1 – The Patriots offense is going through a significant transition. Some of that is the much-maligned, new-look coaching staff with Joe Judge and Matt Patricia – previously experts in special teams and defense, respectively – taking on big roles in Bill Belichick’s post-Josh McDaniels plan of attack on offense.
There’s also been work on the scheme and terminology as well this offseason. During OTAs and last week’s mandatory minicamp the offense was described as having been “streamlined” or even “dumbed down.”
What exactly does that mean? Who better to ask than the guy who’ll be pulling the offense together on the field on snap-by-snap basis?
“I think the idea for every offense is to have an identity,” Patriots second-year quarterback Mac Jones said. “And to be able to play fast and play quicker and to put stress on the defense is important for any offense. We want to be able to do that consistently. We want to be able to do whatever we want to do at any given time whether that’s a run, pass, play-action, short, medium or long. We’re trying to be able to have a little bit of variety and just grow together with the young guys and the old guys. We have some guys that have been in this system many years and then we have some younger guys like myself who’ve kind seen both sides. So there’s finding a good balance and then growing together as a unit is the most important part.”
Jones then concluded his answer on New England’s new-look, new-feel offense with maybe the simplest description possible, sounding like Forrest Gump in his simplicity.
“At the end of the day football is football. Offensive football there is only so much you can do. You can’t recreate the wheel with every different system. You either run it or you throw it. It’s really that simple. And that’s pretty much all there is to it,” Jones said.
2 – A number of players stood out for impressive performances over the course of two days of minicamp action on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium last week. Jones would be near the top of that list, along with guys like punter Jake Bailey and rookie cornerback Jack Jones.
One guy who seemed to be on the receiving end of plenty of Jones’ passes, including big-play deep balls, was second-year receiver Tre Nixon.
Recall that Nixon was hand selected by longtime Belichick confidant and Patriots retiring director of football research Ernie Adams with New England’s final pick in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The Central Florida product was cut at the end of training camp last summer but spent his entire rookie season on the New England practice squad.
Over the last year he built a relationship with Jones, driving with the rookie QB to work each day and bonding over daily COVID tests. Based on minicamp action, Nixon has developed a little bit of a playmaking rapport with Jones, one that might be worth watching in the wide receiver competition as it transitions to training camp and preseason action.
“He’s a grinder,” Jones said of Nixon. “In the offseason he’s there with all the guys at the throwing sessions. I don’t think he missed a single one. He’s been grinding. He needs to continue to do that just like everybody else. He adds that good speed to the group and he’s a nice complement.
Hopefully he’ll be able to continue to grow like everybody else. And we can kind of have a full group here where we can substitute in and out and let those guys go make plays.”
3 – If there is one podcast we’d recommend listening to its obviously WEEI’s “6 Rings,” which takes a look at all things Patriots and Patriots-related twice a week.
But if there were two podcasts we’d recommend listening to, the second might be former Patriots defensive lineman Chris Long’s recent “Green Light” podcast in which he has an extended, comfortable conversation with New England defensive play-caller Steve Belichick. The two unique personalities chat about past Patriots’ Super Bowls, including Long being on both the New England and opposing sidelines in those big games. They talk about the unique players, personalities and environment in New England.
Maybe most interesting, though, is the two men discussing their career arcs in relation to the accomplishments of their Hall of Fame fathers, Howie Long and Bill Belichick. (Yes, I’m prematurely calling the elder Belichick a Hall of Fame coach. Feels like a safe bet at this point.)
“You’ve never been asked question by another guy who gets asked questions about his dad,” Long said to kick off the discussion. “We talk more about nepotism in coaching. ‘Man, did that guy deserve it?’ That sort of thing. Every guy I’ve talked to says you deserve a coaching job. Do you think your head coach, I won’t even call him dad, is really good about you have to earn 100-percent of everything?”
“I do,” Steve Belichick responded. “That’s how he raised me. The morals and the things that my grandpa used to talk about, too. You have to earn what you get. It’s also my dad’s job to be the head coach and I don’t think to leave me on the staff he would compromise having a bad coach. I just don’t think, I think he would probably pull me to the side and say, ‘Listen this isn’t working out for either of us, so go do something else.’
