FOXBOROUGH – Five observations from today’s Patriots organized team activity (11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.), which was held in the rain on the upper practice fields behind Gillette Stadium.
1) Darius Butler around the ball again. Rookie cornerback Darius Butler, who was selected in the second round (41st overall), made one play that caught my eye. Playing right cornerback in 7-on-7 work, he jumped a pass from quarterback Brian Hoyer intended for veteran receiver Greg Lewis and picked it off. To the layman, Butler seems to explode after planting his foot in the ground, putting him in position to make plays on the ball.
2) More 1 on 1 work for Brady and Moss. As was the case last week, there was one point in practice when most of the team was on the far field working on punt return/punt coverage drills and quarterback Tom Brady and receiver Randy Moss spent quality 1-on-1 time focusing on red-zone work on the near field. This was another example of a quarterback and receiver working to get on the same page so when the games count, they have a foundation on which they can fall back upon. Brady often would talk to Moss after each route. Seeing two of the best players in the NFL working together in that environment provides some insight as to how they've developed the special connection they had in 2007.
3) Getting a feel for the defensive linemen. With Vince Wilfork, Jarvis Green, and Ty Warren not taking part in on-field work, it was a chance to take a closer look at some of the other linemen on the roster. At one point I looked up and saw rookie Ron Brace alongside Richard Seymour as a tackle on a four-man line, with Le Kevin Smith and Mike Wright at the end spots. Brace seems to be getting plenty of work with more experienced linemen. Seventh-round draft choice Darryl Richard looks like he’s getting most of his work at end.
4) Even the most minute details are covered. The Patriots treat these practices with game-like seriousness. Two examples came to mind when I watched this practice. First, in a running drill, offensive lineman Russ Hochstein was an eligible lineman lined up in the traditional fullback spot. This is not a trick play or anything out of the ordinary, as it is similar to what he did at the end of last season against Arizona and Buffalo. Yet in this practice, I noticed Hochstein gesture back to an invisible official to declare himself eligible, the idea being that if he does it in practice, he won’t forget in a game and cost his team a penalty. The Patriots also practiced last-second field goals in this session, with linemen running onto the field to get the play off before the clock expired.
5) Randy Moss rejected. In one of the lighter moments of practice, receiver Randy Moss drew the playful attention of his teammates after catching a touchdown from quarterback Matt Gutierrez in 7 on 7 work (cornerback Terrence Wheatley closest in coverage). Moss went to dunk the ball over the crossbar of the goal posts but because of the slippery surface, he didn’t get the lift he desired and had his dunk attempt denied. His teammates let him have it in a big way, reflecting that while the Patriots are all business during practice, the players have some fun, too.
Comment
Permalink
Email
"At one point I looked up and saw rookie Ron Brace alongside Richard Seymour as a tackle on a four-man line, with Le Kevin Smith and Mike Wright at the end spots. Brace seems to be getting plenty of work with more experienced linemen."
This quote really caught my eye Mike. Could this be BB preparing for life after Wilfork just in case a deal can't be done? Without the "Big Fella" clogging up the middle, it's possible the Pats could go to a four man line?
I don't think there's any chance that they go to a four man line like that. It would be a disaster in today's pass-oriented NFL. If they went with a four-man line, Seymour inside with Brace makes sense, but you need edge-rushers at one or both DE spots. LeKevin Smith and Mike Wright are interior linemen on four man lines.
Besides, I think it's way too early in the contract dispute for them to start thinking about life without Wilfork. My bet is that they assume he'll play. Maybe he won't show up for a while, but I think he'd be more likely to pull a Samuel than a Branch.
Great coverage as always. I'm glad ,my boi, D.Butler is showing he's going to be a player. He just might be the steal of the draft. Whats up with P. Chung, any news?
Dear Mike.
I would like to know if Banta-Cain is taking snap with the first-string defense. Is he playing at OLB? Are Crable and Woods ahead of him in the depth chart?
Thanks Mike, I appreciate your work!
I wouldn't go that far, Sean. I think it is just the standard installation in their playbook and with their schemes. Patsfan401, Chung was running alongside James Sanders and one point dropped down to cover Randy Moss. He stayed with him into the corner of the end zone, for about 18-22 yards. Matteo, Banta-Cain was not taking first-unit snaps. Woods and Crable ahead of him.
--Mike
It can't be stressed enough that none of this really matters until the season starts. Last year at this time I remember reading how Fernando Bryant was "around the ball" quite a bit and the depth of his experience. He never even made it out of training camp.
I am as big a Pats fan as anybody but if you only learned one thing from last season is that mini camp and training camp don't mean as much as the regular season. Just ask Brady and Matt Cassell.
Hi Mike. I agree on Fernando Bryant, and also agree that these practices should be kept in the proper context. At the same time, it is my belief that the Patriots wouldn't be on the field if this work didn't have value. So I do think that these practices do matter.
--Mike
all I know is we are very fortunate to have what we have as Patriot fans and the season can't start soon enough!!
Mike, does Tom Brady ever isolate 1-on-1 time with other receivers? If not, why does he require extra time with Randy Moss that he does not with anyone else?
Its funny. The only thing that I found myself thinking after reading such an incredibly encouraging article is "Why in the heck was Randy Moss attempting a dunk over the crossbar on a slippery surface?"
Good morning Mike. I was wondering about the details of the upcoming minicamp. Is it similar to the OTAs in that players will be in shorts and t-shirts, or are the players fully dressed for full-contact work? Will the media have any access to the practices, or will it be similar to regular season practices where the media gets a small window of time to observe some stretching and light drills?
Re: the detail in practice. I am always impressed with the level of coaching I read about. Couple of seasons ago, there was an instance where one of the Pats chased down a (fumble recovery? interception?) and knocked/tried to knock the ball out of the carrier's hands and through the end zone. BB had mentioned that as a tactic during the week, in what seemed to be a throw-away comment.
So not only is BB eerily prescient as to what may come up in a game, what impressed me most was that the player was able to remember it and apply it while in hot pursuit on the field. That takes some smarts.
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
Patriots Twitter
ask reiss
Questions will be considered for Mike's mailbagbrowse this blog
by categoryINside Boston.com
arrive on the red carpet in LA