MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Early reviews are in as preseason looms
The Patriots have made it through nine practice sessions, seven of which took place in full pads. With a breather yesterday, and the Jaguars slated to arrive for joint practices today in advance of Thursday night’s preseason opener, it’s a good time to take account of what we’ve seen thus far. Here are a few observations and assessments to this point:
SURPRISE STUD Rookie Deatrich Wise has been hard to ignore, no matter where defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has lined him up on the line. The 6-foot-5, 271-pound defensive end has been a beast thus far, and he really stood out Friday in the intrasquad scrimmage with a pair of sacks. The fourthround pick out of Arkansas has made life generally miserable for whoever is trying to block him. He’s also used his length well, causing problems for the quarterbacks with his long reach. It will be interesting to see if he can continue to be a force against the Jaguars this week. It’s not crazy to think the rookie could start opposite Trey Flowers on the edge, particularly in the Patriots’ sub defense.
SURPRISE DUD Maybe this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Perhaps when Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Kony Ealy needed to “do what he’s told” shortly after arriving in Foxboro, that should have been a red flag. By the look of it, the defensive end essentially was benched the first day of camp after getting off on the wrong foot with Bill Belichick. He also really hasn’t done much to stand out since then. He’s been underwhelming to say the least. He’s obviously a talented guy, a standout in a Super Bowl loss in 2015 with three sacks. But he tends to run hot and cold. During the intrasquad scrimmage Friday, rookie tackle Tony Garcia ate him up. They’ve also been moving him inside and out, along the line which is new for him. Is he in danger of being cut? Sure. It just might be a bit early to cash him out before watching the preseason games. NEEDING TO SNAP TO IT Given how bad Jimmy Garoppolo looked in Friday’s scrimmage, it’s hard to say there isn’t something to be concerned about. He hasn’t been very good in practice, and going 14-for36 against the second-string defense raises some eyebrows. Of course, he was playing with a third-string offensive line and throwing to a bunch of unrecognizable players, save for Dion Lewis. But that doesn’t get him off the hook. The great quarterbacks, even the very good ones, raise the level of everyone else around them. That includes games, practices, etc. Tom Brady has done that for years. For whatever reason, Garoppolo hasn’t done that yet. He’s been inconsistent, throwing far too many bad passes. So it’s something to keep an eye on, especially with the Jaguars coming to town for joint practice sessions and the preseason opener. Garoppolo tends to raise his level during games, so let’s not get all crazy and kill his career over it. We’re not at that point.
CORNERBACK RICHES Stephon Gilmore and Malcolm Butler have been fun to watch with their physical play on the flanks. But let’s look beyond them. The competition for the third corner between Eric Rowe and Jonathan Jones has also been very good. With Rowe’s ability against taller receivers, you can easily mix and match them against the third wideout, depending on the receivers the Pats face. Even better, the corners vying for the fifth spot have also been impressive. Cyrus Jones, Justin Coleman, Kenny Moore and D.J. Killings all have had their moments. Jones, of course, had fumble issues last year while returning punts. He’s looked better at practice, and we’ll see how he does in games. Coleman has been good in spurts, trying to stick with a talented group. Moore, an undrafted rookie, has been more consistent, making plays almost every practice. Killings, meanwhile, stood out at the intrasquad scrimmage with several picks. Another undrafted rookie, he has a good feel for coverage.
UNDER THE RADAR There are a few players who quietly have stood out, and others who just started to come into focus thanks to injuries to players on the first team.
In the first category, offensive lineman Ted Karras has looked good all camp. He plays guard or center and could push for a starting job. The versatility makes him a quality backup at the very least. Garcia, meanwhile, has shown some flashes. You do see his mean streak, which has come as advertised, and he did look especially impressive against Ealy during the scrimmage. We’ll get a better read on the rookie in the joint practices against the Jaguars.
Another player who has quietly made some plays is undrafted rookie defensive tackle Adam Butler. During the scrimmage, the former Vanderbilt lineman saw some time with Flowers and Wise on a three-man front, so the Patriots are taking a good look.
Receivers Devin Lucien and Austin Carr are two who have taken advantage of injuries to some of the top receivers. Lucien, in particular, has made some spectacular plays this past week. He’ll only stick on the 53-man roster, however, if someone is injured and on the PUP list.