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What's up everybody? Welcome to another edition of the Patriots Training Camp Cast. I'm Mike do So, joined by Evan Lazar and Paul Parillo, and we had another hot practice here today at the stadium behind Julett's, behind Jellette Stadium on the practice fields and guys, the pads came back on. It's one of those dog days of summer. I kind of feel to it. But overall for me and I think Evan two and you know, we kind of watched it a little bit together this time, but I liked
what I saw from the offense today. It feels like they're continuing to progress. I saw some real plays, you know, we can get into. They finally started to do some situational work, which I think Paul has some good points to bring up on. But overall, Evan, for me, I just was as nice to see some plays run and smooth Pop Douglas a nice touchdown there which we saw off the line of there is you know, it was
just it was just a little bit of excitement. And it's kind of been tough the last couple of years here with the offense in the training camp, but it felt like today they're continuing to progress.
This felt like one of the better passing days of training camp I've seen in a while from the Patriots, a maybe even a couple of years, honestly, just it wasn't necessarily that the ball never hit the ground or anything like that, but the plays that they were hitting looked like high level downfield throws in a lot of instances. You mentioned a couple to Pop Douglas. I also thought he hit Pop on a on an out with Sean Waydon coverage. It's just perfect timing, anticipation, a great route.
Earlier in practice a couple of throws to Austin Hooper down the field that I thought were decent throws by Jacobe Brissett. So I don't know what his completion percentage was. I don't know, but when you start to stack, you know, was that a play the way AVP wants it to look? On the whiteboard. I thought there were a bunch of those today, to the point where I was almost starting to worry a little bit about.
The defense, like, yeah, we'll get there, we'll get there.
Wait a second, you know, they they lose Jalen Rager up the sideline on one where I hit him on a deep curl.
I think, yeah, I think it was a touchdown. He turned it back in. There was no one there. It's like, bro, yeah, Alex Austin, Yeah, yeah, a lot.
Of depth back there.
And there was also some throws and we can get to it when we talked about Drake May, but there were also some throws that just missed but were open. The receivers were open. And I'm shocked, you know, you hear me, like, I'm like, oh my god. But there was a lot of that today, and I thought Jacobe were said through the ball well, and I was impressed. This was probably one of their better offensive days.
Like I said, in a while, yeah, I would largely agree overall with the you know, the stuff that you guys are talking about. I sort of got to the point where I was wondering, like they did some third and long stuff. They did some hurry up and well, not hurry up more or less like no huddle. It was kind of a subtle difference there and then some two minute towards the end, and I do think it was a little choppy in terms of play to play,
but I would agree with Evan's assessment overall. I thought there were more plays today that we keep talking about that looked normal. You know, the timing looked right, Receivers were getting open, and you know, you kind of joked you're worried about the defense. It was almost to the point, certainly at the end of that two minute draw I was wondering if some of the plays were designed to be completed, Like that's how much I was kind of
worried about the defense a little bit today. The touchdown at Douglas that end of the two minute drill was as effortless as can get. It was like, you know, a little I saw it from about I'm like.
Didn't cover.
I was like, what, like that was either a big time breakdown or you know, we can start to get excited about the offense.
Yeah, I know, That's why I said Evan. I'm like, geez, the offense is looking so good today. It's making me
worry about the defense now. But let's just stick on the offense for a second, Paul, because you know, I think we have to call out though that that the problems with the operation false starts kind of you know, snaps going like those kind of problems are continuing, and I know, you know, Jacoby Brissette on those a little bit said they are a big point ofis emphasis for Alex van Pelt, you know, as well as we're used to and we talked about it on Patriots on Filtered yesterday.
We're used to the Bill Belichick's situational practices where it feels, for all intents and purposes, being like a game situation where you know, the clock's running, everything feels kind of real. It doesn't feel like that when they went situational today. It feels I don't want to say plotting, but you got mistakes mixed in and it seems like we're getting there's not really that like go go go kind of kind of feel to it.
And I thought, you know, Drake May had a comment that he said David Andrews told him, you know that it's never as good as it looks, and it's never as bad. And I thought that there were times within that drive and those drives that that was accurate. Some of the plays were getting executed very well. Like Kevan explained, in between the plays, you know, I'm counting three different times that they sort of had a pause, you know, not necessarily re huddle, but almost rehuddle and get everybody
on the same page. And then there were another, you know, handful of fall starts. Again, some of them I think we're offside on the defense too, But there was one play that the whole side of the line moved on one side and the other side didn't. And then ninety seven and that's Tristan Hill just like, yeah, came me, you know, right up the right up the middle, un touched. So yeah, never as good, never as bad. But I do think that what I would focus on is another day of progress.
Yeah offensively.
Yeah, that's an interesting point about the style of practice and the bogged down moments that they did have, because on the one hand, you can sit there and exactly as Paul just laid it out, false starts, some bad snaps here and their procedural stuff, and a Bill Belichick practice that would be like lap after lap and like no nose and you know, finger wags and maybe even a rehuddle, like with Bill in the middle, being like, fellas,
let's get this together. Whereas with these West Coast coaches, I keep saying it, but I feel like they just want the presentation to look perfect.
