Football!
Near-normal access to summertime training camp football!
First and foremost, that’s what media and fans can look forward to this week as Patriots training camp 2021 opens up on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium.
After more than a year of COVID-controlled NFL action – training camp and games without fans in Foxborough – Bill Belichick’s team gets back to work with an eye on a bounce back season in New England. And while we are all well aware there remain some effects and lifestyle limitations from the ongoing pandemic, it will certainly be a giant step toward Patriot Nation normalcy this week!
Beyond just the Kenny Chesney-like smell of the fresh cut grass as the boys of fall begin their summer camp journey, there is plenty to get pumped and jacked about this week after we all get over the initial excitement of the return of in-person, up-close football viewing.
A real QB competition – Camps have begun to form even before training camp has begun. Cam or Mac? Mac or Cam? Which side of the competitive debate are you on? While Belichick declared Cam Newton the Patriots quarterback on draft weekend, No. 15 overall pick Mac Jones should have every reason to believe he has a legitimate shot to win the starting job this summer. Every day on the practice field, every rep of every drill, is a chance for Jones to show his stuff, prove his worth and give Belichick reason to believe in the upstart rookie’s ability to start. It’s no longer going to be about how good Jones was last season at Alabama or how bad Newton was last season in New England. Finally it’s about what they do on the practice field here and now as they prepare for preseason game action. Ding, ding! The last time there was a real QB competition in New England was nearly 30 years ago, before Drew Bledsoe arrived.
First impressions – For months the talk of Patriot Nation was about the offseason rebuild of the roster through an historic free agent spending spree and the draft. Now, finally, we’ll all get the chance to see just what kind of talent has been added to the roster. While the production of a 17-game season is really all that matters, we all react to first impressions.
How smooth does Hunter Henry look? Is Jonnu Smith really that athletic after the catch? Can Matt Judon actually do it all across the defensive front? Does Jones have the SEC-molded swagger that his teammates have already talked about? Come on down to Foxborough to see and decide for yourself regarding what everyone has been talking about all spring and early summer.
Year 2 jumps – Maybe the only thing more interesting than seeing a first glance of a players obvious abilities, is seeing a young player jumpstart his critical second season. Belichick has long believed that the biggest jump for a player comes between his first and second seasons. It can be dramatic and impactful. And if it doesn’t come, sometimes that creates doubt as to the player’s long term potential, as well. All eyes will be on second-year safety Kyle Dugger, the former top pick who many believe has elite, Pro Bowl potential in the back end of the defense. But Dugger isn’t the only would-be super sophomore. Linebacker Josh Uche was the talk of spring OTA and minicamp action in shorts and t-shirts. Anfernee Jennings could also carve out a role for himself on the defensive front. Mike Onwenu is coming off a great rookie season, but he’ll likely be making a full-time change to left guard to fill departed free agent Joe Thuney’s big shoes. Tight ends Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene were supposed to bring hope to the position a year ago, but now there’s more than $80 million invested head of them on the depth chart. How do they respond to that? And let’s not forget former undrafted rookie Myles Bryant, who could be a sleeper long term contributor at cornerback. Second-year players could have a huge impact on just how good the Patriots are this season.
Still going – On the other end of the spectrum from new or developing young players are the aging veterans. New England has a number of guys who fans all know and love thanks to their key roles for the team over the years. But are those aging vets still as good as they once were? Have they lost a step? Is the team beginning to phase them out of practice reps in any way? James White, Devin McCourty, Lawrence Guy, Dont’a Hightower and David Andrews have all had great careers on the field and led the team as captains off of it. But Belichick is fond of saying that every player and coach has to reestablish his role each summer in New England. Those guys are no different.
Back to the future – Hightower is also part of another group, players who were not a part of the Patriots roster last year but are back to work in familiar roles. Hightower was a COVID opt-out but now is expected to be a foundational piece of the resurgent defense. Kyle Van Noy spent a year in the Miami defense but is now back “home” in New England to bring his varied skills to the unit. Trent Brown left for a couple years with the Raiders but returns to Foxborough to likely hold down the right tackle spot this time. Ted Karras started at center for the Dolphins last fall but now comes back to Gillette to serve once again as a trusted, experienced interior offensive line backup. You may not be able to go home again as the cliché goes, but you can find a home for a second time on the Patriots roster apparently. If these returning cogs are as good as they were in their first stints in New England it will be a boon for the team this time around.
Make-or-break efforts – Ninety players will be on the practice fields of Foxborough fighting for jobs and roles, battling for their professional careers. But that battle is more tangible for some than others. NFL careers are short. The league can chew up and spit out guys pretty quickly, even relatively high draft picks. New England has a handful of notable former high picks seemingly competing not just for their Patriots lives but maybe their long term futures in football. N’Keal Harry has already requested a trade through his agent. It feels unlikely that he’ll be a part of the Patriots this fall, but given the wide open wide receiver position in New England who really knows how it might play out if the former first-round pick actually put together an impressive camp? Sony Michel is probably second-fiddle at running back behind Damien Harris. Is the former first-round pick content in that role or can he be more? New England didn’t pick up his fifth-year contract option, so Michel is in a contract year and must prove his worth for the now and the future. Chase Winovich is another interesting young player on the edge of the defense. Given the addition of Judon and return of Van Noy, Winovich’s role could shrink. Is he sub rusher, a possible every down player now that he’s added weight or could his future in Foxborough be shorter than many might expect? Are the second-year tight ends Asiasi and Keene still part of the plan or did the additions of Henry and Smith derail their futures, at least in New England? Training camp action could answer those questions for many of these young players in make-or-break seasons.
D-up! – There will be lots of talk about the Patriots offense this summer, both in terms of positives and negatives. The quarterback competition will be the focal point of a lot of the discussion, but there will be likely praise for the offensive line and potential of the running game. There will be fascination with the new-look tight end spot and consternation about the lack of talent at wide receiver. But the real story of the 2021 Patriots could be on the other side of the ball with a defense that has the potential to be among the very best in football. The athletes, depth, versatility and upside talent on defense this summer should be on full display the second training camp opens, even with Stephon Gilmore on PUP in the midst of an apparently ongoing contract negotiation. The front seven could be loaded. The back end has experience and playmaking. As much as everyone will be noting every throw that Jones and Newton make, just as much attention or more should be given to the guys they are up against on the practice field. New England’s defense really could be that damn good.
Sleeper stories – Big-money stars and high draft picks get most of the attention in training camp. But we’ve all seen over the years that guys thought to be near the bottom of the 90-man roster end up working their way into the regular season conversation. Gunner Olszewski took that road a couple years back and is already an All-Pro punt returner as a former D-II college defensive back. But this summer he might just have the chance to grow his role at wide receiver. J.J. Taylor is a tiny running back with big-time playmaking ability. Tre Nixon is a late-round receiver with plenty of speed and upside. You never really know where the sleeper training camp stories will come from, but they will be coming. You just have to pay close enough attention to see it happen.
