Looking Up

I don’t know why but it seems sometimes we forget the good things we’ve got looking for something shiny and new. The Patriots preseason game #3 – the “dress rehearsal” – was a reminder of that.

For those who were pulling out the shovels to throw some dirt on Tom Brady’s face, you can head back to the shed. Working with Julian Edelman (10 catches on 10 chances in preseason action) and a rebuilt receiving corps that is still lacking promising second-year WR Aaron Dobson and The Big Gronkowski, Brady recovered from a slow start to finish with a 17/21/204 slash line that could’ve even been better if not for a drop or two (you know, in case an 81% completion rate isn’t good enough for you). TB12 connected with Shane Vereen twice on TD passes; one a great pre-snap read by Brady, the second an incredibly athletic move by Vereen to lay out for the pylon.

Remember those questions surrounding Brady’s status as an elite QB a few weeks ago? They seemed silly even then, didn’t they.

The literal wow moment – yes, I leapt from the comfort of my dad chair when it happened – was the beautiful pass he dropped into Julian Edelman’s hands straight up the seam for 35 yards. The accuracy and touch on that pass were simply sublime. Tom Terrific had some nice looks to Kenbrell Thompkins as well, who is clearly building trust with Brady. It was noteworthy that Brady came right back to Thompkins following a drop with KT converting his redemption reception for a first down. That’s one of those under the radar leadership moments from Brady; an “I believe in you” throw that will pay dividends come crunch time in the regular season.

With the annual questions about Ridley and ball security and the intrigue provided by rookies James White and Roy Finch, there hadn’t been much chatter about Vereen. Durability is still a concern but a healthy Vereen is clearly one of those weapons Patriots Nation is always clamoring for. Except for the depth of talent and options for Brady on offense, Vereen could be a 2,000 yards from scrimmage guy. With Jules, Danny Amendola, Kenbrell Thompkins, Dobson and Gronk catching passes and Ridley, White, Bolden and possibly Finch toting the rock, Vereen probably won’t have the opportunities needed to double up on the century mark. Friday night he looked like he deserves as many touches as Josh McDaniels can dial up.

It’s not like we forgot Julian Edelman. The consensus opinion heading into training camp seemed to be that Edelman’s 2013 was the new normal and we should be pencil those numbers in for 2014. As with the observation about Vereen’s projections above, the only thing that would limit Jules’ stat line this year would be improvements in production from Amendola, Dobson, Thompkins and a return to health for Gronkowski. His receiving line of 8/8/99 last Friday night was certainly impressive but for me it was his work returning punts that reminded me of how really, really good Jules is at playing football.

Edelman and Vereen may not be the type of player that comes to mind when you hear the phrase “homerun hitters” applied to football players. They don’t look like Calvin Johnson or Adrian Peterson but they are both game-changers capable of scoring from anywhere on the field.

I’ve been caught up in the “making the leap” hype surrounding Jamie Collins and I’m not giving up my seat on that bandwagon but Chandler Jones reminded me again Friday night that he had me comparing him to Willie McGinest a year ago. Yes, one of Jones’ sacks Friday night was a coverage sack. Belichick would tell you that sacks, interceptions and fumble recoveries should all be team stats because they only happen when everybody does their job. Having said that, there’s no denying that Jones is a special player who has worked hard to develop his natural gifts as an athlete. I think Jones needs a nickname and since Chris Jones is on the roster, I think Chandler Jones nickname should be Cha-Cha. You’d have to go with those three letters to differentiate Chandler from Chris and then there’s that Pee-Wee Herman “Tequila” sack dance. That needs to go, Cha-Cha.

Seeing the Patriots’ D in a 3-4 configuration, with Jones and Rob Ninkovich standing up as outside linebackers while hardly a revelation (the 3-4 has always been Belichick’s favored alignment) provides an interesting prospective on 2014. It would seem that Vince Wilfork is back and as good as ever. You can’t run the 3-4 effectively without a dominant player on the nose. Hard to say who backs Vince up at NT (Sealver Siliga?) but maybe Vince gets his rest when the Pats line up in a 4-3. The 3-4 would project promising rookie d-lineman Dominique Easley to the 5 technique. Playing with Jones as his wingman (as a 3-4 DE or 4-3 DT), Easley could become the disruptive force his college highlight reel promises.