Right.
If you hit a perfect play like we saw a couple of times today, they're happy with that. And the procedural stuff, they feel like, over time will just kind of organically iron themselves out where we're used to a little bit more of the opposite approach.
What I would worry about though, just from you know, a procedural.
Standpoint is you know, you get you know, I'm just looking at you get a completion for little to no gain, then a false start, So now you might be looking at second and fifteen. You know, the next play is a nice hook to Hunter Henry. So to your point, that play look perfect. We're set to Henry. You know, sits down in media zone. You know, nice completion. Well that's a first down today, but if it was second and fifteen, it probably wouldn't have been a first down.
And now all of a sudden it's third down. Clocks running, the pressures building and you know that kind of stuff. So yeah, On one hand, it's important to get the plays executed the way you want them executed, and I think that's happening more often than not the last two days.
So let's also talk about Drake May. I mean, we saw at the end of practice that the kind of a two minute drill with Jakobe Prissett that was long. I mean, team plays, a couple penalties, I mean, you know, and sometimes that Jose drives when they were kind of doing some situational stuff, they just kind of end like there wasn't like a rush to kick a field goal or like no fourth down attempt or push ups.
Like, yeah, they just kind of fizzled, kind of worrying about the I was wondering about the clock of that drive, like it kind of stopped a lot, you know. And to Evan's point, it's probably by design with Alex man, Pelt probably wants to make sure let's get what we want to do here rather than worry about, you know, being in mid season.
Form, getting and getting unrattled a little bit. But let's, you know, talk about Drake May. Everybody wants to, of course talk about him. For me, you know, look, I just I didn't think like yesterday was this monumental bounce
back day. Like I just from my perspective, Drake May has been pretty solid each day, Like you know, it's it's it's kind of building, but like it's not overwhelming to me, where all of a sudden, yesterday's practice was like, oh the light went on, Like you know, like you're seeing progress, but like in a way where there's a play and you know that kind of I guess not. I guess not. I'm trying to stay balanced, but like
this is kind of what I was expecting. You see moments with him, you know, a couple of plays today, touchdowns that he threw. I mean, he had some good plays. But you know, again, I think it's we're stacking days. I just don't want to overreact to be like, oh it's all good now, Like he's good, but it's not overwhelming. Oh it's all clicking now for him.
Yeah, I definitely feel like you're on that rookie development isn't always linear curve right now where it's gonna be there's gonna be good plays and there's gonna be bad plays, and trying to figure out the trend of is it stacking or is it not stacking in a positive direction is difficult to do. I think the two couple things that he said after practice that I found interesting. Someone asked him about the struggles he had earlier in the week,
and I know those are well documented. He mentioned that they were in third and long situations in a lot of those plays and said that, guess what, third and long in the NFL is a lot harder than it is in college. Right, So that was something that I feel like he is adjusting to in those types of situations. You know, third and eight against this defense is not going to be what it was when he was playing NC State, you know, six months ago, so it's gonna
be a different animal. And this second thing that he said is that he's still trying to push the ball down the field more like it hasn't really clicked for him yet where that's coming. And I thought that was telling,
you know, I asked him about timing. I think all of that links together that he isn't pushing the ball down the field probably as much as he wants to, based off of that answer that he gave us, and it feels like that's the one thing that's holding him back is maybe a little moments of hesitation, a little uncertainty of the read and of what he's looking at.
Some double you know, yeah, no, ye, actually yes, yeah, he had you know, Javon Baker is like a post route, and I felt like it by he waited an extra maybe half beat and Baker had to toe tap in the back of the end zone. We felt up top that he didn't get his feet and bounds, and Paul agrees, And if that throw is out, just that half beat makes that difference where that's now a sudden and easier catch for the receiver. I'm not trying to to, you know, lay it down on the guy. I just feel like
these are the things we're seeing. And the good news to me, though, is that it's none of it's physical. Like I'm not watching him throw the ball and being like he just doesn't have the arm, like he just can't make it there, or you know, his footwork is completely sloppy and out of whack. I'm not seeing those types of things right now. I think he's going through some rookie growing pains with the offense and with the system and the timing and the rhythm of it all.
Yeah, Mike, real quick, just to give you some bookkeeping. Matthew Judah was was out there in pads, took part in you know, everything that I noticed, So that's a good sign. I think that's a positive step for that situation. Marcus Jones, Josh bled So a couple of guys added to the absentee list. They came out well into practice,
not dressed, you know, otherwise. You know, Pepper's was in uniform, didn't really do much other than running, but he did talk after after practice, so he's probably getting a little bit closer just you know, in a Vederian low stays at left tackle. I know what. We talked about that a little bit yesterday. So another good two days in a row for Baderian.
Yeah, yeah, just.
