Patriots: Stone’s sights & sounds from Patriots training camp – Day 11

August 9, 2021

FOXBOROUGH – For the first time this camp, the Pats had their second straight day of padded practice. With just one more practice on Tuesday (3:30 inside Gillette, open to the public), the focus is slowly shifting to the first preseason game on Thursday night. Let’s recap what went down on Monday… -For once it was Jalen Mills hitting the field first, it was receivers coach Troy Brown who sprinted…

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Patriots Training Camp: Quarterbacks Preview

August 6, 2021

After twenty years of elite quarterback play, Patriots fans finally experienced what the other 31 franchises have endured during that time period. Life is hard without a franchise quarterback. The Patriots had the epitome of a franchise quarterback in Tom Brady but as year one of the Post-Brady era reminded us, you cannot win championships without elite level quarterback play. No one envisioned Cam Newton of all people being Brady’s…

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Patriots Training Camp: Running Backs Preview

August 6, 2021

Image courtesy of Getty Images For years, the Patriots offense was centered around Tom Brady and throwing the football. Then, things shifted philosophically during the 2018 season. The emphasis was on running the football more. Bill Belichick used the team’s two first round picks in that draft on offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn and running back Sony Michel, both out of Georgia. Michel looked like a lead back during his rookie…

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Patriots Training Camp: Wide Receivers Preview

August 5, 2021

Nelson Agholor will be the Patriots de facto number one receiver this season. The wide receiver position has been much maligned in recent years for the Patriots..You can make the case that the position has been under scrutiny since Randy Moss and Wes Weller were on the team. Even when the team was winning Super Bowls the last six years, people questioned how good the Patriots receivers were. The position…

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Patriots: Big day for Jones, do we finally have a real competition?

August 5, 2021

Thursday was the day Patriots fans who want to see a different quarterback this year had been waiting for. Throughout the first week of training camp, Cam Newton had done enough to look like he should remain the starter, but a lot to do with that was the fact that Mac Jones simply wasn’t doing anything to stand out. Both guys have had their ups and downs the first week,…

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Patriots: McDaniels talks offense, QB’s for first time in training camp

August 4, 2021

There’s only one other guy on offense that everyone wants to hear from this training camp other than Mac Jones or Cam Newton and it’s not a player. Josh McDaniels is the guy closest to the “competition” and we finally heard from him on Wednesday afternoon following practice. McDaniels said right now is still just a learning phase, so there hasn’t been true evaluation yet. “Right now, everybody’s in a…

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Patriots: Stone’s sights & sounds from Patriots training camp – Day 6

August 3, 2021

FOXBOROUGH – Tuesday was the first day in pads for the Pats, what did we learn? That and everything else I noticed from Day 6 of camp… -For the first time, it was not Adrian Colbert taking the field first on Tuesday but Jalen Mills alongside coaches Jerrod Mayo and Steve Belichick -Robert Kraft arrived via helicopter prior to the start of practice. -You knew it was “real” football today…

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Patriots Training Camp: Tight Ends Preview

August 3, 2021

The tight end position has been non-existent in the Patriots offense the past two seasons. It has always been a productive position for the Patriots under Bill Belichick. Especially since 2010 when Belichick drafted Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez in the same draft class. After Gronkowski announced his retirement following the 2018 season, Belichick attempted to replace him by bringing back former Patriot Ben Watson and signing veteran Matt LaCosse….

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Patriots: Players’ thoughts from training camp – Day 5

August 2, 2021

We heard from a schmorhesborg of Pats players from rookies to vets to some new guys on Monday morning after practice. Three guys in particular were extremely engaging and entertaining: new cornerback Jalen Mills, new receiver Kendrick Bourne and new linebacker Raekwon McMillian. Check out some of the money quotes from each of them… RAEKWON McMILLIAN (on Coach Belichick praising his intelligence Monday morning) “It means a lot man. I’m…

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