Observations and opinions from Patriots training camp in Foxborough, Mass.:
What’s new
Unfortunately for the Patriots, the offensive line is in quite a bit of flux. Pro Bowl left guard Logan Mankins has been unable to reach a contract agreement with the team, and was embittered by what he viewed as a broken promise for a long-term deal. Mankins demanded a trade, but remains in limbo. The player who was supposed to replace Mankins, Nick Kaczur, suffered a back injury, hasn’t practiced and could miss significant time in ’10. That could put pressure on the organization to relent and bring back Mankins.
Camp battle
There are great battles brewing at linebacker and in the secondary, but the most noticeable tussle will be at the wide receiver position — you have to wonder what sorts of targets QB Tom Brady will have this season.
Randy Moss and Wes Welker return, but Welker is coming off a knee injury and Moss had a disappointing ’09 season. The Patriots signed veteran Tory Holt, but considering how the Joey Galloway experiment went enthusiasms have been tempered. The real key will be whether the young receivers, especially Brandon Tate, Julian Edleman and rookie Taylor Price, can earn Brady’s trust and contribute.
Former Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes will have a chance to contribute immediately in New England.
Rehab report
Welker was expected to need as much as a year to return from the torn ACL and MCL injuries he sustained Jan. 3. But he has shocked trainers and teammates with his rapid recovery, and he has participated in every day of training camp. Welker said he intends to be ready for the Sept. 12 opener vs. Cincinnati, though both he and coach Bill Belichick warned that he is not yet 100 percent.
Rookie on the spot
Much-hyped rookie inside linebacker Brandon Spikes will be counted on to help bolster what was an anemic pass rush last season. He and fellow inside linebacker Jerod Mayo are expected to be defensive cornerstones for years to come, but whether he is able to contribute immediately remains to be seen.
2010 outlook
For the first time in a decade, the Patriots are not the favorites to win in the AFC East. The schedule is difficult and every spot on the team—including Brady, who hasn’t received a contract extension—is clouded by some sort of question mark. A 10-win year would be a pleasant surprise but still might not be enough to earn a trip to the playoffs.
Sean Deveney is a staff writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at sdeveney@sportingnews.com.
Observations and opinions from Patriots training camp in Foxborough, Mass.:
What’s new
Unfortunately for the Patriots, the offensive line is in quite a bit of flux. Pro Bowl left guard Logan Mankins has been unable to reach a contract agreement with the team, and was embittered by what he viewed as a broken promise for a long-term deal. Mankins demanded a trade, but remains in limbo. The player who was supposed to replace Mankins, Nick Kaczur, suffered a back injury, hasn’t practiced and could miss significant time in ’10. That could put pressure on the organization to relent and bring back Mankins.
Camp battle
There are great battles brewing at linebacker and in the secondary, but the most noticeable tussle will be at the wide receiver position — you have to wonder what sorts of targets QB Tom Brady will have this season.
Randy Moss and Wes Welker return, but Welker is coming off a knee injury and Moss had a disappointing ’09 season. The Patriots signed veteran Tory Holt, but considering how the Joey Galloway experiment went enthusiasms have been tempered. The real key will be whether the young receivers, especially Brandon Tate, Julian Edleman and rookie Taylor Price, can earn Brady’s trust and contribute.
Former Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes will have a chance to contribute immediately in New England.
Rehab report
Welker was expected to need as much as a year to return from the torn ACL and MCL injuries he sustained Jan. 3. But he has shocked trainers and teammates with his rapid recovery, and he has participated in every day of training camp. Welker said he intends to be ready for the Sept. 12 opener vs. Cincinnati, though both he and coach Bill Belichick warned that he is not yet 100 percent.
Rookie on the spot
Much-hyped rookie inside linebacker Brandon Spikes will be counted on to help bolster what was an anemic pass rush last season. He and fellow inside linebacker Jerod Mayo are expected to be defensive cornerstones for years to come, but whether he is able to contribute immediately remains to be seen.
2010 outlook
For the first time in a decade, the Patriots are not the favorites to win in the AFC East. The schedule is difficult and every spot on the team—including Brady, who hasn’t received a contract extension—is clouded by some sort of question mark. A 10-win year would be a pleasant surprise but still might not be enough to earn a trip to the playoffs.
Sean Deveney is a staff writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at sdeveney@sportingnews.com.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Somewhere amidst the array of pieces and parts that the Patriots have assembled, there is a pretty good defense. How — and more important, when — that good defense will begin to show itself remains one of the most important questions of New England’s 2010 season.
Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork is a two-time Pro Bowl selection (2007 and 2009).
