The New England Patriots have had four training camp practices, and it's been mostly spirited work. A few of the highlights from this viewpoint:
• CB Malcolm Butler vs. WR Julian Edelman -- top competition, good trash talk.
• Offense vs. defense on goal-line -- four TDs, four stops. Lots of competitive banter.
• Rookie guards Shaq Mason (left) and Tre' Jackson (right) working alongside starting center Bryan Stork.
• Great crowds of 10,000-plus in each of the first four days, creating a lively environment.
The first half of this week's mailbag focuses on observations from practice and previews Willie McGinest's Patriots Hall of Fame induction, while the second half addresses lingering Deflategate questions.
Q. Hey Mike, love that we're able to associate the Patriots with football and not drama right now. There always seems to be a surprising roster cut each offseason that always leaves us scratching our head. Who on each respective side of the roster could be a casualty? On defense, I would say Alan Branch or Sealver Siliga. On offense, maybe a receiver or running back? -- Brendan (Canton, Massachusetts)
A. Brendan, in my pre-camp 53-man roster projection, I didn't put Branch on the roster. He's opened camp on the non-football injury list, so I'll stick with that choice based on what we've seen to this point. On offense, I have Jonas Gray on the initial 53-man projection, but perhaps he isn't as much of a "sure-fire lock" as I initially thought. I'm sticking with him, though.
Q. Mike, when you saw the Patriots' first training camp practice, who was the guy you looked at and said, "He looks different this year"? -- David (N)
A. Good question, David. Malcolm Butler gets the nod for me. He was very good in camp last year, but I think it's going to a higher level right now -- both on the field and from a confidence standpoint. Fun to watch.
Q. Hi Mike, based on your time at training camp so far, is there a player(s) that seems like they could have a major jump in performance from last year (or a new player that seems like they will be a great fit)? And are there any non-injured player(s) you've seen that may unfortunately fit in the opposite category? I know it's still early in the process, so hopefully all these players will build momentum leading up to the season. -- Gora (New York City)
A. Gora, over the last two days I put together a quick list of players who I view as having built momentum and then a list of players who are in the other category. That somewhat answers your question, but if I had to highlight one player who is doing more with his opportunity, I'd say it's receiver Aaron Dobson. This is a critical camp for him, and he's getting quality reps and showing up at times. I don't think it's a stretch to say this is as good as he's looked since joining the team, and a big part of that is health. On the opposite side, it's seldom a good thing to open camp on the non-football injury list, so let's keep our eye on defensive tackle Alan Branch.
Q. Mike, I have been reading nothing but good things about Dobson. He seems to be making plays, whereas I have not read anything about Brian Tyms. Is it safe to say as of right now Dobson is way ahead of Tyms? -- Ernie (La Mirada, California)
A. Ernie, I view Dobson ahead of Tyms as a pure receiver. But when factoring in Tyms' work as a gunner on the punt-coverage team, Tyms might be ahead of Dobson when it comes to overall fit on the roster. It's close, and Dobson -- who projects as a No. 4 or 5 right now when Brandon LaFell comes back -- doesn't provide much in the kicking game.
Q. Who so far are the top candidates for the guy that no one thought would make the team? -- Cynthia (Ames, Iowa)
A. Cynthia, let's go with three choices -- DT Antonio Johnson, OLB Rufus Johnson and CB Jimmy Jean. It's possible all three don't make it, but they're receiving either a lot of quality repetitions through four practices or shown up in niche roles on special teams (e.g. Jean) that give them a chance to show what they can do.
Q. After hearing that Shaq Mason and Tre' Jackson were sandwiched around Bryan Stork on the interior all week, I have been daydreaming about what could become of the team's run game. Consider the road graders up front that LeGarrette Blount could be running behind this year: Gronk-Solder-Mason-Stork-Jackson-Vollmer/Cannon-Fleming. Daydreams are for the preseason, but I am curious if this foreshadows a heavier weight toward the run game for the offense this year, especially to aid Jimmy Garoppolo if indeed he makes some starts. -- Tes (Columbus, Ohio)
A. Tes, Bill Belichick said on Sirius that Mason is ahead of the normal rookie from a run-blocking perspective but has ground to make up as a pass-blocker. So let's say he ends up being the choice, the concept makes some sense. But I think it's important to keep it in context; they want to build a line/offense that can do everything and not be pigeon-holed into one thing; if they fall behind 21-0 early and are built more for the run, that's an issue.
