PatsBlog: A Patriots Blog

Overview

The Patriots had the sixth ranked rushing attack in 2008, and with nearly the entire core of rushers returning (sans Heath Evans and Lamont Jordan, who departed to the Saints and Broncos via free agency), plus newly acquired Fred Taylor, the Patriots running back group looks to be a force to be reckoned with in 2009.  While the Patriots have a great group of backs this year, there really are no defined roles for the backfield.  Kevin Faulk will more than likely continue to handle the 3rd down role, but after that, nothing is decided.  Laurence Maroney, in his fourth year, still has the potential, but he hasn’t been consistent and he hasn’t been able to put the injury bug behind him.  Sammy Morris was the Patriots leading rusher in 2008, he runs with good power and consistency, but is 32.  Fred Taylor is quick, agile, strong, but also 33; so there are questions of how many carries he can handle.  BenJarvus Green-Ellis is a powerful no non-sense back, but he doesn’t have the most natural talent.  Eric Kettani, a HB/FB from Navy, is a longer shot to make the roster.

Projected Depth Chart

1. Laurence Maroney

2. Fred Taylor

3. Sammy Morris

4. Kevin Faulk (3rd down)

5. (BenJarvus Green-Ellis)

CUTS: Eric Kettani

Burning Questions

1. With the oldest groups of backs in the NFL, will this group be able to hold up throughout training camp?

2. Will Laurence Maroney finally be able to bite the injury bug and live up to his potential?

3. Who will be the Patriots starting back opening day?

Training Camp Battles

Everyone vs. Everyone: The great thing about this group is that nothing is decided.  Who will start?  Who will be #2?  Age, injuries, and skill will all be factors.  There’s only so many carries that can be given out, and the backs are going to go out and have to earn them in training camp.

Overview

One thing’s for sure, there won’t be a battle for the starting quarterback job this training camp, as a hopefully healthy Tom Brady will be back in pads for the first time in nearly a year.  But just because Brady is the starter doesn’t mean there won’t be competition and other storylines at the position.

Projected Depth Chart

1. Tom Brady

2. Kevin O’Connell

3. Matt Gutierrez / Brian Hoyer

Burning Questions

1. How will Tom Brady, coming off knee surgery, perform the first time in full pads?  Where will his confidence be?  Will he be his old self?

2. Is Kevin O’Connell ready to be the 2nd quarterback behind Brady?

3. Will the Patriots opt to keep three quarterbacks, or will they stick with just Brady and O’Connell?

Roster Battles

Matt Gutierrez vs. Brian Hoyer: The competition for 3rd string quarterback looks to be stiff.  Guttierez has a strong arm and is in his third year in the system, while Hoyer looks poised and accurate for a rookie.

Courtesy Patriots.com

Back-up/2nd String Quarterback

Not too much has changed in this battle.  Cassel really struggled in the preseason opener.  Gutierrez looked okay.  Cassel looked decent in practice, Gutierrez looked okay in practice.  So far, it’s been really hard to say who has the upper hand.  Right now, if I had to place a bet, I would say that chances are Cassel gets traded for a conditional pick, and Goots stays on as number two.  However, Gutierrez would only be there for a year, as O’Connell, who looked good in the opener, will be waiting in the wings.

Wide Receiver:

The #2 wide receiver spot was Chad Jackson’s job to lose, and, as of today, he looks like he’s lost it.  After looking lost at times during practice, and especially during last Thursday’s game, it looks like Chad Jackson has been booted down to #4 on the depth chart.  Jabar Gaffney, who has been consistent as usual, will assume the #2 spot, with Welker manning the slot, and Moss #1 on the outside.  Behind Jackson, is Kelley Washington at #5.  With Sam Aiken’s status in question, there could be an opening at the sixth spot (if there is a sixth spot).  C.J. Jones has looked horrific, while Matt Slater has looked really good (I can just about guarantee that Slater makes the roster at this point).  I have also been surprised by the play of Ray Ventrone, who keeps on looking  more and more like a receiver.

Right Tackle:

I really can’t say anything about this position.  It’s such a mess right now.  It could be O’Callaghan, it could be Kazcur, it could be Britt, it could be Welbourn.  My hunch is that, in the end, it will be Kazcur, but we won’t know until Light and Neal come back.

Inside Linebacker:

I thought this was going to be a big battle heading into camp ( that is between Jerod Mayo vs. Victor Hobson).  At one point, I thought Hobson was going to make a big impact.  However, so far, he has struggled to make the move inside, as Mayo has flourished.  Amazingly enough, rookie free agent Gary Guyton has looked a lot better than Victor Hobson, and that is REALLY saying something.

