Patriots Minicamp Report: The Ernie Adams Era Ends. The Mac Jones Era Doesn't Quite Begin.
Today was the final day of Patriots' mandatory minicamp. And the last official team workout in so long that I shudder to think of all the days between now and they start making something approximating real news again. We're entering the Sahara Desert of the NFL calendar. And the only way to cross it is going to be with a huge provision of IPAs, food cooked outdoors and the Super Bowl highlight films marked "Save Until I Delete." Plus it was the kind of day when the sky looks like the photo on the brochure the Ranger hands you when you drive through the gate of a National Park. So there was no way I was going to set foot in the vast wasteland without loading up on memories and observations of this final practice.
--For starters - and while this is an over used word given that it gets applied to every nominee in every awards show now - today was ... wait for it ... historic. When an assistant is involved in the last practice that began the same year the Red Sox played the Reds in the World Series, that word most definitely applies. When Ernie Adams first got hired by the Patriots, Chuck Fairbanks was the coach and Steve Grogan was the quarterback. That might not sound like history if you're traipsing around on the site of ancient Babylon or the Djoser Step Pyramid, but it is in a football sense. So student of history Bill Belichick gave Adams the rare press availability. And while the whole thing was great, he left behind an unsolved mystery. And inadvertently gave my life purpose:
--As for the other issue in the headline, if you were hoping that Mac Jones would build on yesterday's practice where he got half of the reps in a four-quarterback depth chart and generally threw the ball better than anyone - or that, like me you were hoping he'd Carpe all the Diem, seize the QB1 job by the throat and wrestle it to the ground like a demon snake - you'd better think again. This was not that day. I mean, it started out great. A full 10 minutes or more before anyone took the field, this was him. [Photo credit: Jerry Thornton]:
--And once he was joined by his coworkers, it started out fine. But got progressively worse as it went along. I'm not good at keeping the stats for the same reason I stopped keeping score of baseball games when I was 11. The difference being that back then, I saw 12-year-old Tatum O'Neal in Bad News Bears, became interested in girls, and realized they'll never want to go see a movie with a kid who has a system for recording where every base hit landed fair. I still like mid-50s Tatum O'Neal; but now I'm just lazy. By my sloppy math, during the full speed 11-on-11 drills, Jones was 15 for 23, with two picks, to Cam Newton's 14 for 19. But just to cover the bases, I'll defer to the guys who are better at this:
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--One of Jones' interceptions was a deflection at the line, which also happened yesterday. On the other, he looked to be running through his progressions, got to maybe his third or fourth option, tried to check it down over the short middle, and got picked by the inside linebacker. Another time he held the ball forever, against zero pressure, before finally launching a throwaway. So his decision making took a hit today. Beyond those, most of his incompletions were overthrows on intermediate or deep balls. A problem that occurred more as practice went on and he didn't adjust.
--But don't get me wrong; it wasn't all bad. Mixed in were some dynamite throws. The best being a laser to Kristian Wilkerson under the goal posts in a red zone drill, and a perfect parabola to Devin Ross (who turned up for the first time this week, pulling the unenviable duty of having to wear No. 87 like he's being hazed or something) on a deep slant. Though possibly his best play was when he had to leave the pocket with pressure from his backside (not that kind of pressure from his backside. Stop being a child), scrambled right and hit Isaiah Zuber in stride while in a full-out sprint. In the individual drills, 7-on-7s and half speed against the backup defense, Jones' throws tend to be right on target, hitting guys in the face mask and coming out with a natural, smooth, easy delivery. But without a doubt, a live speed against the 1s today, he regressed. Like a kid getting a D on his last quiz before Christmas break, he's going to have to dwell on this one and hit the books.
--Again, I don't have accurate numbers and was promised they're be no math, but Jones and Newton alternated the whole time and pretty much took the same number of snaps. At least within the margin for error. Newton's accuracy was not nearly the problem that it was, say, Monday in the rain. Most of his incompletions came on low percentage deep balls. Airing one out to Gunner Olszewski in the middle of tight bracket coverage, for example. But he made some stellar throws. Not the least of which was to James White up the sidelines, delivered right on his hip about 30 yards upfield. I was told that while Jones was getting 50% of the throws on Tuesday that Newton was being sort of mopey off to the side. If that's the case, then he not only said all the right things publicly:
He did what a competitor does: He had himself a better day than the competition.