Jerod Mayo, Dont’a Hightower and Collins provide an outstanding complementary rotation at the inside linebacker spot. Mayo and Collins can hold their own in coverage and all three are a threat to blitz. I’m getting all tingly just thinking about this! In the 3-4, the current injury issues at DT are more easily managed and with Jones and Ninkovich standing up, there’s more opportunities for young talents like Michael Buchanan and Zach Moore to get on the field. Both Jones and Ninkovich can play with their hands in the dirt and we should still expect to see plenty of 4-3 in the coming season. With Tommy Kelly and Easley at the DT spots and Cha-Cha and Ninko at DE, New England should be able to put plenty of pressure on opposing QBs. Subbing James Anderson or an additional defensive back for Hightower on passing downs will make it hard to find an open receiver with Darrelle Revis and Devin McCourty leading the defensive backfield.

Bill Belichick’s Amoeba Defense is back, baby!

Roster Watch

The expansion of the practice squad from 8 to 10 spots notwithstanding, reality is about to kick hope’s ass once again in a few days.

Oh Captain, My Captain

The only questions at the QB position are (a) who will hold the clipboard and (b) will the Patriots carry three QBs in 2014. I’m going with Jimmy Garoppolo and no but I can’t see Belichick letting Ryan Mallett go for nothing. If a trade partner isn’t available, we could see Brady, Mallett and Garoppolo on the final 53.

If the Bradyocalypse happens, I think Garoppolo has already shown he’s a better fit for Josh McDaniels’ offensive scheme. I’m not suggesting a Super Bowl run but if the Patriots’ defense plays up to their potential, New England can still be a playoff team with Jimmy G. under center. Could the defense carry a Mallett-led offense to the playoffs? It’s possible I suppose but my confidence level would drop from 0.7 with Garoppolo (okay, overly optimistic) to 0.5 with Mallett.

Is Sam Bradford’s knee okay? [Edit: Not good, as it turns out.] Have the Raiders really talked themselves into Matt Schaub?

Tight Ends not named Gronkowski or Hooman-uh-whatever

Fullback James Develin impacts decisions at both TE and RB with his growth as a pass-catcher complementing his blocking and short-yardage rushing capabilities. Neither recent pickup Steve Maneri nor second chance UDFA Justin Jones showed up last Friday night. Jones’ measurables are off the charts but he’s a work in progress at best. I’m hoping he makes it to New England’s practice squad. Hard to imagine another team signing him to their final 53 if the TE needy Patriots can’t find a spot for him.

Running Backs not named Ridley or Vereen

I wouldn’t be surprised by anything that happens at the RB position. I could see Ridley starting or being traded with Jonas Gray making the squad. How does Develin fit in the big back equation? James White hasn’t lived up to the training camp hype in preseason action; is he the roster lock everyone seems to believe he is? With his ability to play all three downs, White would seem to be a threat to Brandon Bolden’s roster spot but it seems that the final cut in most roster projections comes down to Bolden or Roy Finch. Of course, many of those prognoses came before Gray started making noise in preseason games two and three. I’m still on Team Finch in part because I like Finch over Josh Boyce to return kicks.

Barring a trade and counting Develin as a FB/TE, the depth chart at RB looks like Ridley, Vereen, Bolden, White, Gray and Finch. I could see them carrying as many as five but not six. Given the upside of Finch, I don’t think he would make it to the practice squad.

Catching Fire

Just last year the wide receiver position was a thin, under seasoned goulash of veterans yet to fulfill their potential and raw rookies who needed “L” and “R” painted on their shoes. One year later this is perhaps the deepest and most versatile set of pass catchers of the Belichick era. LaFell, Dobson, Tyms and Thompkins are tall, er, tallish. Edelman, Amendola, Josh Boyce and Jeremy Gallon are impish, quick and elusive, which is good when the alternative is being hit by someone who outweighs you by 50+ pounds. LaFell, Dobson, Tyms and Thompkins can play outside of the numbers. Edelman, Amendola, Boyce and Gallon can torture linebackers and run-stopping safeties underneath.

Jules is Brady’s binky. Amendola is still healthy and along with Thompkins and LaFell developing chemistry with Tom Terrific. Dobson is working towards Week 1. Brian Tyms is working towards Week 5.