Cornerback:

I think the cornerback position is looking a bit more solidified then when I last spoke about the position.  At this point I think the starters will be Fernando Bryant and Ellis Hobbs, with Terrence Wheatley as the third cornerback.  Jason Webster was looking good, but injuries have held him back a bit.  Jonathan Wilhite looked good at the start of camp, but again, injuries have held him down.  Mike Richardson, a slightly bigger corner, is a guy who I really like, but I think he might not make the final roster.  Then, the wildcard is Lewis Sanders.  A free-agent pickup this offseason, Sanders looked tremendous in the Ravens game, making two great knock-downs.  Sanders is by far the biggest and most physical cornerback on the roster, and that alone may help him gain a roster spot.

Running Back:

To see my thoughts on this position, check out my post from two days ago.  But here’s the skinny.  Maroney is starter.  Heath Evans is most likely safe because he is the truest fullback on the roster.  Lamont Jordan has looked great, and adds the most versatility, so I would think that he will be on the roster.  Kyle
Eckel is all but gone.  BenJarvus Green-Ellis will be practice squad.  Then there’s Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris.  Both could be at risk, and in the end, I think Morris gets cut (well, I would rather keep Faulk), although there’s an outside shot Belichick keeps all five.

Just days into training camp, the Patriots already seem to be coming together.  Well, a little bit.

After a sluggish beginning to training camp, which can be expected, the Patriots really picked up the intensity days two through five.  The team started with individual drills and fundamentals, and has now moved onto full team and situational work.

With all of this in mind, I’m beginning to not only get a better picture of what our roster will be like, but who is out-playing who, who’s looking good, etc.

I’ll start off this mini-series by talking about some of the rookies.  Jerod Mayo is a beast.  He’s hitting hard, going all-out on every play.  He has shown a strong ability to defend the run, but has looked incredible rushing the passer, and has looked just as good in pass coverage.  He’s strong, quick, explosive, and never takes a play off.  Here’s my guarantee: Jerod Mayo will make an impact this year.  If you don’t believe me, just wait and see.

Terrence Wheatley has also looked really good so far.  He hasn’t made many mistakes, and has taken advantage of his oppurtunities with Jason Webster out the last couple of days.  He hasn’t made any big plays, but he hasn’t given up any either, and that, in essence, is a very good thing.  Fellow rookie cornerback Jonathan Wilhite has also performed well.  He’s gotten significant playing time as the slot corner, and has played well, and even shown good hands (which was a knock on him coming out of college).

The more I watch Shawn Crable, the more I think he’s going to be a really good player for the Patriots.  He’s shown good moves and speed coming off the edge, and could factor in as a situational pass rusher his rookie season.  Kevin O’Connell, on the other hand, likely won’t contribute his rookie year (unless you count garbage time).  However, he has looked better than he did during Spring camps.  He’s shown a quick release, and a better knowing of the system.

The rest of the rookies haven’t been too noticeable, but are noteworthy.  Matt Slater has looked really good in the return game, bringing one back during special teams work.  He also flashed some skill as a receiver, something I didn’t really expect.  Bo Ruud, on the other hand, hasn’t shown anything, due to an injury that has prevented him from participating in training camp thus far.  BenJarvus Green-Ellis started camp on PUP, but was off the next day.  He hasn’t done anything to help himself, but he hasn’t done anything to hurt himself either, although he has struggled in pass protection.  The two rookie free-agent linebackers, Vince Redd and Gary Guyton have both shown a little flash.  Redd looked strong off the agent, and showed a big-hit ability.  Meanwhile, Guyton showed the ability to drop back into coverage, even getting a pick-six during red zone work.

With training camp opening today, I thought I’d give a quick preview of the major position battles that should take place.  I’ll do about one per week, starting with this general overview:

Back-up/2nd String  Quarterback:

Kevin O’Connell is a virtual lock to be the third quarterback.  However, there will be a battle for second quarterback between Matt Cassel and Matt Gutierrez.  In the end, one of them will more than likely be cut or traded.  In my opinion, the most likely event would be Cassel and Gutierrez playing pretty neck and neck, while Cassel, who has shown some flashes, will end up being traded for a third or fourth round pick.  However, if Gutierrez doesn’t hold up his end of the bargain, anything can happen. 

Wide Receiver:

Only two spots are set in stone for the wide receiver position. Randy Moss will be #1, and Wes Welker will be #3, in the slot. The number 2, 4, and 5 are completely up for grabs, the competitors being Jabar Gaffney, Chad Jackson, and Kelley Washington.  In my opinion, Gaffney has the early edge, considering his success in the Patriots system, as well as his overall experience and consistency.  He’s the safe pick.  Then there’s Chad Jackson.  We all hope Jackson could step up and be the other starting receiver, and if he does, that means he’s finally getting everything right.  Chad Jackson is the hopeful pick.  Lastly, there’s Kelley Washington.  Washington has height and strength, but we have yet to see what he can really do in the Patriots system.  Washington is the underdog, just as Jabar Gaffney was last year.

