Patriots stock watch: risers and fallers from last night's game
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| John Minchillo/AP Photo |
Up:
Ryan Mallett
Yes, Mallett makes this list despite not playing a single snap last night. It was young Jimmy Garoppolo who played wire-to-wire last night, and while he flashed some good things, his inexperience also showed up for the first time this preseason. There were some fundamental issues, as happy feet prevented Garoppolo from stepping into several of his throws, but most alarming was how jittery the rookie seemed to get when under pressure. He was sacked three times last night, hit the deck several more, and the pressure did seem to affect him a bit at times. He also threw his first interception as a pro, although it was unclear if the blame for that lies more on him or receiver Josh Boyce.
This isn't to say that I'm down on Garoppolo after last night's performance, as he continued to flash all the tools (accuracy, poise, decision making) you want to see from a franchise quarterback. However, last night's game was a reminder of something that seemed to be forgotten by many; that Garoppolo is still a rookie making the transition from FCS ball to the NFL. While the jump in competition level hasn't phased him, the mental transition is considerable. As last night's broadcast mentioned, Garoppolo didn't even have a playbook his last two years at Eastern Illinois, and instead basically ran a simplified hurry-up option, operating almost exclusively out of the shotgun and dinking and dunking his way through a lot of one-read plays. The jump from running that to the Patriots complex offense is roughly equivalent to the jump from reading See Spot Run to War and Peace.
That's where Mallett comes in. While he's never lit the world on fire with his play in New England, Mallett has looked like an improved player this preseason. Most importantly, he has a three year head-start on Jimmy G when it comes to the mental aspects of the position. Not only is Mallett far more familiar with the playbook, but he's also dealt with the defensive complexities of the game (stunts, blitzes, disguised coverages, etc) far more than Garoppolo. That mental edge was why I advocated for keeping Mallett around for one more year as Tom Brady's primary backup in our roundtable discussion earlier this week. I'm still very high on Garoppolo as the quarterback of the future, but last night's game reinforced my belief that Mallett is still a better short-term option right now because of his experience. We'll see if the Patriots agree when cuts are made this Saturday.
Tim Wright
When I first heard Wright was going to play last night, my expectations weren't high. I figured at most he'd only be in for a few snaps to get his feet wet, as he couldn't know too much of the offense after having just one day of practice with his new team.
Instead, Wright surprised a lot of people by playing 43 of 70 offensive snaps, earning praise from his teammates for his intelligence and preparation in the process. He also flashed the physical talent that had the Patriots seeking him in a trade for weeks, as he caught 4 passes for 43 yards. His length and athleticism stood out at first glance, as he flashed some run after the catch ability, and his hands look solid as well. If he can continue to prove a quick study, he could turn into a nice cog in the Patriots passing attack.
Bryan Stork
Not the best night for an offensive line that featured a lot of young, inexperienced players, but Stork looked good in his preseason debut. The fourth round rookie looked comfortable making the line calls and held his own against a talented Giants front. Talent has never been a question for Stork, who won the Rimington Trophy as senior last year as the best center in college football, but many teams reportedly held his injury history against him in the draft. The Pats would really benefit from a healthy Stork taking over the center position, as that would allow them to move veteran Dan Connolly back to guard and eliminate two question marks on the offensive line. Hopefully, last night's performance is the first step towards that outcome.
Aaron Dobson
It was good just to see #17 back out on the field after the receiver missed the first three preseason games while recovering from offseason foot surgery. Just getting out on the field was a good sign for Dobson, who needed some live reps to get acclimated to game action and catch up on conditioning before starting the season next week.
As for Dobson's play on the field, it wasn't perfect. There were several missed connections between Garoppolo and Dobson throughout the game, including an early one on which a poorly run route by Dobson allowed the corner to recover and make a play on the ball. However, his 33 yard touchdown was a thing of beauty, as he flashed exceptional strength to out-muscle the corner for ball, along with great body control to stay in bounds along the sideline. He nearly had a second touchdown later, as he made a great leaping grab on a high pass in the back of the end zone but was unable to get both feet down.
Those two plays highlighted the different dynamic Dobson is expected to bring to the Patriots offense; his combination of size, speed and hands give him the potential to be a dangerous threat down the field and in the red zone. While Brandon LeFell has played that role in Dobson's absence so far in camp, Dobson clearly has a higher upside, and a big year 2 jump from the Marshall product could do wonders for the Patriots offense.
Down:
Kline got the first shot at filling Logan Mankins old role, as he played every snap of the game at left guard. However, the second year pro did anything but seize the job, giving up two sacks and another pressure on Jimmy Garoppolo's interception. It was a poor performance from the offensive line as a whole, as they didn't generate a lot of movement in the running game (54 rushing yards on 23 attempts for a paltry 2.3 yards per carry) or protect Garoppolo well, so it's a little unfair to single Kline out. However, Kline's performance was a bit alarming considering many think he'll be starting against a tough Miami front merely 10 days from now. If that is indeed the case, he'll have to play much better than he did last night.
Josh Boyce
Another unremarkable effort from the second year pro, who probably needed a big game to save his job and didn't deliver. It's rare for a team to give up on a fourth round pick after just one season, especially one with the raw talent Boyce possesses, but we've yet to see his speed really pay any dividends on the field. All in all, Boyce finished with a pedestrian two catches for 26 yards despite seeing a team high nine targets. He was also the target on Garoppolo's interception, on which a miscommunication resulted in the receiver breaking one way and quarterback throwing another. Boyce also failed to stand out on kick returns, which would be one way to increase his value.
To make matters even worse for Boyce, newly acquired TE Tim Wright stood out, and looks like he could become a key component to the offense. An emergence from Wright will likely mean more two tight end looks and fewer of the four wide sets that we frequently saw this preseason when the team was low on tight ends, lessening the need to keep a sixth receiver around. At this point, no one will be surprised to hear Boyce's name amongst roster cuts tomorrow.
James White
Not going to pin the failings of the running game entirely on White, who didn't receive a lot of help from his offensive line. However, the rookie running back's preseason performance hasn't lived up to the hype he's received after getting praised by the likes of Brady and Belichick early on in camp. At 6'0" and 195 pounds, White is on the small side for a running back, and he has struggled to break tackles so far in the preseason. Those struggles continued last night, as White managed only 29 yards on his team leading 11 carries (2.6 yards per carry). White should still be a valuable piece thanks to his versatility, which was highlighted by a 29 yard catch and run last night, but he doesn't look like much of a threat to take early down reps from incumbent Stevan Ridley.
