Jermaine Cunningham, Taylor Price Worth Keeping an Eye on at Patriots’ Rookie Camp
The majority of New England’s veterans have been working out at the facility for the last month and a half, but now, the team brings in its newest crop of draft picks and undrafted free agents. They’ll conduct four hour-long practices — one morning and afternoon session on both Friday and Saturday — with the hopes of laying the groundwork before organized team activities begin in late May.
All four practices are closed to the public, but here are a few things we’ll keep an eye on throughout the weekend.
Attendance
These sessions are mandatory for the rookies, so they should be expected to show up in full force. Unexcused absences are very, very rarely an issue for these practices. In the past, some players have been held out of this camp due to their college’s restriction based on graduation requirements, and recent injuries could also play a role.
And then there are the veterans. Bill Belichick can advise certain players to show up for the rookie camp, and it would be a good sign to see someone like Tyrone McKenzie in attendance. The middle linebacker was the Patriots’ third-round pick in 2009, but he lost his whole season after tearing up his knee in last year’s rookie camp. Someone like outside linebacker Shawn Crable might also benefit from the camp, since the 2008 third-rounder hasn’t played a down in his career, either.
Major Stories
These are fairly laid-back practice sessions, so the Patriots are hoping nothing major develops, such as McKenzie’s 2009 injury. The purpose of these camps is for the coaching staff to better familiarize themselves with the younger players, teach them the Patriots’ playbook terminology and give them a fundamental foundation in time for summer camps. Basically, the coaches want the rookies to be as up to speed as humanly possible so they don’t drag down the pace of practice, meetings and film sessions when they are finally integrated with the veterans.
Positional Look
The media is restricted with what they're allowed to report from practice, but there are three guys worth keeping an eye on. Second-round pick Jermaine Cunningham played defensive end at Florida, but it’s assumed he’ll line up at outside linebacker in the 3-4. We’ll see if they role with him as a down lineman in any 4-3 drills, too.
Wide receiver Taylor Price, a third-round pick, has the speed to make him an intriguing option as a returner, but he didn’t really handle that role in college. We’ll see if he splits some of those duties with cornerback Devin McCourty.
And then there’s tight end Aaron Hernandez, who is athletic enough to line up in the slot. The Patriots will have plenty of options with him, so we’ll see where he fits when he is in the same formation as fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski.