Right Tackle:

Nick Kaczur vs. Ryan O’Callaghan vs. Oliver Ross vs. Wesley Britt vs. Anthony Clement.  With Kaczur’s legal issues up in the air, there might be an opening at right tackle.  Ryan O’Callaghan is a guy who is big, smart, and has experience starting in the Patriots system… he’s a guy that I really like, but I think he might be a little soft.  Oliver Ross has yet to be spotted in a Patriots uniform and is now on PUP.  His chances are dwindling by the day.  Wesley Britt is an underdog, but I think there’s a chance he could get that spot due to his hard work and experience in the system.  Then the wildcard is Anthony Clement.  He’s started the past two years for the Jets, and looked impressive on day one of training camp.  Maybe he could be the answer.

Inside Linebacker:

One of the two positions on the inside, next to Tedy Bruschi is up for grabs. It will be between Jerod Mayo and Victor Hobson. Obviously, Mayo will start down the road and get significant playing time as a rookie, but I think Hobson is going to surprise some people.  He looks faster than described, has 3-4 experience, is a hard hitter, and I really think he can start and be good this year.

Back-up Outside Linebacker:

This will be between Pierre Woods, Shawn Crable, and even Vince Redd (a guy who I really like).  If Junior Seau was back, I’d say him, but it looks less and less likely that he will be returning.  All three of these guys are really tall, athletic linebackers.  I think they could all see time at some point during the season.  Woods and Crable will really be fighting for time, and should both see some, while I see Redd turning a lot of heads.

Cornerback:

One of the biggest questions heading into training camp is; who is going to start next to Ellis Hobbs? This position might showcase the tightest battle, as the likes of Fernando Bryant (my pick), Jason Webster, Lewis Sanders, Terrence Wheatley, and possibly Jonathan Wilhite will be competing for that position.  Fernando Bryant has adequate size, is a workhorse, is experienced, fast, and is really good in run support.  Webster is undersized, but is also experienced and has great cover abilities.  Lewis Sanders is the biggest cornerback on the roster, and will compete because of that alone, although he is very unproven.  Terrence Wheatley probably won’t start as a rookie, but looked really good in mini-camp, and might have a chance to garner the starting job later in the season, and a solid training camp would certainly help.  Wilhite is kind of in the same boat, he had a strong showing during mini-camp, but is very unlikely to start this year.  However, he could be a nickel or dime back.

With training camp set to begin July 24th, I will begin my training camp preview series.  In each segment I will analyze the position, and each player at it.

Tom Brady

Do I really need to say anything about Brady?  Laser, rocket arm.  Terrific pocket awareness.  Great lockerroom leadership.  Clutch player.  In fact, I don’t have to go through his strengths and weaknesses.  Tom is Tom, and 50 touchdowns should explain the rest.

Matt Cassel

2008 Training Camp is going to be very critical for fourth year quarterback Matt Cassel.  Cassel is in a contract year, and is therefore playing for his second contract.  Heres to hoping Cassel can get it together, have a terrific preseason, and have good trade value.  Personally, although I like Cassel a lot, I can’t envision a scenario where he is with the team past 2008.  With a decent arm, good speed, and the ability to manage an offense, Cassel could one day be a starter for an NFL franchise.  On the other hand, with the keen ability to make erratic decisions on the field, and two younger quarterbacks pushing, Cassel could find himself on waivers before the end of the preseason.

Matt Gutierrez

Gutierrez is as intriguing as they come.  Gutierrez was a Michigan product before transferring to Idaho State after losing his starting job to a shoulder injury.  The thing about Gutierrez is that his potential is sky high.  Once a highly touted quarterback, Gutierrez puts zip on the ball that rivals Tom Brady.  He has good pocket prescence, great work ethic, and tremendous size.  If Gutierrez beats out Cassel this training camp, he could be with the team as a backup for a long time.

Kevin O’Connell

Back in late April, the Patriots surprised everyone by selecting San Diego State quarterback Kevin O’Connell.  O’Connell has the size, speed, and throwing ability to become an excellent starting quarterback.  He needs to work on mechanics and he can be inconsistent at times (his inconsistency was more than evident during mini-camps).  Some people have labeled him as Tom Brady’s eventual successor.  While that is unforeseeable at this time, O’Connell will be on the team in 2008, and will have several years to develop in the Patriots system.

The Skinny

Quarterback is by no stretch of the imagination a need for the Patriots.  They have one of the greatest all-time quarterbacks at the helm, with three young guys developing underneath.  The only downside of this unit is experience behind Tom Brady.  Otherwise, this unit is golden as can be.

Team Grade: A