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Day 2 was relatively uneventful, but the players that did stand out were on the defensive side of the ball.

Vince Redd had a great practice for the second day in a row.  When we signed him, I made him my pick for “Randall Gay of the Year,” and now, I’m definately sticking with that.  He has tremendous work ethic, and has the size, strength, and athleticism to make a difference at linebacker.  I’m starting to think this guy could be a starter down the road.  I know I’m probably getting ahead of myself, but I just really think Redd has skill.

The dynamic d-back duo, Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite, both played well again.  They made every O’Connell pass look like a Scott Zolak pass.  They were both tremendous in pass coverage, and even Wilhite showed good hands.

Victor Hobson also looked good.  Even before he put on a practice uniform, people pegged him as an unathletic, slow linebacker who would bust with the Patriots.  Well, even though it is too early to really tell, it is looking like he will make a difference.  Hobson is lining up at inside linebacker, and is seemlingly more athletic than you would think, excelling tracking down plays and in coverage.

In terms of struggling players, Sam Aiken and Kevin O’Connell are the first two that come to mind.  Aiken doesn’t even look like a receiver, he drops everything and struggles on his routes.  O’Connell is just inconsistent.  He seems like he isn’t much of a practice player… at least, that’s what I hope.  Because if the way he is playing is going to be what he is, then he isn’t going to be the heir to Tom Brady.

It wasn’t the most eventful or exciting day of mini-camp, but it was certainly a chance for some of the new guys to get their chance.

The biggest story of the day was the presence of tight end David Thomas.  Thomas is going into his third season in 2008, after making only catch in 2007, a season that limited him to two games due to a foot injury.  He certainly didn’t look spectacular, as he was just getting the rust off, but it was good to see him out there nonetheless.  If the Patriots have a healthy David Thomas, the passing game becomes that much more potent, because he has a nice combination of hands and speed for a tight end.

Also making a slightly unexpected appearance was cornerback Mike Richardson.  I was really high on Richardson during 2007 training camp, as I thought he was a more physical presence at cornerback who could make good breaks on the ball.  And although it was really nice to see him get out there, he really seemed to struggle.  He looked slow, shaky, and wasn’t making good breaks on the ball.  Although, we can’t write a verdict yet, as this is his first time back on the field, so the rust is obviously there.

Also making an appearance were two of the young quarterbacks, Matt Gutierrez and Kevin O’Connell.  Gutierrez continued to put zip on the ball, and looks more consistent than ever.  O’Connell continued his inconsistencies, but seems to be getting more comfortable under center, and shows the ability to make every NFL throw.

The receiving group at the camp was really interesting.  C.J. Jones was there, and he looked like the best of the group.  Sam Aiken, signed earlier this offseason, was also there, but he looked a little shaky on the offensive side.  At one point, he dropped an O’Connell pass that landed smack in the center of his chest.  Robert Ortiz looked okay, from what I can gather.  Ray Ventrone and Matt Slater, two hybrid offensive/defensive guys, got some time at receiver.  Ventrone played all offense, and really seemed to struggle.  He’s got some speed and agility, but it’s clear he’s never played receiver at a high level.  Slater continued to look decent at receiver, as well as on the defensive side of the ball, and certainly looked to be the better of the two.

Defensively, Jerod Mayo and Tank Williams stood out to me.  Mayo looked very fluid in the hips, and was doing well in drop-back coverage drills.  Tank Williams lined up some at linebacker, and could get a look there in sub-packages (similar to how Rodney Harrison sometimes lines up).

The Patriots are holding a mini-camp for newcomers this week, and the media will have two day’s access.  Mike Reiss reports:

The Patriots are in the midst of a partial-team passing camp this week, which includes a limited number of veterans and many of the team’s 2008 newcomers. In all, there are about 35 players participating.

Media members will have access to sessions today and tomorrow — from 10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. What we are likely to see is an extended version of the rookie minicamp from earlier this month.

The focus on newcomers in this week’s passing camp appears to be part of the progression of building toward the full-team minicamp June 6-8, and then the start of training camp in late July.

The idea is to try to get newcomers up to speed, so when they mix with veterans, there isn’t a noticeable difference.

Veterans took significant repetitions in last week’s passing camp. This week, those reps go to the newcomers.

Round 2, Pick 62: Terrence Wheatley

CB, Colorado

When the Patriots selected Terrence Wheatley, the first thing I thought was, “not another tiny corner.”  With receivers getting so much bigger, I thought it was necessary to get a larger, physical corner, someone more like a player selected one spot later in Terrell Thomas.  However, despite his lack of ideal height at 5-10, Colorado cornerback Terrence Wheatley could be the shutdown cornerback the Patriots have been looking for since Ty Law left after the 2004 season.

