Patriots open Gillette to 20,000 for Season ticket holder practice


Monday was a big day for the New England Patriots, as on top of the Hall Of Fame induction for Gill Santos and Tedy Bruschi, it was the annual Season Ticket holders practice inside Gillette Stadium.

It was a long day for fans and media alike as Coach McDaniels, Tom Brady and Vince Wilfork all took the time to talk to media before the practices began. First up for interviews was Assistant coach Josh McDaniels. McDaniels said that everyday they try and go out and improve, and that there is a lot of work to go but the team will get there with time.

McDaniels was also asked how the loss of Hernandez effects how things are run.

"There's so many different things that happen each year," McDaniels said. "I can't remember having to coach a single year when we didn't have to deal with injuries, a loss of a player for a year, we lost Brady in 2008, and we had to deal with it.

There are so many things you have to handle, and our offense has never been the same two years in a row".

When it comes to training camp, you cant assume anything and our staff did a lot of work in the spring and they are moving as fast as we ask them to move. Its a different challenge but it is a challenge we have all seen before. He also stated that the rookies are making progression and are the foundation of the system, making the effort and   learning the styles.


After McDaniels, Brady was the next one on the field for interviews. He talked everything from aging to helmet cams to being back in full pads.

He stated that even though he is getting older he still feels like he is twenty two and is having a lot of fun out there on the field.

He hoped to have a good practice and really put on a show for the people of Foxboro. His main focus was all about the team tho, as he brought up the idea of steady improvement.


We all know that Brady has been a fan of Bruschi for some time now, and that was evident as he only had good things to say about Bruschi. Although he could not make the hall of fame induction because of team meetings, he did have some positive notes to say on his former teammate.


Teddy was a great player, he brought so much enthusiasm to our locker room, to our team, and he had a very unique personality, a very highly motivated person who had a great work ethic, was a great leader, especially for the younger players, he was a great mentor, to so many guys, including myself. He is one of my best friends and it is a really exciting night for him, we have all had this circled on our calendars for a while since they announced it. It is a tribute to him, his wife, and his beautiful boys

Brady says that the offense is a work in progress, and it depends on how many times you can go over things. Sunday was a 2:30 practice with over 130 plays, and with a week and a half until the eagles are in town for a preseason matchup, reps are key. Brady says that they have to be back in rhythm. You have to be patient in certain areas and mental can't be dealt with. You don't want to call the wrong play. Hopefully we continue to play smart and play penalty free and take care of the ball.

When asked, Brady said his favorite Bruschi moment was him bringing the team up after a game and after a win, multiple times. he created a lot of memories for all of us and he has been a great ambassador in what he has done with all his talent and stroke awareness. he was a playmaker in every sense of the word. When he caught the interception against Miami, and for me it was the moments we spent together, on the bus and at Christmas. They couldn't award a better player then Teddy.

Wilfork was also able to chime in on Bruschi. He acknowledged how Bruschi was like Troy Brown and put his team first. He had a lot of respect for him and learned a lot (one of the greats). He brought championships here, and knew what it took to win. He was confident in call and play and reliable. He ended by saying that Bruschi "Built something here". After the Bruschi conversations had ended, Wilfork focused a bit on Tebow, stating that Tebow was a good thing for this team.



After interviews and the Hall Of Fame induction, it was time for training camp. The event opened up with a team gathering and a speech by Tedy Bruschi. The team took turns running various offensive and defensive drills, as well as full on White v. Blue in various situations. Some things stood out during this camp. Brady and Dobson are absolutely dialed in. Besides two interceptions that Brady threw, they were absolutely on fire. Dobson was all over the place, catching everything that was in his way, and Brady was targeting receivers 30-50 yards down field. Devin McCourty was in a red jersey which was very interesting to see as well.


Now for Tebow.... Oh Tebow. The best way to describe it is this. Even the blind bird catches a worm. One on play he would set back and complete a 40 yard pass. The next couple of plays he would sit in the pocket for 5-9 seconds and then get sacked. Just absolutely inconsistent play from him all night.

Mostly bad plays by sitting in the pocket all day and then spiking it, but like I said, even a blind bird finds a worm, and that is what happened at this practice last night, even Tebow had his moments to shine. One thing that absolutely stood out was that Tebow spent a TON if time on special teams and punting work.

Not receiving punts, but working in the slot position as if they were going to fake. Some tweets below should clarify practice as well..











One thing that did stand out was Tebowmania... Tebow and Mallet spent an extra half an hour on the field signing autographs for the hoards of fans that wanted to meet him.



After the practice had ended, we had a chance to talk with Danny Amendola, who is Wes Welker's replacement.

Amendola had several things to say, including that is it much more potent as an offense to have weapons spread out across the field. He also said that he will fulfill any roll that they will put him. The team is working hard and trying to get better everyday. Tom is Tom and he is a natural leader and we are all going off of him to get better.

He says that the team is trying to get as many reps as they can and that Tom and him are rally starting to click. Although it is early and there is a lot to go, but he is looking forward to getting out there and to Philly.

When asked by Peter King of SI.com, Amendola said that he had the opportunity to come here and he was really excited to be here. Him and Wes went to Texas A&M together and were compared to each other as well during college and the Pro's.

Live from Training camp.. All images copyrighted.

- Joshua Powers
@jmano33