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1. Houston and Washington engaged in a major brawl at a joint practice. One player engaged in a late hit of a Texans player, and a Houston offensive lineman took offense and leveled the Washington defensive back. Soon, players on both teams were rushing onto the field. It's a dumb, dumb, dumb way for teams to interact. It also fits because the NFL issued a new rule where any player who doesn't immediately move away from a fight will be issued a fine, including players that are trying to separate the combatants. Let's see if this reduces knucklehead behavior.
2. Speaking of the Texans, looks like former Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork's still got some jump in his legs.
Sup, Vince Wilfork https://t.co/pVdyAgNqxE
— Chris Trapasso (@ChrisTrapasso) August 8, 2015
Wishing him the best in Houston. Can't help but love the guy.
3. The Patriots have been ravaged by the injury bug and nearly a third of the roster is either unavailable to practice. It seems as though the offense has received the brunt of the injuries, with pretty much every offensive group down to the bare bones. Whether it's Brandon LaFell and Julian Edelman, or LeGarrette Blount, or Scott Chandler, or Ryan Wendell and Bryan Stork, the Patriots can't afford any more injuries to the roster. Luckily, the Herald's Jeff Howe notes that a lot of the injuries, like to Stork, Dobson, and rookie defensive tackle Malcom Brown, are minor and these players are withheld for precautionary reasons. But with so many players hurt, look for a lot of the depth players to see multiple quarters of action against the Packers.
4. It seems like discussing quarterback interceptions in training camp has become a highlight. Geno Smith and Jay Cutler haven't thrown any. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers have thrown multiple. This is the time for quarterbacks to determine which throws they can and cannot make. This is the time for mistakes. This is also the time where players are making business decisions and running at 75% speed so they can learn the playbook and stay healthy. Don't look too far into these stats.
5. The 49ers are about to cut outside linebacker Aldon Smith due to another interaction with the law. Smith was one of the players the Patriots considered trading up to select in the 2011 draft. He needs serious help and hasn't been able to find the support network that he really needs. San Francisco has gone through the worst offseason in recent memory as they've lost their head coach, and essentially all of their defensive front seven and their offensive skill players. Yikes.