The New England Patriots are back at Gillette Stadium and set to hit the practice field for the first day of training camp on Saturday.
So, let’s get into this week’s #PostPulpit Mailbag.
Do you think there is any chance the Pats don’t give Gonzo a new contract? If so, what do you think happens? Do you think they could actually get 2x 1sts for him? If Gonzo isn’t on the field this season for whatever reason (holdout, trade, injury), who are the top 3 corners and how good is that unit? How much would
the D suffer overall? – Maye The Force Be With You
The Patriots have been adamant this offseason that Christian Gonzalez is part of their long-term plans. As of now, there is no reason to believe otherwise. It would not be a surprise to see the Seahawks first extend Devon Witherspoon, then have the Patriots and Gonzalez — who shares an agent with Witherspoon — use that deal as a framework.
In the hypothetical scenario that Gonzalez does not sign an extension, a trade package would likely be slightly lower than what the Jets received for Sauce Gardner due to the fact that the acquiring team would immediately need to pay him. New England, however, still controls Gonzalez’s rights for this season and next through his fifth-year option (and then could even franchise tag him), so there should be no urgency to move him.
Gonzalez then holding out into the regular season would also be a major surprise, as he would need to play at least six games to earn an accrued season toward free agency.
Based on the reporting when Hill, Gilliam, and Vera-Tucker were signed, I was expecting new wrinkles on offense this season. What plans might be abandoned or adjusted as a result of Hill missing the season and the ongoing uncertainty at TE2? – slunkywontergreen
While losing Julian Hill is an underrated loss, I would hope the Patriots don’t have to make significant adjustments to their playbook. The goal behind adding Hill, Gilliam and Vera-Tucker was to generate better production out of heavier personnel groupings and make the running game more consistent. Their athleticism and experience also made it easy to envision more zone-run concepts being installed, which would naturally open the door for more play-action boots, moving pockets and other ways to get Drake Maye on the move.
New England will need someone to claim the TE2 role — hopefully Eli Raridon — in order to confidently play more 12 personnel groupings, but Gilliam and Vera-Tucker should still help the offense in numerous ways.
All the talk has been about AJ and whether or not Boutte will be around. What do you think Romeo Dobbs will bring to the team? – Leatherhelmets
I’d would expect Doubs to fill much of the role Stefon Diggs held last season. With A.J. Brown on the outside, Doubs may not see 100-plus targets in the slot role like Diggs did, but the route tree and usage could be similar. Last week, we labeled the 800-yard mark as a realistic target.
The free-for-all at backup OL confuses me. Just based on RAS scores the hierarchy is:
Lomu and Rizy – 9.88, Gutierrez – 9.44, Bryant – 8.96, Wallace 8.23, Crownover – 7.82 (incomplete, didn’t Bench), Rupcich – 7.76, Butler – 6.11, Hudson – 3.83, Brown, Morgan – no official RAS.
But, I’d expect Brown and Crownover to make it over Wallace, Gutierrez and Rizy. I really don’t understand what Hudson, Morgan, and Butler are doing on the roster. Are the Pats committed to getting more athletic at every OL position or not? – WannaBe Pats GM
There is definitely an emphasis on getting more athletic up front to better pass protect and move the pocket with Drake Maye at quarterback. But, I believe there is still value to having some bigger bodies up front and it’s hard to fill out an offensive line depth chart with purely athletes. There is always going to be some variety — especially at a position with 10-plus players in the room.
Who has the edge at LB, Namdi Obiazor or Khalil Jacobs? – mathblaster97
Like most rookies, neither received much of an opportunity this spring with veterans K.J. Britt and Chad Muma ahead of them. While the team showed plenty of interest in Jacobs pre-draft, I’ll side with Obiazor due to his athleticism (which will help on special teams) and draft status.
Are there any concerns about the new turf being installed so close to training camp after natural grass was used for the world cup? Could it increase the chances of non contact injuries while settling or the first time it rains? Will the turf be the same type as before? – DarthVrabel
I believe the turf is the same, but the Patriots won’t be practicing inside Gillette Stadium during training camp anyway. They have plenty of time to get it ready for the first preseason game on Aug. 13, so not much worry here.
That’s all for this week’s #PostPulpit mailbag. If you have questions you’d liked to be answered next week, submit them online in our weekly submission post or on Twitter using #PostPulpit. Make sure to be following @iambrianhines and @PatsPulpit as well.
