Pats pouring foundation
Plenty of storylines to follow for OTAs
Phase Three of the Patriots’ voluntary offseason workout program has begun. In other words, we’re on to passing camp.
Even though the team still isn’t in pads, the work being done is important. There’s 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills and situational work, as the foundation is essentially being laid for success down the road.
PATRIOTS BEAT Karen Guregian
While Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, two of the most prominent members of the offense, are continuing to stay away, there are still plenty of compelling storylines and areas to watch when the media gets its first look at a full session today.
Here’s what we’ll be looking at:
The receiver group: Between the competition that’s going to play out in the group as a whole, and the returns of Julian Edelman and Malcolm Mitchell, who both missed all of 2017 because of injury, most eyes will be drawn here. The early reports on Edelman, who tore his ACL the third week of the preseason, and Mitchell, who has had knee problems dating back to college, have been encouraging. If they’re on the field Tuesday, how sharp or rusty will they look?
Then there’s the new kids on the block, be it Cordarrelle Patterson and Jordan Matthews, along with rookie Braxton Berrios, the sixth-round pick out of Miami. Does Berrios look as good as all the hype? Second-year player Riley McCarron is another interesting prospect.
With Brady not leading the offense at this point, the receivers will be hauling in passes from veteran Brian Hoyer and rookie seventhrounder Danny Etling.
Stephon Gilmore’s sidekick: It’s very early, but we should get a clue as to the identity of Malcolm Butler’s replacement as the No. 2 corner opposite Gilmore.
Looking at candidates, it would appear to be a battle between Jason McCourty and Eric Rowe.
The slot corner job is another position battle to watch. That will have Jonathan Jones, Cyrus Jones, and rookie Duke Dawson fighting it out for the No.3 spot.
Jones is coming back from a season-ending ACL injury, so he’ll be someone to watch and see how he’s moving if he’s participating at this point.
In the setting of a passing camp, the corners get a lot of work. Their coverage skills are on display.
The first-round pick at running back: This is our first chance to watch Sony Michel up close. The Patriots selected the Georgia running back with the 31st overall pick, and while he was a bit of a controversial choice, given how early he was taken, the team had to view him as more than just a back. He’s a weapon who can line up anywhere, and catch the football. Given it’s passing camp, we’ll get to see how well he catches the football, even if Brady’s not the one throwing the passes.
The injured player file: Along with Edelman, Mitchell and Cyrus Jones, mentioned above, there are several others of note who are coming back from season-ending injuries who could be on the field this week. That list includes linebacker Dont’a Hightower, defensive ends Derek Rivers and Harvey Langi, defensive lineman Vincent Valentine, and special teamer Nate Ebner. Both Rivers and Langi figure into the pass-rush mix. Rivers showed a lot of promise before being derailed by an ACL injury last year.
Offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, meanwhile, said last week tackle Marcus Cannon, who had ankle surgery, wouldn’t be available. He also ruled out tackles Trent Brown (shoulder) and rookie Isaiah Wynn (shoulder) along with guard Joe Thuney (foot surgery). So we won’t get to see who is at the front of the left tackle competition just yet.
The Belichick interview: When Bill Belichick addresses the media this morning, there is little to no anticipation that he’ll address the absences of Brady and Gronk, at least with any kind of substance.
He only talks about the players who are present. Still, it will be interesting to see how he answers the questions. Belichick gave a pre-draft press conference, and hasn’t spoken with the media since that time.