I'm trying to slow my roll. Trying to remember that it's early, nobody's won anything, that we haven't even started the regular season and that regular season is like a marathon where linebackers occasionally leap from the crowd and put you in the concussion protocol.
I know. I get it. I don't care. I'm not even going to try to stop myself.
Super Bowl, baby.
Forever Young...
Jakobi Meyers. Chase Winovich. Damien Harris. Jarrett Stidham. Jake "Hang 5" Bailey. N'Keal Harry (albeit in injury shortened action). Spell-Check nemesis Hjalte Froholdt has gotten some run. Maybe the only thing you can say about the 2019 preseason is that the Patriots' subs are better than the Lions and Titans subs but isn't that still a good thing? Or at the very least, better than a bad thing?
Add the redshirt frosh from 2018 - Isaiah Wynn, Braxton Berrios, Ja'Whaun Bentley, Ryan Izzo - and the returning sophs - Keion Crossen, J.C. Jackson, Sony Michel - and New England looks a lot younger and a lot more athletic than national pigskin pundits and bobbleheads would have you believe.
A Series of Digressions...
The Pats defense is stacked on the front seven, young and athletic at cornerback, wise and cunning at safety. What is it they say about defense? Something about championships?
Stidham has played well enough to have local pigskin pundits and bobbleheads consider the Pats moving on from Brian Hoyer and carrying just two QBs on the Final 53. The return of Josh Gordon might add to that consideration. That QB3 roster spot just became incredibly valuable for deep positions like WR, DE/OLB, CB/S, and RB.
Put another way: Would you rather keep Braxton Berrios or keep Hoyer and risk Julian Edelman returning punts?
Back to the depth chart: With the depth outlined above and the O-Line stabilizing with the return of Wynn to game action, is TE the only position still left with question marks? More importantly, if the Patriots started the season with Ryan Izzo and Andrew Beck at TE, would it matter?
Yes, I'm pulling for Josh Gordon as a football player - the Pats going four-wide with Gordon, Harry, Meyers, and Julian Edelman and Brady at the console will deconstruct and consume NFL defenses - but football aside, there are so many people who need to see Gordon succeed, to know it's possible they too can overcome their demons, that there is hope.
Despite my fever dreams of Tom Brady in shotgun with four legitimate threats in the passing game, I'm still hoping the Patriots lead the league in rushing in 2019. (One more reason I like Izzo and Beck a lot more than I probably should.) Damien Harris' revelatory performance in his first NFL action has me wondering how much damage a 1-2 punch of Michel and Harris could do. Harris also looked good catching the ball and according to reports from camp, Michel has 10 catches on 10 targets. Straight up power behind FB James Develin, screen passes, play action, and I haven't even mentioned James White - one of the Top 3 passing backs in the NFL - or Rex Burkhead.
Hang on a second while I wipe the drool from my chin.
As sloppy as the preseason action can be, it's hard not to feel excited by what I've seen from the Patriots depth chart. In other news, the Patriots have a lot of good football players. We still haven't seen Brady, Michel, David Andrews, Shaq Mason, Joe Thuney, Marcus Cannon, Edelman, Michael Bennett, Kyle Van Noy, Stephon Gilmore, or Devin McCourty.
Deep breath. Hold. Exhale.
This could be special, and that's saying something when talking about the Patriots.
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