Training camp stock watch: Pats run defense dominates physical practice originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
FOXBORO — The Patriots put the pads on for the first time last Monday. They’ve had six practices in soupy, 90-plus-degree heat. All were nearly two hours long. Five of them were in full pads.
Following a mandated day off Sunday (teams are limited from practicing more than three days in a row) the pads were back on and the Patriots were full contact — tackling to the ground in some portions of practice.
Jerod Mayo’s first camp has so far been more physically taxing than the ones Bill Belichick ran the past two seasons (at least). Where’s that going to lead? Dunno. But the player-empowering Mayo clearly isn’t giving his team a free ride physically.
So he leads my Stock Watch.
Editor’s Note: Patriots Insider Phil Perry also contributed to Monday’s Stock Watch. His contributions are noted after Curran’s for each section.
Stock Up (Curran)
Jerod Mayo, head coach
It’s been a good week for Mayo in terms of setting a tone and dealing with adversity. Along with the aforementioned grueling practices, the team’s trending up on offense in terms of efficiency and production. The pre-snap penalties, the slowness at the line of scrimmage, the steady image of the defense winning snap after snap? It’s all gone away for the most part. It’s not clockwork and most every running play looks like 30 people crowding into a subway as the doors close. But there are wins.
Additionally, Mayo negotiated the hard spot the Matthew Judon contract impasse put him in, getting Judon to leave practice when he wasn’t taking part, having a day cooling off period and then getting Judon back onto the field. That’s no small feat in 2024’s NFL for coach or player. Mayo also had to deal with the news of Christian Barmore’s medical situation and the awkwardness of Davon Godchaux getting a deal while Judon was still pissed off. The next checkpoint is a big one: first preseason…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/training-camp-stock-watch-pats-220704170.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-08-05 22:14:48
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