Opening day countdowns are great. So are player profiles. Here at Musket Fire, we decided to combine them and create a Week 1 countdown-oriented, jersey number-dictated player profile series. Yesterday, we looked at No. 72 Joe Vellano, and before that it was No. 74 Trey Flowers. Because today marks 71 days until the New England Patriots open 2015, we are profiling No. 71, offensive lineman Cameron Fleming.
Drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Fleming appeared in seven games as a rookie. He started two of those games.
The first thing you should know about Fleming is his intelligence. Obtaining a double major in aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford is no easy task; Fleming actually missed OTAs in his rookie year so he could complete that degree.
The second thing you should about Fleming is his size. At 6-foot-6, 325 pounds, Fleming is a boulder.
As reported by Mike Reiss in April, Fleming is aiming to start at right guard this season, and the Patriots are invested in seeing that come to fruition. Of the five spots on the offensive line, right guard is the most accessible for a new starter not named Tre’ Jackson (who will take the left guard spot) to break into the lineup, as Ryan Wendell hasn’t exactly been overwhelmed by autograph requests lately.
With any luck, Fleming will avoid the same fate of Marcus Cannon. Last season, Cannon tried to switch from tackle to guard, but to no avail.
When you combine his smarts, size, and transition to a new position, Fleming is certainly one of the most fascinating players on the Patriots’ roster right now. He’s definitely worth keeping an eye on when training camp starts later this month.
In case you missed them, here are the profiles for No. 76 Sebastian Vollmer, No. 77 Nate Solder, No. 80 Danny Amendola, No. 82 Josh Boyce, No. 84 Brian Tyms, No. 85 Jake Bequette, No. 86 A.J. Derby, No. 87 Rob Gronkowski, No. 88 Scott Chandler, No. 90 Zach Moore and No. 91 Jamie Collins.
Because there is no player currently wearing the No. 70 jersey, this series will take a break tomorrow. Be sure to check back on Musket Fire Friday morning as we celebrate 69 days until Week 1 by profiling No. 69, rookie offensive lineman Shaq Mason.