Really quickly on on the tackle situation. You know, myself included hand up on Caden Wallace. Maybe a little ahead of ourselves on the Caden Wallace hype train. Had some rough one on one reps today, and my guess is that the coaches on the film and the team drills from Monday and Tuesday weren't as high on it as
as I was watching it live. So he I wouldn't I hate using the word demotion because that has such a negative connotation, but right, yeah, but it feels like maybe to pump the brakes a little bit on him being this immediate kid.
And they did sign a tackle.
It's Kellen.
I'm not really sure how to pronounce, but he's you know, he's a big six seven tackle. It's been bounced around a couple of teams looking at Carve his way. Looks like Tyrone Wheatley might be headed out because he was wearing number seventy two in white. Wheatley wasn't that practice. He looked like he was physically struggling in some of the I think on Monday, Monday or Tuesday, so they're still looking for some answers.
Up front.
Calvin Anderson looked like he dodged a bullet today. It looked like he was he was injured for a while and then all of a sudden he's taken repst at right tackle in place of Chukes with the first group.
So hopefully he dodged a bullet. Just a little bit of defense. To wrap this up, you guys know, it's my thing. I was focusing on the reps today and Evan, as you wrote, I think a couple of days ago it was just they're having trouble and these one on ones defensively getting around the blockers. Mike on WINU has been great city so was great today. I think we compared notes. We were both watching them separate, and we both have like maybe two or three wins through the
whole period for the defense. So I know these are individual drills, but.
Just because they win plenty when it goes eleven on eleven, Yeah.
But I think, like for me, like just looking at the composition of the team's great at chewtons in there, I think they'll be okay. I just I still wonder about Barmore. They made another, you know, signing with Mike Purcell, who was out there today. He's a big body guy, so I don't know if that's necessarily an indictment, but you know, you're you're seeing a lot of ninety five Daniel Kualae, you know, like those are the guys that
are starting to fill in for bar Moore. So I just these are my two general thoughts, and I'll let you guys chime in. But my general thoughts are that I'm a little bit concerned about the pass rush. You mentioned a little bit of cornerback depth I think that's a valid concern too, But but I just I wonder about the interior push and offensively, I would just sum up what I've seen over the last week and say I think that they're going to be a functional offense.
I just think the X factor is truly having someone like Taekwon Thornton or Booty or Rager, the guys that I'm playing outside bringing some kind of downfield explosive element to this offense. I think that they'll be okay, but I just really still worry that they're going to be when they get behind, when it's you know, they've got to make some plays. It's going to be hard to pick up chunk plays for this offense. Yeah, and that's that's.
Effectively, and that's what they want to do, and I haven't really seen it much.
It's hard so far.
The last thing, you know, in regard to the cornerback thing, just to sort of illustrate my point, Marcus Jones was out today, and I know that they probably would do it differently if it was a game. But Marcus Jones was out. We saw Azz hearn yep in there, and then we saw Marco Wilson. My guess is it would probably be Jonathan Jones sort of, you know, moving around a little bit to try to cover up that that lack of depth and then having a guy like maybe
Alex Austin more involved than he was. But I still think that they kind of have two and a half corners that they feel good about.
Yeah, that's a good way to put it.
Yeah, you know, because I feel good about Marcus Jones. Good, not great.
I feel good about Marcus Jones, but he is I mean, he's had a hard time standing being durable.
Exactly, Yeah, exactly.
That's disappointing to Yeah, his size is always going to be something that he's going to physically in terms of durability, but also just in terms of playing style that he's going to have to make up for the fact that he's going to be small. Then, you know, at this level, I think that the one thing with the pass rush that stands out to me is just the lack of one on one winners up front. When they aren't dressing it up like there's no pressure, there's no blitz pack John,
there's no creeper or anything like that. You're just four guys against five. I don't know right now, outside of Jude on if I feel really good about any of their other guys winning one on one. You mentioned on one who in or the interior guys on Wenn and City.
So went seven to oh today and one on ones and it wasn't particularly close, like no one was really even yeah, even particularly close to beating either one of those guys, and so that that's a concern and a corner I'm coming to Paul's side of the street with cornerback death because I said to you during practice today as like, you know, Stefan Gilmore, this is Elliot Wolf.
How you doing? You know, like I think it makes too much sense? Yeah, you know, you.
Watch Marco Wilson, Alex Austin, you know some of those guys that they've had at as easy hear, and those guys got picked on a little bit today and all these plays that we're talking about offensively had a lot of twenty eights and twenty two's and you know those types of things writing those down. So it still feels like Gonzo and John Jones are gonna be solid for you. But are you gonna have a Waldough You don't want a Waldo right where you team's come in on Sundays
and where's Waldo? And you're picking them out in the secondary and right now I do feel like if Marcus Jones isn't healthy, they might have a Waldo.
Yeah. Well, eight practice is down. Hard to believe, flying By. We're gonna be onto the preseason next week, but we're no rest for the wicked. We are back tomorrow, guys, another padded practice we're expecting. I think it's gonna be hot again. So yes, this is officially the dog days of summer. But don't worry. We got you guys covered. So tune in tomorrow on Saturday, right after practice early afternoon, we'll have another Patriots training Camp cast to recap all
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