The Patriot Way: New England Patriots News, 6/9
By Cyrus Geller
Hello, and welcome to another edition of ‘The Patriot Way’, your number one source to New England Patriots news and analysis from around the web.
New England Patriots minicamp notes: Aaron Dobson impresses for second straight day
"New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett exited practice briefly Wednesday with an apparent left leg injury, but returned for 7-on-7 drills.Bennett went down during a passing drill and was slow to get up. The 6-foot-6 tight end then circled the field with a trainer, and a concerned Tom Brady walked with him.Bennett slowly paced the sidelines, testing out the leg, before returning.It was a brief scare for the Patriots, who will rely heavily on Bennett, especially if Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and Dion Lewis are not 100 percent healthy to begin the season."
Are the New England Patriots Better Suited for a 3-4 or a 4-3 Defense?
"Every year, without fail, New England Patriots writers contemplatewhether the team will utilize a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense.And this year, there are merits to both arguments: Some will argue that their personnel is better suited for a traditional 4-3 front; others will contend that some of their personnel moves have indicated a shift toward a 3-4.Both arguments are flawed. The Patriots intentionally target players who can fit in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 front, so their personnel is never outrageously better suited for one scheme or another. Likewise, although the 3-4 defense was the weapon of choice during head coach Bill Belichick’s initial rise through the ranks, he’s become synonymous with an amoeba defense that is constantly shifting between schemes."
Former Bills WR Chris Hogan quite a catch for Patriots
"Rex Ryan wasn’t exactly thrilled about losing Chris Hogan to the Patriots when the deal went down back in March.Of course, the Bills coach would hate losing a game of tiddlywinks to Bill Belichick, but to surrender a player who might help his mortal enemy? Allow the rich to get richer in a position that’s so valuable to Tom Brady?That cuts deep, and the pain is only getting worse for Ryan.In the three months since the Pats wrestled the wide receiver away with an offer sheet the AFC East rival and cap-crunched Bills weren’t able to match, Ryan has lost his top receiver Sammy Watkins to a broken foot, while it sure looks like Hogan might be a godsend for the Patriots given both Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola are rehabbing from offseason surgeries."