1. Monday will be the Patriots’ first fully padded practice of the summer and also the first time some media will be at Gillette Stadium. Considering everything that has happened in the offseason, everyone will be focusing primarily on the quarterback position and how everything is going with Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham. Prepare for tons of tweets, videos, blogs, etc. detailing every move the two make in the field of practice, but there are only a few things that really matter. When it comes to Newton, it’s more about health. What does his shoulder look like? How are his throws? Can he have some speed behind them? Can he throw the ball deep? If he ticks those boxes, he’s very likely to be the Week 1 starter. When it comes to Stidham, it’s worth watching his energy. Is he still optimistic after Newton was added to the roster so late in the offseason? Is he competing with Newton, or is he sitting and watching? If he doesn’t back down, which appears to be the case based on his first availability in the media, that’s great news for the future as he could potentially be the quarterback after this season. There will be a ton of random information this week regarding the two, but keep in mind this is just training camp – don’t read every little thing.
2. Another position that will get a lot of attention next week, and the rest of the summer for that matter, is the close end. And in particular rookies Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene. Asiasi has the greatest potential as a wide receiver given his athletic ability. He worked with Newton on the West Coast, so maybe get a head start on some of the other tight ends. With Keene, it will be interesting to see where he lines up. It’s not a typical tight end as it lines up all over the formations. With Dan Vitale retiring from the season, Keene could be a potential option in the backfield as a full-back.
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3. Bill Belichick was very honest on his videoconference on Friday when he said how late all the rookies were at this point. Each year around this time, rookies have a ton of catching up to do, but this year it’s even more so because of the coronavirus and players arriving at the facility in the past 10 days or so. He said a lot more will be known about their progress in 7-10 days, which is true as it will follow a week of “real” football in the pads.
4. The addition of Lamar Miller could be a big sneaky signing for the Patriots. This is a very low risk deal, as it would have a base salary of $ 1.05 million and incentives of $ 1.5 million. Some may not realize that Miller was a Pro Bowler in 2018 and seems to be exactly what the Patriots value about their running backs in terms of versatility and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. If he stays in good health (coming out of the ripped ACL in 2019), Miller could actually play a big role for the team in 2020.
5. John Simon is a player who could play a much bigger role this season with Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy all starting in the offseason. He’s been with the team for almost two full years, so he’s comfortable with the system and can play a bunch of different roles in the top seven. Speaking via videoconference on Friday, Simon appeared to downplay a larger potential role. “It’s not just me,” he says. “Everyone on the team, we have a lot of guys who will do whatever the job requires. So, whatever work we ask for week after week, we are going to be as prepared as possible and try to do our best on Sundays or Thursdays, Mondays to perform it to the best of our ability. We have a lot of guys who are very versatile and can do multiple things. What must happen will happen.”
6. With Tuukka Rask’s rather surprising decision to retire from the NHL season after two playoff games with the Hurricanes, it’s a reminder that an NFL player could really decide at any time to quit. remove from the season. While there is no indication that any players will do this from now on, don’t be surprised if this happens due to the current climate we are in.
7. The Patriots were absent on Saturday and will return Sunday for the last OTA-style session. On Monday the pads will continue for the first time and the media will be present for the first “real” training camp, which is scheduled to start at 10 am. It’s hard to imagine a ton of strikes in first practice, but with the regular season four weeks away from Sunday, teams can’t wait too long to really get started, especially without preseason games.
Related: Jason McCourty explains why he and his twin brother Devin haven’t considered stepping down