Josh Boyce and Jeremy Gallon are the odd men out here. Boyce hasn’t shown the second year growth that Thompkins has and Gallon only recently made it onto the practice field. Could they clear waivers and make it to the practice squad? Boyce’s feet may be faster than his brains and while that has hurt him in New England, he still might hold value for a number of other teams. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t claimed by one of the other AFC East teams if/when he’s released. Gallon seems a longshot for the practice squad as well but perhaps Tyms’ four-game suspension will allow New England to hold onto Gallon to start the season.

The O Word

In the context of Dante Scarnecchia’s retirement and the 40 sacks given up in 2013, there’s a fair amount of anxiety in Patriots Nation about what has traditionally been one of the team’s strengths.

Even the locks on the offensive line have come with questions in 2014. Nate Solder had a slow start to camp and looked more statue than statuesque against Washington in preseason game #1. (He did look like he was rounding into regular season form last Friday night.) Logan Mankins is coming off a poor by his standards 2013 and Sebastian Vollmer is coming back from a season-ending injury and missed time recently due to a foot injury. Then there’s the open competition for center and right guard with incumbents Ryan Wendell and Dan Connolly, young up and comers Josh Kline and Jordan Devey, with rookies Brian Stork and Jon Halapio seemingly less of a factor as the preseason progresses. Preseason game #3 is supposedly a dress rehearsal for the starters, who usually sit out game #4 as the end of the roster shakes out, but Belichick gave us no clear insight as to the starters at center and right guard last Friday night, continuing to shuffle the deck.

Solder, Mankins, Vollmer and Marcus Cannon (as the swing tackle with the ability to slide inside to guard) are the obvious locks. After that, a combination of factors are at work. If Ryan Wendell is your starting center, then Dan Connolly is still probably the best right guard on the roster, regardless of his salary cap baggage. If Connolly takes over the pivot, Wendell could be cut or kept depending on what Stork can show in his return from injury. Devey has gotten a lot of reps in preseason but has had his ups and downs. Has he passed Josh Kline on the depth chart or does Kline get the nod at guard if Connolly lines up at center.

On any other team, draft status would probably be enough to secure roster spots for Stork, Halapio and Cameron Fleming. Not so much with Bill Belichick. Assuming the Pats keep 9 offensive linemen and taking into account the four players noted above as locks, that leaves just 5 spots up for grabs.

I’d go Connolly, Kline, Devey, Fleming and Wendell. Stork or Halapio might make it to the practice squad.

Safety Net

Devin McCourty is the only name we can be completely sure of at safety. Duron Harmon and Patrick Chung appear to be working on a timeshare at the other safety spot with Harmon better in coverage and Chung better in run support. Nate Ebner and Tavon Wilson have become mainstays on special teams but can the Patriots afford five spots on the roster for this position group? I favor Ebner over Wilson even though Wilson has more experience on defense.

We haven’t seen enough of rookie Jemea Thomas and don’t even know if he’s a safety or a cornerback.

I’m good with McCourty, Harmon, Chung and Ebner.

Cornering the Market

New England is stacked at cornerback. Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Alfonzo Dennard, Kyle Arrington, Logan Ryan and rookie Malcolm Butler will make the final 53 and we’ll hope that Daxton Swanson, who flashed some ball skills early in training camp can make it to the practice squad. Perhaps – like the Jeremy Gallon/Brian Tyms scenario above – Swanson will stick while Browner serves his four games in PED timeout.

Depth Charges

It appears that veteran James Anderson and Darius Fleming have secured two of the three backup spots to starters Mayo, Hightower and Collins. After that there isn’t a lot of clarity.

Second year man Steve Beauharnais had a highlight reel moment with his interception and 61-yard return last Friday night. I heard rookie James Morris’ name called a few times in 4^th quarter action. Ja’Gared Davis and Chris White are special team stalwarts. I think I’ve heard Deontae Skinner’s name mentioned.

I guess the main takeaway here is that we should all hope Mayo, Hightower and Collins stay healthy. Perhaps that 3-4 action is in some part a response to the lack of depth here as well, in particular inside.

First World Problems

New England has its problems but it doesn’t have 99 of them. When one of your biggest problem is too much talent (at cornerback, running back, wide receiver and quarterback), you aren’t going to find much sympathy from the competition. Every team’s season can be derailed by injury so I’ll dispense with the obligatory “if healthy” disclaimer. I can’t wait for September.

Let’s do this.