Terrence Wheatley is fast.  But along with that, he has great acceleration and good fluidness.  Stride to stride, he can stick with any receiver in the NFL, but he also redirect and recover exceptionally.  Along with that, he is aggressive.  He is fearless when he goes up for jump balls, and is solid in run support as well.  He has good awareness, and really works hard to learn his assignments, as well as those as others (he will be a good field leader.)  He also has soft hands and good timing, which has led to tremendous intereception production.

The big question surrounding Wheatley is health.  His wrists seem to be as fragile as my great grandmother’s china.  He missed the entire ‘05 season with the wrist injuries, and it will be interesting to see if the injuries are really behind him, or if he just had one healthy season.  Wheatley could also work to add some more bulk, which could allow him to make some of the more difficult tackles, which he has struggled to make in the past.

Overall, when I hear draft “experts” talking about Wheatley, I keep hearing the word “steal.”  If Wheatley can get past his wrist injuries (and he looks like he is doing just that), Wheatley might just be the steal the experts think they’re talking about.  Wheatley could go anywhere from being a starter to being the nickel, but I would definately expect him to find his way onto the field this season.

According to the South Coast Today, Kyle Brady abruptly left the team during the 2007 season, due to “mental lapses.”

Considering their undying affection for tight ends, defensive ends and bigs in general, you’d think that tight end Kyle Brady would have had a job for life here in New England. The man stood 6-6, weighed 280 and looked more fit than Ivan Drago.

Not the case — he was released on Feb. 29. Brady had problems fitting in all season long, playing in 14 games and catching just nine passes. Regarded as one of the more intellectual ones in the locker room, Brady was thoroughly challenged by his position coach early in the season, who in the process questioned his “mental toughness” after a series of gaffes. (Not only was there the collective belief that he was a less than adequate blocker, he regularly ran the wrong routes in games and in practices.)

Brady’s response was to leave the team unannounced during the season. The team managed to quietly coax him into returning.

Strange… sounds a little like Andy Katzenmoyer.  Normally, I wouldn’t classify this as “news,” but things have been so slow, I needed to make a post.

With the contest for the Patriots opening day roster up and running, I thought I’d throw in my input.  Well here it goes:

Quarterback

1. Tom Brady

2. Kevin O’Connell

3. Matt Gutierrez

Note: Patriots trade Matt Cassel for 2009 Third and Fifth Round Picks

Runningbacks

1. Laurence Maroney

2. Sammy Morris

3. Kevin Faulk

4. Heath Evans (FB)

Receivers

1. Randy Moss

2. Jabar Gaffney

3. Wes Welker

4. Chad Jackson

5. Kelley Washington

6. Sam Aiken

Tight Ends

1. Ben Watson

2. Marcus Pollard

3. David Thomas

Tackles

1. Matt Light

2. Ryan O’Callaghan

3. Nick Kazcur

Guards

1. Logan Mankins

2. Stephen Neal

3. Billy Yates

Centers

1. Dan Koppen

2. Ross Hochstein

Defensive Ends

1. Richard Seymour

2. Ty Warren

3. Jarvis Green

4. Mike Wright

5. Le Kevin Smith

Defensive Tackles

1. Vince Wilfork

2. Steve Fifita

Note: Consider that Green, Wight, and Smith can all play NT as well

Outside Linebackers

1. Mike Vrabel

2. Adalius Thomas

3. Shawn Crable

4. Pierre Woods

Inside Linebackers

1. Tedy Bruschi

2. Victor Hobson

3. Jerod Mayo

4. Eric Alexander

5. Larry Izzo

6. Bo Ruud

Cornerbacks

1. Ellis Hobbs

2. Fernando Bryant

3. Terrence Wheatley

4. Lewis Sanders

5. Jonathan Wilhite

Safeties

1. Rodney Harrison

2. James Sanders

3. Brandon Meriweather

4. Tank Williams

5. Willie Andrews

Special Teams

K. Stephen Gostkowski

P. Chris Hanson

LS. Lonnie Paxton

Practice Squad

1. Vince Redd, LB

2. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB

3. Gary Guyton, LB

4. Matt Slater, WR/S/ST

5. Mike Richardson, CB

6. Jonathan Stupar, TE

7. Mike Dragosavich, P

8. Casey Tyler, DE

Tough Cuts:

