It Starts To Get Real

First practice in pads. First preseason game in two weeks. Yeah, I’m ready.

 

So far, so good. Bill Belichick put Aaron Hernandez in the rear view. The rookie wide receivers showed up in the first two days of non-contact drills and impressed veteran CB Aqib Talib when they put the pads on. Jake Ballard and Dane Fletcher are practicing without restrictions. Armond Armstead’s non-football illness is unrelated to his past heart condition. Josh Boyce is fast. The Patriots have a great mix of youth and veteran leadership with credible depth up and down the roster. (Excuse me while I touch wood three times.) Some guy named Tim Tebow is hoping to make us all forget Mike Kafka. Good times.

Tebow is widely regarded to be (a) a long shot to make the roster or (b) just what the Patriots need to restore luster to the Patriots’ brand. I still think that if the Patriots line up in the shotgun with Tebow next to Brady that defensive coordinators will poop their pants. I’m not sure I feel comfortable with the notion that he will eventually make Ryan Mallett trade bait (and what exactly do we think we’re going to get for Mallett in exchange, anyway?). I’m not sure I buy the notion that Tebow’s value as a read-option scout team QB justifies a roster spot, either. Tebow is a football player. He has skills as a runner and we shouldn’t forget he was a 60% passer in college, playing against SEC defenses. I think Tebow makes the roster and Mallett winds up designated the third QB on game days. And defensive coordinators poop their pants.

Of course, Tebow isn’t the only long shot in training camp. We can’t help but love the underdog. It’s one of the things we love about sports. The unexpected, the big play, that kid who comes out of nowhere, the comeback from twenty points down after half the crowd has left the stadium. It reminds us that while we may feel down, we should never feel that we can’t overcome the challenges in front of us. It’s easy to forget the Tom Brady of 2013 was once a sixth round draft pick, the fourth option on a team that had just handed their franchise QB a $103m contract.

They’re called underdogs for a reason and Vegas usually makes its money so it’s probably good advice to root with your heart and not with your wallet.

I haven’t heard much recently after some early buzz in OTA’s but I’m much more interested in undrafted RB George Winn than the supposed battle between Brandon Bolden and LeGarrette Blount for the fourth running back spot (Bolden’s special teams value makes this so called competition a walk over). Winn’s highlight reel reminds me a little bit of Ray Rice, which admittedly is probably wishful thinking. With his one-cut, the only gear I’ve got is overdrive running style, don’t be surprised if Mike Shanahan picks up Winn if he gets cut by New England.

I’ve got Danny Amendola, Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce and Julian Edelman as roster locks at WR. Special teams ace Matthew Slater has to count against the WR position, which leaves Kamar Aiken, Perez Ashford, Mark Harrison, Lavelle Hawkins, Michael Jenkins, Quentin Sims and Kenbrell Thompkins competing for what is very likely one roster spot. Despite the Molasses Mike moniker, I believe Jenkins would be productive working with Brady but clearly, Michael Jenkins was not the missing piece to New England’s Super Bowl puzzle. Seeing an announcement that Jenkins has been cut would be good news indeed as it would indicate the Pats’ coaches have confidence in one or more of their rookies.

The biggest surprise so far has been UDFA Thompkins, who like George Winn, played college ball at Cincinnati. Thompkins has been getting first team reps and continues to make his case for a spot on the roster. Based on the pre-draft assessment of Thompkins as pretty good/nothing special, it’s unsurprising he went undrafted. With the “redo” at WR for New England, pretty/good/nothing special (and faster than Michael Jenkins) may be enough. If Thompkins continues to impress, he could win a roster spot straight up. As noted above, Belichick’s well documented desire for roster flexibility and the special teams’ potential of Thompkins over Jenkins would give Thompkins the edge overall.

Undrafted WR Mark Harrison would probably be a TE if it wasn’t for the top end WR speed he brings to the table. I’m thinking Anquan Bolden. Again, wishful thinking, I suppose. Given the fact that Harrison is recovering from a broken bone in his left foot, I’d say it’s 50/50 Harrison red shirts on IR this year.

Kamar Aiken, anyone?

Like the WR group, the TE position is unsettled, to say the least. Still, the question regarding Gronkowski’s return isn’t if but when. Okay, there’s also the question as to how close to the freakishly dominant best TE in the known universe Gronk will be in 2013. If he’s rounding into form in December, Pats’ fans should count themselves lucky. (Fingers crossed!) Even with the uncertainty surrounding Gronk’s return, I’ve lately fallen out of love with the idea of signing free agent Dallas Clark or waiting for the Kansas City Chiefs to cut either Tony Moeaki or Anthony Fasano. The veteran trio of Jake Ballard, Daniel Fells and Michael Hoomanawanui are solid and the undrafted duo of Zach Sudfeld and Brandon Ford are intriguing. I think Sudfeld or Ford will push Fells – the oldest of the group at 29 – for the fourth TE spot. Hooman has too much versatility, playing TE, fullback and special teams for Belichick to let him go. Ballard has reliable hands and at 6’ 6” and 270lbs is a legit in-line blocker and the obvious next man up should Gronk start the season on PUP.

Sudfeld flashed in OTA’s and while he may be a willing blocker, at 6’ 7” and 225lbs, he measures out to be more Harold Carmichael than Mark Bavaro. The athletic Brandon Ford (6’ 3”, 240lb, 4.66 forty) hasn’t gotten much notice so far despite early comparisons to Aaron Hernandez’s skill set.

So, maybe I’m talking myself into this. Maybe I’m seeing this thing from a best case scenario point of view – all of these guys can’t be future Hall of Famers, after all (can they?). Still, I’m feeling pretty good about the WR and TE position at this point.

Yeah, I’m talking myself into it.