Catching Up On New England Patriots Training Camp News

I apologize for the lack of posts over the last few days, as I was out of town taking a brief vacation. Fortunately, there wasn’t any big news that broke, but there was still plenty of storylines that arose from New England Patriots camp, and with football swiftly approaching, even small bits of information coming out of training camp are important.

1. Rise Of James White

The rookie running back has really impressed the Patriots’ coaching staff thus far, and Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston thinks White will be a significant contributor on all three downs for New England this year. I loved this pick back in May, and while I don’t think he will jump over Shane Vereen or Stevan Ridley on the depth chart, I am happy to see him taking advantage of the reps he is given in practice. He isn’t the most talented back in the world, but he is solid, holds onto the ball, and gets things done.

2. Defense Dominating

After the Pats brought in Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner this offseason, the expectations for New England’s defense instantly skyrocketed. And through nine days of camp, it sounds like they are even better than advertised. The secondary, led by Revis and Browner, is flying around, disrupting Tom Brady‘s offense, playing physical, and setting an edge that hasn’t been in Foxboro for quite some time. I have been saying all offseason that this unit will finish this season in the top five, and I am only getting more and more confident in that statement.

3. Rob Gronkowski Continues To Progress

Gronk’s health will be vital to the Pats’ success this year, and all signs point towards him being ready for the season opener. From Mike Reiss:

"Tight end Rob Gronkowski engaged in blocking drills with his fellow tight ends and appeared to be planting his legs stronger and driving with more force."

4. Garoppolo Struggling

One of the few negatives from camp has been rookie quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s struggles. He just hasn’t been able to right the ship, which isn’t the best way you want to start your NFL career. Obviously he still has plenty of time to make the necessary adjustments, but it has been a rough camp for Garoppolo.\n
5. Nice Moment For Ty Law

Former Pats cornerback Ty Law was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame yesterday, and afterwords, he stuck around with a few other former players to watch practice with Bill Belichick.

6. Revis Pick-Six

Watch this.

Who’s ready for the season to start?