There is talent in the secondary, starting with Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather. There is also youth, though, with second-year men Darius Butler and Patrick Chung playing big roles, and rookie Devin McCourty expected to see the field. It’s a similar story at linebacker, where Jerod Mayo established himself as a budding star last year, but a pair of rookies — second-rounders Brandon Spikes and Jermaine Cunningham — will be key components.
There will be youth all over the defense, which puts extra pressure on the one unit that will be dominated by veterans — the defensive line. And with the D-line being bolstered by two new players, Damione Lewis and Gerard Warren, with no prior experience in the Patriots’ 3-4 scheme, the maturation of the defense must begin with the big man in the middle, nose tackle Vince Wilfork. In the offseason, the Patriots gave Wilfork a five-year, $40 million contract, signaling the franchise’s commitment to Wilfork as the leader of the defense.
"I think a lot of it is leading by example," Wilfork said. "The last thing we want to do as veterans is not be able to offer a perspective or a role model for the young guys. They ask questions. They want to learn. They make that clear, and you like that. They will ask questions when the coaches are not around. It’s early in camp; we still have a long way to go. But I like where we are at this point, it is going to be a good season for us and for our defense."
Wilfork won’t just be mentoring younger players, though. He will have to help Warren and Lewis — both entering their 10th seasons — adjust to the 3-4, which is not an easy transition for a lineman.
"It’s a totally different ball game playing in a 4-3, where everything is penetrate right off the ball," Lewis said. "This is, you are actually trying to play blocks rather than just getting around guys. That is the biggest difference. It is a very different tempo. It is all a transition, but it has been great having a guy like Vince to learn from."
That gives coach Bill Belichick some comfort, too. He would be much more worried about his defensive line if he did not have Wilfork directing traffic at nose tackle.
"Overall, they have performed very well in the running game, the passing game and in communication. Vince, being in the middle, kind of helps that, because communication starts on the inside and works its way out. Having Vince there for calls and adjustments and alerts has been a good thing."
And on a Patriots defense pocked with question marks, having at least one reliable good thing in place is a comforting start.
Sean Deveney is a staff writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at sdeveney@sportingnews.com.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Somewhere amidst the array of pieces and parts that the Patriots have assembled, there is a pretty good defense. How — and more important, when — that good defense will begin to show itself remains one of the most important questions of New England’s 2010 season.
Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork is a two-time Pro Bowl selection (2007 and 2009).
There is talent in the secondary, starting with Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather. There is also youth, though, with second-year men Darius Butler and Patrick Chung playing big roles, and rookie Devin McCourty expected to see the field. It’s a similar story at linebacker, where Jerod Mayo established himself as a budding star last year, but a pair of rookies — second-rounders Brandon Spikes and Jermaine Cunningham — will be key components.
There will be youth all over the defense, which puts extra pressure on the one unit that will be dominated by veterans — the defensive line. And with the D-line being bolstered by two new players, Damione Lewis and Gerard Warren, with no prior experience in the Patriots’ 3-4 scheme, the maturation of the defense must begin with the big man in the middle, nose tackle Vince Wilfork. In the offseason, the Patriots gave Wilfork a five-year, $40 million contract, signaling the franchise’s commitment to Wilfork as the leader of the defense.
"I think a lot of it is leading by example," Wilfork said. "The last thing we want to do as veterans is not be able to offer a perspective or a role model for the young guys. They ask questions. They want to learn. They make that clear, and you like that. They will ask questions when the coaches are not around. It’s early in camp; we still have a long way to go. But I like where we are at this point, it is going to be a good season for us and for our defense."
Wilfork won’t just be mentoring younger players, though. He will have to help Warren and Lewis — both entering their 10th seasons — adjust to the 3-4, which is not an easy transition for a lineman.
"It’s a totally different ball game playing in a 4-3, where everything is penetrate right off the ball," Lewis said. "This is, you are actually trying to play blocks rather than just getting around guys. That is the biggest difference. It is a very different tempo. It is all a transition, but it has been great having a guy like Vince to learn from."
That gives coach Bill Belichick some comfort, too. He would be much more worried about his defensive line if he did not have Wilfork directing traffic at nose tackle.
"Overall, they have performed very well in the running game, the passing game and in communication. Vince, being in the middle, kind of helps that, because communication starts on the inside and works its way out. Having Vince there for calls and adjustments and alerts has been a good thing."
And on a Patriots defense pocked with question marks, having at least one reliable good thing in place is a comforting start.
Sean Deveney is a staff writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at sdeveney@sportingnews.com.