--And for what it's worth, I've seen zero Grumpypants out of Newton or negative body language out of him at any practice I've been to. On the contrary. He and Jones high-5 each other when subbing in and out. He literally skipped onto the field and from one drill to the next. In practice, he's what the kids nowadays call Extra. If this might become an actual quarterback drama once real camp is underway. But I refuse to believe it's going to every be a quarterback controversy.
--As for the other QBs, Jarrett Stidham got a small percentage of the remaining 11-on-11 snaps, and Brian Hoyer got even fewer. (That's math, right?) There was one drill where the four QBs shared the snaps in a literal sense. All red zone drill with four receivers and a running back all spread out wide, with each quarterback assigned a different target. Three from the shotgun and one dropping from under center. So all four passes come out at different times, based on the time it takes that particular route to develop. It just seems like a remarkably efficient way to teach timing and rhythm. But it was the most work Hoyer got all day. Which means one of four things. He's either got a roster spot all set and doesn't need the work. He's just a camp body. He's here as a coach-in-training. Or he's already basically a coach. That'll be a minor subplot of the end of summer.
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--As far as the receivers, there are so many of them that they're constantly rotating through in groups and there's not a ton of opportunity for any of them to make a huge impression. But the ones who've generally made the best are last year's (by default) WR1 Jakobi Meyers, and last year's practice squadder Isaiah Zuber. Zuber in particular seems to be a great hands-catcher, the kind the Pats love. Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne have struggled with drops. Which, if this keeps up in August, could give Meyers and Zuber a chance to get more reps in what will predominantly be a base two-WR offense. Olszewski also stands out, particularly as a short area route runner. And I'm borderline obsessed with the idea of him making that Year 3 jump that so many Pats slot receivers of the past have made. Stay tuned to that.
--Stop me if you've heard this before, but N'Keal Harry doesn't make any sort of impression. Good or bad. He made some catches. One where he snagged. 's that guy you have to look for in order to notice him. He picked a ball off a defender's head in a walk through type red zone drill and caught a 20 yarder up the sidelines from Newton. But you have to be looking for him in order to remember he's out there. A professor once told my class he can predict what someone's grades will be based on where they sit. That basically the students who pay the most attention form a diamond in the middle of the room. The ones who don't, sit in the corners. I'm not saying Harry physically hides on the field. Just that he reminds me of those kids who sit outside the diamond hoping they don't get called on.
--Based on a small sample size, my choices to replace Julian Edelman as the guy who should be Mic'd Up by NFL films: Bourne and Damien Harris. I'm not allowed to repeat things said on the field. But in a punting drill where they were just stand-ins on the return team - so they weren't goofing off by any means - they were just good-natured yapping with everyone and it was funny to hear. Damien Harris? More like … Damien Hilarious! See what I did there? Heh? Heh? I'll see myself out.
--He has no competition in camp, but Jake Bailey continues to boom balls down inside the 5 with the backspin or sidespin of a 60-degree lob wedge. And punts still travel with the weird trajectory of the Tic Tac UFO. Here's just hoping he's not the best player on the offense again this year.
--The offensive line is what I was hoping it would be back when all five starters were not at practice: With Trent Brown at right tackle, Isaiah Wynn at left tackle, Michael Onwenu at left guard and of course David Andrews and Shaq Mason right where we knew they'd be.
--We're all glad that James White didn't make the expected move and sign with the Dolphins. But my guess is this will be a reduced role type of final year for him. Not that he can't play. Just that I think we've got the next James White on the roster. JJ Taylor is going to emerge as a true threat this season. Mark my words.
--For what it's worth, the music playlist was split. Early on, it was all Jeezy. (Thanks, Shazam app.) In the later session, it was all the kind of music played on the kinds of stations where you can win Aerosmith tickets if you're the 15th caller. Ozzy's "Crazy Train." The Who's "Baba O'Reilly." Springsteen. Bon Jovi. It was like a kid and his dad taking turns being in charge of the radio on a road trip.
--I'm going to miss these practices until July. But it'll give me extra time to solve this riddle.
