells it gives the Patriots a formidable set of blockers for short yardage scenarios (and with Gronk they always have run/play action options). Brandon Lloyd has got to be man up on the weak side of this formation. Please make this happen!
Wishful Thinking (but still fun to think about)
The good citizens of Patriots Nation went a little bit crazy after the Jeff Demps signing. Maybe some of that was due to the notion that the Jets were all up on Demps’ jock and any time the Patriots beat the Jets at anything its reason for some chest-bumping. Maybe we wanted to distract ourselves from the collective unease we continue to feel about the offensive line with some chatter about the kick return game, which everyone knows was the opposite of good in 2011. Did reports that Dante Stallworth was shagging kicks in training camp make any of us feel any better? Yeah. That would be no. Demps, on the other hand, has all of us thinking the Patriots might actually project a credible threat in the return game, and he hasn’t even practiced yet.
But that doesn’t make us wrong.
Despite his long time commitment to the importance of special teams in general and recent statements about kick-off returns specifically, I’m not so sure Belichick would given up a roster spot to a guy who will only return kick-offs. And I don’t mean punts, too. I don’t think the Patriots are unhappy with Julian Edelman on punt returns and besides, Demps didn’t handle punts in college. Should Demps become the 30 yards per kick return guy we all hope he will be, I’d be more than happy (I’m thinking somewhere between overjoyed and ecstatic) but I think Belichick and McDaniels look at Demps as something more, as a Darren Sproles type of back.
Sproles, of course, is simply the latest in a long line of third down or gadget backs that traces back to Dave Meggett for one, a back that Belichick has more than a passing familiarity with. For years, the Patriots had relied on Kevin Faulk in this role. He is arguably one of the best 3rd down specialist backs in NFL history. In his place, they currently have Danny Woodhead handling direct snaps, inside handoffs and quick screen passes but Woodhead (like Faulk before him) is known more for his quickness and pigskin smarts than for his straight line speed.
Woodhead has that knack for getting 14 when you need 13 but he doesn’t have the wheels to score from the home side of the 50. He’s going to get caught. Demps on the other hand is a threat to score from anywhere on the field.
I’m happy to have both players on the roster and I do have expectations of Demps beyond kick-off returns. As noted above, I just don’t see Belichick signing this guy if that wasn’t the case. I’m setting the over/under on Demps at 20 rushes, 25 receptions and 5 TDs (total). I’m going with one rushing – on a reverse – one on a kick-off and three on screen pass receptions.
Elite Liberal Media Reference
Meanwhile, the Jets are barely outperforming the Greek economy.
Just Sayin’
I’m not sure what “The Patriot Way” is but I’m pretty sure this isn’t it.
Yeah, yeah. You won the Super Bowl. Just sayin’.
A Little Slice of Perfect
From Jason Taverner…
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