Greg Bedard from Boston Sports Journal shares his 3 up and 3 down from the last week of Patriots training camp.
3 UP
Ja’Whaun Bentley, LB
Marc Cappello/98.5 The Sports Hub
Ty Montgomery, RB
Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Mike Onwenu, RT
Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
3 Down
Cole Strange, LG
Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Jahlani Tavai, LB
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Mac Jones, QB
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
TRANSCRIPT:
Felger: All right. Our weekly exercise here with Greg, who is out with the team in the joint practice, is out in Vegas with the Raiders. Give me the three up. Three down from the last week. Who’s trending up? Who’s trending down? Including the Friday preseason game through today’s workout? Greg who’s your number one up from the past week?
Greg Bedard: Ja’Whaun Bently. I thought he played really well in the game. He’s been really impactful. He, he played well today at times also. So I think he’s doing a really nice job. I think at times last year he’s I think he’s made progress every year. And I think he’s he’s sort of the rock in the middle. I know a lot of people, you know, don’t love him as a player because he’s not he doesn’t have the flashiest tools, but he’s become a pretty good player for this team.
Mazz: Detrick wise. And again, I have to base a lot of mine on what I saw in that game on Friday night. I thought Wise was pretty good in that game. I thought up front, the Patriots are pretty good in that game.
Felger: All right, Greg, number two.
Greg Bedard: Ty Montgomery. I thought that he changed the game when he came in. And I think he it’s hard to see now because there’s no game planning and stuff like that. But once we get to the regular season, how teams deal with him is going to be interesting. I think it’s going to be a weapon that, you know, they they can use him sort of in that Aaron Hernandez quarter out, Patterson gets some sort of cheap yards where you line up as a receiver on first down, then you go hurry up on second down. He’s running an outside run. I think he brings a lot and he’s been a good player for them.
Mazz: I want Nelson Agholor. I thought Agholor took a little bit of a jump in that last game. I feel like he, Kendrick Bourne have kind of like flip flopped he made the catch down the sideline made the third down play that you’re talking about a little swing pass. So I think, you know, the reports on him out of camp have been pretty good of late. So it feels to me like we were talking about Aguilar being dealt at one point. I feel now again, he and Bourne have completely flipped.
Felger: Third star from the last week, Greg.
Greg Bedard: Mike Onwenu, I thought he had a clean sheet for me. I thought he was excellent. I mean, I don’t know how much we have to see him at right tackle and play really well for the Patriots. Just to say, you know what, he’s a right tackle. Of course, they’re going to have to move Wynn to get him in the lineup at that spot. But if I were the Patriots I’m trying to get rid of when I’m putting up when you at right tackle and put some somebody like Arlington ham right at right guard and I’m going from there I think that’s a pretty good unit.
Mazz: What it was better tackle last year I don’t get that. But anyway, that’s the same little Jordan Humphrey Yeah, I think the guys, you know, he can look sick to me like he can play a little better. And again, I know the Panthers didn’t have their best talent on the field, but he made a few catches down the ball down by the goal line on special teams. That was a good play. He’s got some sides to him. I think he’s going to make the team.
Felger: Quick aside, just I meant to mention this because we were remarking last week about how do you get the name Little, Little Jordan when he’s tall and lanky. It’s not a nickname. The his family let his brother name him. So he has an older brother. And when the kid was born, they said, you get to name them. And the kid said, this is going to be a little Michael Jordan. So I call him Little Jordan after Michael Jordan. A little Jordan. Oh, nothing to do with his size, because as you can tell, that’s a tall, lanky little fella. So there you go. I thought that was an interesting nugget. That was from a reader. If that’s wrong, blame him. I didn’t check it. I just went with it because it was an interesting story.
Mazz: Maybe that’s what we should start calling him a little big boy.
Felger: Okay, well, Greg Bedard, your three down, who’s been the who’s been the success of the suck over the past week?
Greg Bedard: Well, you put it like that. I don’t want to put this player out there like that, but. Cole Strange. I did not think he played well in the game initially. I did watching watching the game live. I thought he played well, but going back and watching the game, I did not think he played well. I think he’s got a lot of technique issues that in the hands of a better offensive line coach like Dante Skurnick. If Dante Skurnick was here, he’d be on like a Joe Tunie like trajectory. And I think Cole Strange is going to be a fine player. He’ll play a lot of good football for the Patriots this year. But right now, to this point, I would say his development has not been optimal.
Mazz: I mean, to me, there’s nobody who’s stock has dropped more in the last week. Kendrick Bourne I’m floored by how this thing has turned, the way it’s turned. He didn’t play in the game. He’s with the second team. He’s like, he’s a completely invisible zero. To me, Bourne’s number one on the list.
Felger: Number two down over the last week. Greg.
Greg Bedard: Jahlani Tavai, the linebacker who continues to get a lot of major playing time did in that game started that game. I don’t understand why, you know, outside of he was with Patricia in Detroit. I just don’t see it. I’d rather have Mark Wilson on the field. I’d rather have Raekwon McMillan and Jason Bentley. I just don’t get the fascination with toBuy. He gives up a like 30 yard pass to some slob fullback tight end in the game and it wasn’t even close to the play. I just don’t get it.
Mazz: Isaiah Wynn I have him second again, I feel like he’s another one who’s plummeted, came in to campus, you know, earlier in the offseason was the starting left tackle. No. Mike And when he was playing at right tackle, we’re talking about trading him. To me, the downfall of Kendrick pointed Isaiah Wynn. Not that Isaiah Wynn was ever, you know, skyrocketing through our ratings here, but to me, I feel like wins on his way out.
Felger: Number three, Greg.
Greg Bedard: Mac Jones. I didn’t think he was he he should have been a lot better the other night. I mean, they ran bread and butter, sort of simple plays. And look, I know a lot of his struggles, especially in practices, have nothing to do with him, even though he was not good in seven on seven today either. But he should execute those plays. There’s no reason to. And a lot of people say Devante Parker dropped the first pass. The ball should have been on his front shoulder. There was no reason there wasn’t that much traffic there. He didn’t have to shield Devante Parker from anybody, just put it on him. And then he sails the pass to Jakobi Myers and there was the pass with Stevenson. That was probably mostly Stevenson’s fault. But, you know, he’s got to go out there and he’s got to be he’s got to play better with these basic plays for this offense to have a chance.
Mazz: Tyquan Thornton. Again, it’s not his fault, but he breaks his collarbone on that play and now he’s out eight weeks. It just sort of validates the concerns you have of a guy that size in this kind of league. And so, again, I’m not telling you it’s his fault, but if we’re talking about someone who whose value to me took a big hit in the last week, Gordon is on the list.
