FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Thoughts and quick notes on the New England Patriots and the NFL:
1. Strong option: In a perfect Patriots world, veteran James White he will return to the form that made him the most productive pass-receiving tailback in the NFL before he suffered a serious right hip injury last September. From 2015 to 2020, no running back in the NFL had more receptions (364), receiving yards (3,161) and receiving touchdowns (25).
But White has entered training camp in 2022 on the physically unable to perform list, which initially has the Patriots considering other options.
Pierre Strong Jr.., the 2022 fourth-round pick from South Dakota State who posted the fastest 40-yard rushing time among running backs at the NFL Combine (4.37) this year, is one of them.
In an interview with ESPN.com, South Dakota State coach John Stiegelmeier described a player who seems to fit the role perfectly.
As a pass catcher: “He’s phenomenal. That’s his biggest strength. He’s got amazing hands, very soft. We’d like to isolate him on a linebacker and say ‘Pierre advantage.'”
Blitz Pickup: “We never cared about him. I think he showed that in the [Shrine] Bowling game, where he blocked FBS All-Stars and stood there. We work it; it is not something we take for granted. We’re going full throttle with a linebacker coming right at you [and] you can’t cut it. So Pierre’s courage and ability are right where they need to be.”
In 48 career games with the Jackrabbits, who play in the Football Championship Subdivision, Strong Jr. totaled 62 receptions for 581 yards and three touchdowns.
He might have had more production if he hadn’t been so successful as a pure running back, where his speed and running style in a zone-based scheme helped him rack up 4,669 yards on 631 carries (7.2 avg) and 40 touchdowns.
“His ability to get his legs up in the air is unique, so you’re really trying to tackle a leg if you catch him,” Stiegelmeier said. “He wasn’t a man who would stop and try to cheat on a guy [runner]. He would do it full throttle, out in the open, and taking down and taking down when he’s going full throttle is really tough.”
When Stiegelmeier (entering his 26th year) reflected on five seasons as Strong’s coach, he said the way he started spoke volumes: a redshirt freshman in 2017, then on the depth chart to start 2018.
“He kept working hard, we had some injuries, and then the last half of the [2018] season he ended up being our main runner,” he said.
“His humility, his ability to be a team player and do what is asked of him and not want more, but prepare for more, that is not a common trait today. The young people, the student-athletes, love him and They think they should be.” Pierre was patient, humble, and when he got the chance he exploded.”
The Patriots have traditionally been patient with rookie passes. White barely played in 2014 after New England drafted him in the fourth round, and Shane Vereen played sparingly in 2011 after being drafted in the second round.
That gave them time to adjust to the demands of picking up blitzes, often cited as the number one responsibility for gaining the trust of the coaching staff, and the NFL in general.
In 2022, the Patriots have Damian Harris Y rammond stevenson like their traditional main running backs, with Stevenson saying that one of his offseason goals was to become more of a factor in the passing game. thick legged newbie Kevin Harris (Round 6, South Carolina) adds depth behind them.
Then, in the more traditional role of quarterback, there’s White, Strong, a third-year player. j j taylorand eight-year veteran bar option Ty Montgomerywho was signed as a free agent in March.
“A number of people who follow the Patriots say that Pierre is a perfect fit for their philosophy in terms of using running backs,” Stiegelmeier said.
2. Training camp: Rookies, quarterbacks and rehab players have already reported for Patriots training camp, with the rest of the roster arriving Tuesday. The team will practice Wednesday through Saturday at 9:30 am and then Monday through Thursday at the same time. At 7 pm on August 5, practice is scheduled inside Gillette Stadium for season ticket members and Foxborough residents.
3. Belichick and Seymour: With Aug. 6 being the Patriots’ training camp day off, it’s the ideal time for coach Bill Belichick. That’s when Richard Seymour is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (noon ET on ESPN), ranked third in the order of speeches, and Belichick is now free to travel to Canton, Ohio.
4. Parker’s Number 1: Receiver Parker dressed No. 1 at Ballard High School in Louisville, Kentucky, and that explains his motivation for going from 11 to 1 in his first season with the Patriots. It’s a return to his roots. The number became available when N’Keal Harry he was traded to the Bears on July 12.
5. Strong calves: One thing that surprised Stiegelmeier when it came to NFL teams looking for Strong: “The vast majority of them were asking about his legs, because he had really skinny calves. They thought he looked more like a running back.” naughty. For me, it’s more about the heart, not the legs, chest or arms… I was surprised by how much interest they put into a man’s appearance. I think that’s part of the comprehensive evaluation in the NFL “.
6. The Thornton Dolls: Between Strong’s calves and the second-round pick Tiquan ThorntonWith his wrists measuring 6 1/8 (the thinnest of any receiver), it will be remarkable to see if those measurements play a factor in each player’s development. Thornton, a catcher at Baylor, seemed genuinely surprised that it was an issue, saying in the spring: “Skinny wrists? I mean, what are you using your wrists for? That was news to me.”
7. MVP Mac? ESPN NFL analyst Mike Tannenbaum is bullish on Patriots quarterback mac jones, making him her pick for “Sneaky MVP” during an appearance on Get Up last week. Patriots fans should expect Tannenbaum to be as prophetic as he was. justin herbert entering the 2019 draft as he had consistently hyped it up Tua Tagovailoa when that was not a majority opinion.
8. UDFA Streak: The Patriots have had an undrafted free agent on the opening day roster in each of the past 18 seasons, the third-longest streak in the NFL behind the Chargers and Colts. Of the five UDFAs on the 2022 list, here’s a look at the most likely candidates to keep the streak alive:
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ST Brendan Schooler
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DL LaBryan Ray
9. Hines vs. Stueber: Patriots rookie offensive linemen chasen hines (sixth round, LSU) and Andrew Stuber (Round 7, Michigan) have opened training camp on the active/non-football-related injured list, but appear to be in different recovery categories. Hines is training on the field, while Stueber is not, which would seem to reflect that he is further away from a possible return.
10. Did you know? The Patriots play two opponents in 2022 whose head coaches were drafted by New England: Kliff Kingsbury (sixth round, 2002) at Arizona (Dec. 12) and Kevin O’Connell (third round, 2008) at Minnesota (Nov. 24). ). The last team to face two players drafted as a head coach was Chicago in 2014 (Jim Harbaugh, Ron Rivera).