“So it’s just kind of how I grew up doing it. I’ll always be in his shadow. That’s just kind of the reality of life. But at the same time I don’t compare myself to him. Just like you don’t compare yourself to your dad. There are comparisons. It’s natural because he played, you played. I coach, my dad coaches. But there are a lot of other coaches out there that you could compare me to, right or wrong. But it’s easy to compare me to my dad because he’s my dad.”
4 – There was also one very quick, off-handed comment from Long in his chat with Steve Belichick that deserves attention. In discussing his one season in New England and seeing the greatness of the Patriots, particularly the Tom Brady-led offense up close and personal every day, Long had a notable reaction to observing not only the quarterback at work but also being wowed by tight end Rob Gronkowski.
“I would marvel watching [Brady] in practice,” Long said. “Honestly, I would marvel watching Gronk more. I remember getting there and being like damn, I know Brady is the GOAT but Gronk might be the best football player I’ve ever seen. It’s just insane to watch.”
5 – The Patriots landing Mac Jones with the No. 15 pick in the first round of last year’s NFL Draft has already paid dividends in New England. Jones led his team back to the playoffs as a rookie, earned a Pro Bowl nod and is now fully entrenched as a franchise QB in Foxborough.
A 13-year-old boy in Ohio landed Jones in a different sense recently and also benefited immediately. Johnny Stone and his football-card-collecting dad Chad pulled an ultra-rare Black Finite Jones rookie card out of a box of Panini Prizm Football cards.
“One of one Mac Jones!” Johnny Stone yells as he sees the card in a moment memorialized on his YouTube channel. The father-and-son card-trading duo sold the card pretty quickly, reportedly getting $100,000 for the find from another collector.
Jones was asked about the fun story this week.
“I didn’t know that, but that’s really cool.
Congratulations, I guess,” Jones said with a big chuckle. “I’m glad with trading cards and all that, that’s all cool. I don’t really follow it too much, but congratulations.”
6 – With spring OTAs and minicamp now in the books, the so-called “offseason” is pretty much wrapped up. Next stop on the NFL calendar is training camp, competition for roster spots and the work that goes into preparing for September’s season opener in Miami. Though time is running out, there still could be adjustments and additions to the Patriots’ roster. At this point, if New England could upgrade its talent and competition level the two biggest areas to target might be cornerback and the offensive line. Though Malcolm Butler looked solid on the spring fields and the rookie fourth-round pick Jack Jones very much appears to be in the competitive mix at cornerback, it’s still a pretty thin depth chart with starting jobs and roles hanging in the balance. The offensive line has five palatable projected starters, regardless of whether Trent Brown and Isaiah Wynn line up at left or right tackle as a bookend tandem. But there doesn’t seem to be much veteran depth in the mix for a group that has a number of guys – led by Brown and Wynn – with suspect durability over the course of their careers. Maybe the new offensive line coach Patricia has faith in guys like Justin Herron or Yodny Cajuste, or maybe the Patriots should and could look to add some veteran offensive line talent to the group’s depth between now and August.
7 – One final takeaway from OTA and minicamp action this spring: Don’t be surprised if third-year safety Kyle Dugger takes his game to the next level in 2022. Anyone with eyes can see that the 2020 second-round pick has all the physical tools to be a star in the back end of the New England defense. Veteran teammates rave about not only his ability, but his approach to his job. Steve Belichick has great faith in his young, versatile playmaker. And given that Dugger is surrounded by other versatile defensive pieces at the position such as Adrian Phillips, Devin McCourty and Jabrill Peppers, the young defensive back can be put in positions to make plays where he’s best suited.
The Patriots are likely going to use the safety position as a core part of their defense this fall and Dugger will be a key part of that core. From his hard-hitting in the box to his coverage in the back end that saw him make an impressive diving interception in minicamp, Dugger can do it all. Not-so-bold June prediction: Dugger earns a trip to the Pro Bowl with his play this fall.