New England Patriots training camp: 4 standouts after 4 days of practice
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
1. Jabaal Sheard
It looks like the Patriots have a threatening pass rusher with whom they can spell Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones.
Sheard stood out big-time in the first day of padded practice, according to WEEI’s Christopher Price:
"In one-on-ones between the offensive linemen and defensive linemen, Jabaal Sheard provided a highlight with an impressive spin move on tackle Marcus Cannon. Sheard also tossed Cameron Fleming aside on another head-to-head drill."
Bleacher Report’s Erik Frenz also noticed Sheard’s big day:
Jabaal Sheard had a great practice, did well in the goal line and one-on-one drills.
— Erik Frenz (@ErikFrenz) August 1, 2015
He kept up the good work on Sunday.
Love Jabaal Sheard. Made a couple of nice plays in full contact drills. #Patriots
— Carmine Carcieri (@chinstrapcar) August 2, 2015
While rookies Trey Flowers and Geneo Grissom have made some noise too, it looks like Sheard will either be a Week 1 starter or close to it. The Patriots may have made out with one of the steals of the 2015 free agency period.
Although he’s three inches shorter than Jones, Sheard weighs almost ten pounds more. He has the power and the pass rushing technique to help the Patriots’ defense compensate for the losses in the secondary.
You can bet that after cutting ties with Junior Galette, the New Orleans Saints wish they had signed Sheard in free agency. It was prudent for the Pats to sign a guy that Belichick was very keen on in the 2011 NFL Draft.
If you’re looking to purchase a new Patriots jersey for the upcoming season, put some serious thought into Sheard’s No. 93.