Jason Webster, Ray Ventrone, Stephen Spach, Santonio Thomas, Henry Smith

One signing I never touched on was that of former Dolphins nose tackle, Steve Fifita.  Here’s what I found on him:

Steve Fifita, Utah (NT) (5′ 11″ 320 lbs.) Fifita is a tough and nasty player who gives a very good effort on every play. A classic NT built low to the ground, he is very strong and can overpower at the point of attack. He wins most one on one matchups, can occupy and occasionally split double teams and is very difficult to move off the LOS. Tenacious, with a warrior’s mentality, Fifita’s motor is always running. He possesses good quickness for a man his size and can penetrate and make plays in the backfield. He is a leader on the line. Fifita is limited as a passrusher and tends to wear down late in the game. He lacks great agility and lateral mobility and is not especially fast. With so many teams utilizing a 3-4 defense, Fifita could hear his name called a little earlier than expected.

Yes, that was before the 2006 NFL Draft, but it gives you a good idea of Fifita’s skillset.  He looks like he could be the typical 3-4 backup nose tackle we’ve been looking for.  A guy who can sub in for Vince Wilfork, and just plug up holes.

I’ve never officially had a contest on PatriotsBlog.net, so I thought I’d run the first one.  The rules are simple.  All you have to do is send your roster prediction to patriotsblog@aol.com, and you might just win some Patriots memorabilia!

Rules / Requirements

• Must be at least 14 years of age, or have permission from a legal guardian
• Must be a member of the PatriotsBlog.net Forum
• Rosters may have 53 players, and eight practice squad players, for a total of 61.  Granted, I know there will be players on IR, PUP, etc. but take your best guess
• Rosters must be submitted in depth chart form
• Rosters must be submitted no later than 10 PM on July 25
• Users may submit a maximum of five rosters.  However, only the latest will be considered.
• PatriotsBlog.net reserves the right to suspend any user and remove any contestant without notice, if contestant fails to comply to rules
• PatriotsBlog.net reserves the right to close the contest if there are fewer than 10 participants

If you read and agreed with my piece, “Arlen Specter is an Idiot,” you might agree with what Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy had to say on the issue as well.  Mike Reiss reports:

Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said yesterday that he feels there should be an independent investigation of the New England Patriots’ videotaping procedures, similar to what took place in baseball with the Mitchell report.

The following are the thoughts of Massachusetts senator Edward Kennedy (D-Ma.) regarding the issue.

“With the war in Iraq raging on, gasoline prices closing in on $4 a gallon, and Americans losing their homes at record rates to foreclosure, the United States Senate should be focusing on the real problems that Americans are struggling with,” Kennedy said through a spokesman in response to a question posed by a Globe reporter. “I’m looking forward to another great Patriots season where they can let their play on the field speak for itself.”

Kennedy and Specter sit together on the 19-member Senate Judiciary Committee.

It’s nice to know not everyone is aboard with Specter.  In fact, it seems as if no one is aboard with Specter.

Jerod Mayo, ILB, Tennessee

Round 1, Pick 10

The Patriots traded down from the number seven spot to select Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo.  While many questioned the pick, I was enthralled with it from the get-go.

At 6-1, 242 lbs, Mayo has a very thick, well-built frame (look at some of the photos from when he was introduced to the Patriots).  Excluding size, the first thing that stands out to me about Mayo is his smarts.  Mayo is just a knowledgable player.  He works extra hard in the film room, and he reads and reacts to plays very well, all important traits for a 3-4 inside linebacker.  When defending the run, Mayo isn’t the best bull-tackler, but is a very good open-field tackler.  He can read plays well, and has great acceleration to get to the ball carrier.  He is also very good in pass protection.  Mayo posseses fluid hips, speed, and acceleration.  His insane speed allows him to stick with any tight end and most receivers.

Although Mayo has a lot of strengths, there are some parts of his game that he needs to polish in order to excel at the next level.  These concerns include bull-rushing, taking double teams, and shedding blockers, the latter of the two have to do with his hand usage.  If Mayo can perfect his hand usage (an area where he has improved), then he will be able to rush up the middle better, take and shed hits, as well as double teams. 

Overall, Jerod Mayo seems like a great fit for the Patriots.  I would expect him to come in and compete with Junior Seau / Victor Hobson for a starting job on the inside immediately.  Regardless of that outcome, Mayo will certainly get playing time on third downs.  Some people argue that Mayo was a reach at 10.  In fact, a lot of people argue that point.  However, I believe that if Mayo returned for his senior year, he would have become a top five pick.  And whether or not Mayo comes in and starts immediately, Mayo will be a starter in this system as well as an eventual Pro Bowler for years to come.