I finally got to see Drake Maye in person on Tuesday and a lot of what I saw on film for the past two years is still present in his game. Maye is physically talented, there is no doubt about that. The arm talent especially pops in person but he has a lot to work on mechanically. For starters, his footwork has improved but he is still heavy footed. Part…
NEFJ Nuggets from Patriots training camp: Day 6
FOXBOROUGH – The focus was back on football Tuesday morning. In what was truly the first hot, muggy, gotta-get-through it day for training camp, there was no sideshow, no negotiations for everyone to see, no fights or scrums, just football. It was the second day of pads for the players and while we still (somewhat surprisingly) haven’t seen any goal line work, we got a little bit of red zone…
Stevenson, Harris could be underrated 1-2 punch for Pats’ offense
FOXBOROUGH – If it feels like we’ve been talking about the uncertainty of the O-line and QB position for a while now, it’s because we have. This is Year 5 of the post-Brady era and those two questions still remain the biggest lingering over the new-look Patriots. However, one place where the Pats may actually be better than we thought is at running back. Despite the questions surrounding who’s going…
NEFJ Nuggets from Patriots training camp: Day 5
FOXBOROUGH – Well, that was something. It was a busy, newsworthy 24 hours surrounding the Patriots and that was before anything on the field took place Monday morning. The pads came on for the first time, but the real stories were off the field. Here’s everything that stood out during quite an interesting three-ish hours at gloomy Gillette Stadium… -Surprisingly pretty big crowd given the rain. There were plenty of…
Mayo’s patience and approach being tested early
FOXBOROUGH – We’re just five days in, and Jerod Mayo’s first training camp as head coach is turning into more of a sideshow than a productive football camp. On Monday, the pads came on for the first time, but it was mostly off-the-field issues that grabbed the attention of the media. On Sunday night, the team announced that Christian Barmore will be out indefinitely for a scary blood clot issue….
Barmore facing medical situation; no timetable for return
Christian Barmore hasn’t been seen at Patriots training camp since the first day, and he didn’t even complete that practice. Now we know why. On Sunday evening – which was also Barmore’s 25th birthday – the Patriots released a statement regarding a medical situation for Barmore. “Over the weekend, Christian Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots,” the statement read. “He was appropriately treated by the doctors at Mass General Brigham,…
NEFJ Nuggets from Patriots training camp: Day 4
FOXBOROUGH – Sunday’s session was the last one before pads come on Monday. This was easily the biggest crowd so far with the ramps being opened for a spattering of overflow crowd. Here’s everything I saw from the hill… -Michael Jordan, Sidy Sow and Matt Judon were three of the first players out. Judon continues to do his usual routine of catch with the fans and is still drawing the…
Former teammates Baker & Castellanos have a chance to be big in New England
When Javon Baker was drafted by New England in April, he already had a familiar face ready to greet him. BC quarterback Tommy Castellanos and Baker were teammates at UCF before Castellanos came to Chestnut Hill. Now, ironically enough, they have a chance to become the best QB and receiver in the region without being on the same team. Hear me out… Baker and fellow rookie Ja’Lynn Polk have popped…
Uche, Merritt maintain special friendship as both face new challenges
Images courtesy of Miami Herald & Getty Images If you were at Top Golf just a few minutes away from Gillette Stadium recently and thought you saw Patriots linebacker Josh Uche and Bryant head coach Chris Merritt together along with other members of the program, you weren’t crazy. Merritt – the former high school coach of Uche at Christopher Columbus in Florida – and the Pats’ linebacker are still very…