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The beginning of July signals two things. One, summer is in full swing. And two, the New England Patriots will start training camp this month.
Of course, summer is a great time to relax, sit back and think. If you’re a fan of the Patriots, then much of that sunbathing time will be spent worrying and/or getting excited about the Patriots and their prospects for the 2015 season.
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Here to help guide your Patriots brainstorming is Musket Fire. The following six bullet points will get your Patriots-oriented brain cells working as you lounge with that iced beverage.
For more engaging summer content, check out Cyrus Geller’s ranking of every starting quarterback and these June power rankings put together by Yours Truly.
Next: 6. Jimmy G or Matty F?
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We still don’t know if Tom Brady’s suspension will be reduced, so it’s not yet clear how much a non-Brady quarterback will be playing for the Patriots in the beginning of 2015. But it’s more likely than not that either Garoppolo or Flynn will start against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1.
The smart money is on Garoppolo because all signs point toward him being the Patriots’ quarterback after the Brady era. He showed flashes in limited action as a rookie, and every Patriots fan from Boston to Bangor is excited to see how he develops. One, two, three or four games—it doesn’t matter—Garoppolo will gain valuable experience should he fill-in for Brady.
But then there’s the veteran Flynn, who boasts much more NFL playing experience than the young arm of Garoppolo. Through eight seasons, Flynn has amassed 2,541 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Flynn has bounced aroung the league, from Green Bay to Seattle, then back to Green Bay, then over to Oakland, then back to Green Bay again before signing with the Patriots this summer. He’ll probably sign with Green Bay again before his career is over.
Garoppolo has the upper hand because of his experience in the Patriots’ complicated offensive system, so expect him to start against the Steelers in Week 1 should Brady still be suspended.
Next: 5. CB Depth Chart Coming Into Focus
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Much is still to be determined, but three cornerbacks have risen over the course of the offseason: Bradley Fletcher, Logan Ryan and Robert McClain, with Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler also figuring prominently in the depth chart.
After seeing Darrelle Revis depart in free agency, Patriots fans weren’t exactly chomping at the bit when Fletcher signed with the Patriots this offseason. However, the much-maligned former Eagle is approaching this season with renewed focus, and you can bet that he’ll be excited to face his nemesis in Week 5, Dez Bryant. You can pencil-in Fletcher as a starter.
Perhaps more than any other defensive back, Ryan has been turning heads all offseason. It’s apparent that he views himself, not Butler or Fletcher, as the Patriots’ replacement for Revis. Rumblings around Foxboro indicate that at this point, a starting spot is Ryan’s to lose.
The Patriots were content letting Kyle Arrington sign elsewhere because of McClain. Think of the Arrington departure as similar to that of Wes Welker; a gradually declining player that Bill Belichick figured he could replace with a lesser-known but proven entity. McClain is one of the league’s more underrated slot corners.
And then there’s Butler, who will probably enter the season as the No. 3 outside corner (McClain will likely play only in the slot). Super Bowl XLIX heroism aside, that wouldn’t be too shabby for a player who’s only a year removed from undrafted anonymity.
Next: 4. Some Other Corners You Should Know About
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While we’re on the subject of cornerback, we need to pay homage to a few lesser-known players that could break onto the roster.
Daxton Swanson was a training camp standout last summer before landing on the practice squad, and he’s looking to make the jump to the 53-man roster this year. His forte lies in the ball-hawking realm, which made this writer draw a comparison to former Pats’ star Asante Sameul.
2015 seventh-rounder Darryl Roberts might just be the best overall athlete on the roster right now. The Marshall product raised some eyebrows in OTAs, and cannot be underestimated as the start of training camp nears.
The Patriots lost height in their secondary when Brandon Browner left, but undrafted rookie Jimmy Jean out of University of Alabama-Birmingham boasts a 6-foot-3 frame. The thought of having such a tall corner for depth purposes could be too tempting for the Patriots to pass on.
After losing not one, not two, not three, and but four cornerbacks this offseason, the Patriots will be starting fresh at the position in 2015. That bodes well for this trio of players; at least one of them will make the team.
Next: 3. New Faces At Both Guard Positions
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It’s almost guaranteed that Dan Connolly will retire this summer, so that opens the door for rookie Tre’ Jackson to start at left guard. Jackson will line-up next to fellow Florida State product Bryan Stork, giving the Patriots some added chemistry on the offensive line. Jordan Devey is the only roadblock standing in the way between Jackson and the starting job in Week 1.
Over at right guard, things are a bit more up in the air. The question on the Patriots’ offensive line is at right guard, where undersized Ryan Wendell is currently listed as the starter. But that will likely change.
Sophomore pro Cameron Fleming is in the midst of a transition from tackle to guard, so he has to be considered a leading candidate to be the Week 1 starter. Fleming is one of the smartest players on the Patriots’ roster having earned a double major in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford.
Musket Fire’s Hal Bent wrote today that Josh Kline could be a surprise starter at either right or left guard. Kline developed into the Patriots’ top sixth man on the offensive line last year, racking up nearly 300 snaps in the regular season and maintaining a regular role in the playoffs.
Next: 2. A Pair of Inexperienced TEs Vying for the Roster
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Rob Gronkowski, Scott Chandler and Michael Hoomanawanui lead the depth chart at tight end right now. But some interesting events have transpired among the remaining tight ends on the roster as of late.
Both Tim Wright and Fred Davis have been released, opening the door for a fourth tight end to make the roster. Two players will contend for that final spot: rookie A.J. Derby and former defenisve end Jake Bequette.
Derby has played only one formal year at tight end, and it was this past season at Arkansas. In addition to the raw talent he offers as a tight end, Derby also brings versatility to the Patriots, as he is experienced at quarterback as well as linebacker.
Bequette has been with the Patriots for a few years now, but he never really developed into the pass rusher opposite Chandler Jones that Patriots fans had been hoping for. So this offseason, Bequette switched the color of his practice jersey and joined the offense as a tight end convert.
It’s not guaranteed that the Patriots will take four tight ends, but if they do, it will likely be one of those two guys.
Next: 1. Who Will Replace Shane Vereen?
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Brady likes having a running back he can throw to. In Super Bowl XXXVI, it was J.R. Redmond, and in Super Bowl XLIX, it was Shane Vereen. But now that Vereen is gone, who will step-up and fill that receiving role in the backfield?
Fresh off the plane from New Orleans, free agent addition Travaris Cadet could be the guy for the job. Sean Payton raved to the Boston Herald a few months back about Cadet’s receiving ability, even saying that the Appalachian State product sat in on wide receiver meetings with the Saints when he was a rookie.
At 6-foot-1, Cadet offers height out of the backfield that Brady didn’t have with Vereen. Now, Brady can loft passes a little bit higher when a linebacker is covering Cadet.
But the job is not guaranteed to be Cadet’s. MassLive.com’s Kevin Duffy noted that in OTAs last month, Josh McDaniels also worked with Dion Lewis, Brandon Bolden and James White on route-running drills. White stood out from the group, hauling in multiple impressive sideline receptions.
Vereen’s 52 receptions last year accounted for nearly 15 percent of the team total, so filling his vacancy will be a top priority in training camp.