Q. Mike, There was an interesting article a few months ago about Cameron Fleming getting special training to help him convert from tackle to guard. Where has he been lining up during practices so far? -- Ron (New York, New York)
A. Good memory, Ron. All tackle for Fleming from what I've seen.
Q. Hi Mike. I am really looking forward to the Willie McGinest Patriots induction ceremony on Wednesday. These ceremonies are one of my favorite Patriots events to attend. What are your two favorite Willie McGinest moments -- one from the regular season and one from the playoffs or Super Bowl? Willie was a great postseason player for the Patriots and he deserves this honor. -- David (North Attleborough, Massachusetts)
A. David, the first that comes to mind in the regular season was the '03 Patriots-Colts game when he surged off the edge at the goal line on fourth down, unblocked, to make the tackle and save the game. In the playoffs, what stands out to me was Super Bowl XXXIX, when the Patriots essentially changed their defensive scheme on the fly, reinventing themselves with a 4-3 look that focused on keeping Donovan McNabb in the pocket, and a player like the versatile McGinest being a key in executing that well.
Q, Hi Mike, my question stems from the WEEI outing of Mike Kensil as the source of the blatantly false information that got the ball rolling on this whole Deflategate mess. I do not expect a reporter to publicly give up his source, but why has ESPN as a whole paid no mind to this development? -- Rob (Meriden, Connecticut)
A. Hi Rob, this question was asked to me several times on Twitter. Kensil's role in Deflategate is detailed in the Wells report -- he was overseeing the measurement of footballs at halftime, even though one might interpret that as a violation of the NFL's constitution and bylaws -- so I don't think that aspect of the story is new. Specific to the idea of reporting on another outlet identifying a source, I don't like to go there myself. Essentially, unless that source has given himself/herself up, I personally feel like that's out-of-bounds stuff from a journalism perspective.
Q. Mike, do you think we will ever hear about any deflation of footballs once they start testing them? I suspect that they will check a ball and then re-inflate it so there is no record of how much air is actually lost during the course of a game. That way, they can say all footballs used where within the regulations but never have actual readings. There's no way they throw egg on their own faces. -- Dan (Leominster, Massachusetts)
A. Dan, I don't expect transparency from the NFL on this. My confidence in that is broken based on the league's handling of the investigation on multiple layers, which I view as questionable.
Q. Mike, one of the things that has me most confused about Deflategate is the lack of accountability the league has taken. Why do you think we have not heard about another owner not asking the league to independently (ha) investigate all of the leaks out of the league office? The amount of leaks has to be unsettling to all teams, as it shows poorly on how the league office is run. I understand the other owners publicly backing Goodell's choice of discipline, but I can't think they are happy with how this has been handled. -- Eric (Orlando, Florida)
A. Eric, when it comes to accountability, I just look at the bottom-line facts: In March, Roger Goodell said that if the league did anything wrong, it would be reflected in the Wells report. Then when the Wells report was released in May, it was 243 pages, and there was one paragraph specific to NFL accountability (page 21, executive summary). Yikes. As for owners from other teams, it's a balance. I think we're naïve to think some don't enjoy seeing the Patriots cut down by the NFL. At the same time, I don't see how they can objectively look at the leadership and think this has been good.
Q. Hey Mike, it is kind of sad to see many latch onto things like "the deflator" and "Brady destroyed his cellphone" as justification that Brady deserves a four-game suspension for an equipment violation. The NFL PR staff has been masterful at manipulating the media through leaks to stampede and smear the Patriots. A legit argument can be made that Roger Goodell has done more damage to the shield than anybody. Do you think Brady and his lawyers can expose Goodell's incompetence in court once and for all? -- Mayur Patel (Nashua, New Hampshire)
A. Mayur, I still think it's an uphill climb for Brady in court based on the opinion of legal experts who have consistently pointed out that judges are generally against overruling arbitration rulings. If we were focused solely on fairness and doing the right thing, I think the case is strong. But there's more to it than that when looking at the dynamics of being in court, and since I didn't go to law school, I defer to my lawyer friends on this one.
Q. Mike, just to clarify, are the only two options for Brady's lawsuit that he'll either serve the four-game suspension or that the suspension will be vacated? Is there any option where Brady can get his suspension reduced? -- James (San Francisco, California)
A. If the case goes to court, and there is no settlement, my understanding is that it's either four games or zero games. The option where the suspension could be reduced is via settlement.
Q. Hey Mike, in light of Tom Brady's understandable silence as it pertains to the media, I saw where you stated that the team's quarterback has to be made available to the media on Wednesdays. What is to stop the Patriots from trotting out Jimmy Garoppolo on Wednesdays all season? In light of all the media leaks the team is upset with, I could certainly see this as an in-your-face response. What's to stop them from doing that? -- Peter K. (Uxbridge, Massachusetts)
A. If Tom Brady is willing to pay the fine, there is nothing to stop them from doing that. Every player has an obligation to be available to reporters. In this case, Brady could technically stick it to the league and its broadcast partners if he wanted, but he'd likely be paying a heavy fine.
