TEAM TALK
- Erik Scalavino shares his Thursday camp notes: Receiver help on the way; Stock watch; More.
- Andy Hart’s Day 7 Blogservations: Role reversal fun; Marcus Cannon, Sony Michel and Nate Theaker were not seen on the field at any point. /Guess which one’s the StarTrek ‘red shirt’ getting released for Decker?
- Don Banks’ NFL Snap Judgments: Hall of Fame game. “...get ready for new lowering the helmet rule to replace the catch rule in eliciting absolute bewilderment... If the zebras don’t know yet what constitutes a penalty, then the players have no chance to learn where the lines are drawn.”
- Angelique Fiske has a great story of Patriots players hanging out with ‘Tuesday’s Child’ one of many kids in foster care in need of a home.
- Angelique Fiske describes the scene as military members were celebrated at training camp. (Plus 1 min. video)
- Press Conference transcripts: Matthew Slater and Devin McCourty.
- Media Availability: Mike Gillislee, Jacob Hollister, Dwayne Allen and Corey Bojorquez. (1 min. video)
- Highlights: Happy 41st birthday Tom Brady - Here are 18 of Tom Brady’s greatest moments during his 18 year NFL career, in 41 seconds. (video)
LOCAL LINKS
- Matt Dolloff’s Thursday training camp notes: Hot, oppressive, intense; “Patterson caught a touchdown on a very deep ball from Hoyer, beating Jordan Richards in coverage. He celebrated demonstratively on the play. Perhaps he’s not too familiar with Richards’ work.”
- Ryan Hannable’s Practice Report: Most intense practice of the summer with lots of hitting.
- Zack Cox details the offense-defense ‘switcheroo’ from yesterday, the latest fun diversion of training camp.
- Matt Dolloff gets Devin McCourty’s assessment of the switching of the offense and defense for two plays at camp: “They had a little bit of an advantage because they rushed Trent [Brown] so that’s like rushing three”.
- Ryan Hannable says Bill Belichick inserting fun elements to camp is just him adapting to the times, not him giving in to the offseason talk. /Hannable forgets Belichick switched offense and defense during camp before, while Randy Moss was here.
- Zack Cox picks the biggest winners and losers so far from camp.
- Mike Reiss re-sets the depth chart at wide receiver to include Eric Decker, a veteran receiver who dropped some passes last year at Tennessee, but has still shown an ability to make clutch catches.
- Ty Anderson takes a look at what the Patriots have at wide receiver.
- Phil Perry tells us what he thinks Eric Decker can bring to the Patriots.
- Mike Reiss discusses the McCourty twins playing together for the first time in the NFL, that Belichick has trouble telling them apart, and how Jason found out the Patriots were going to trade for him.
- Ryan Hannable notes Jeremy Hill Jeremy Hill had options as a free agent, but he didn’t need to think twice when the Patriots called and were interested in his services.
- Michael Hurley wonders if it would make sense for the Patriots to reach out to Brandon LaFell, recently released by the Bengals.
NATIONAL NEWS
- Charlotte Carroll (SI) Report: New book suggests Tom Brady was given alternative to deflategate suspension. /Really gave this to the crack reporting team, huh.
- NFL Live (ESPN) Eric Decker can thrive with the Patriots. (1.24 min. video)
- Report (AP) Patriots fan turns Tom Brady autograph into tattoo.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) John Harbaugh [not exactly] mum on application of new helmet rule. “It’s not something that anybody has ever done before...” /Heh heh, just kidding.
- Conor Orr (SI) The only way to consider Lamar Jackson’s debut.
- Highlights (NFL.com) Hall of Fame Game: Bears vs. Ravens. (8.20 min. video)
- Andrew Marchand (NY Post) No one is coming back after NFL Network scandal.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Papa John still believes he’s the best person to be the face of Papa John’s.