Ah, the anticipation of summer football — helmets cracking, coaches shouting, players puking. Here are a few other things to watch for during New England's training camp at Gillette Stadium.
Intensity
The Patriots had a good four-week run during their spring practices, which consisted of 12 organized team activities and three days of minicamp. The players, who turned out in full force, were lively on the field and conducted business with a little more pizazz than usual for that time of year. Yet, when Bill Belichick was asked about the intensity level of minicamp, the head coach laughed, saying it was nothing compared to his expectations for training camp.
The Patriots are angry about the way last season ended, and they've taken it upon themselves to get dirty in the offseason. There's been a sense of re-dedication — in leadership and heart — to find that pride again. Now that it's time to start hitting people, look for some extra intensity throughout camp and the preseason.
Joint Practices
Speaking of intensity, this is the first time in nine years the Patriots will conduct joint practices, and they're doing it twice. New England will host the Saints on Aug. 10 before visiting the Falcons on Aug. 17, and those practices can be equal parts beneficial and ugly.
Patriots running back Kevin Faulk said these practices can be "very intense," and he hopes the joint sessions are an eye-opener for how seriously Belichick wants his players to take training camp. It gives each team a chance to hit someone in a different uniform, which reignites the energy at that point in camp, and they'll get some type of measuring stick to weigh their progress.
Fights and an increased chance of injury dominate the downside of joint sessions, but they'll still be a big draw for the fans at Gillette Stadium.
Wes Welker
The wide receiver was surprisingly smooth when he returned to the practice field in June, but training camp is a different type of beast. With the increased intensity, double sessions and, most importantly, contact drills, Welker's true rehabilitation progress will really come into focus. It's likely Welker will start camp wearing a red, non-contact jersey to limit his injury risk, and he'll probably receive a good amount of days off to rest his left knee. Unless Welker is seen limping off the field, those days off shouldn’t be alarming.
Injuries in Focus
Team health was hardly an issue during June minicamp. At that point, the Patriots had 83 players on the roster, and left guard Logan Mankins (bruised ego) was the only one who missed all three sessions. Left tackle Matt Light was absent for the final day of practice, and that’s it. Welker only participated in 30 minutes of each session, and safety Patrick Chung wore the red jersey to protect his wrist injury.
Injuries are far more common in training camp because of how hard the players push themselves on a daily basis. Let's see if the Patriots can keep the practice field full and the medical room empty.
Double Sessions
The Patriots opened their 2009 training camp with eight consecutive days of double sessions, and they're scheduled to hold at least seven to launch their 2010 camp. Of course, the schedule is tentative, and one of the sessions could get canceled due to rain or the coaches' discretion. Double sessions have become a thing of the past around the NFL, but Belichick plans to go hard on his team for the second straight summer.
Positional Battles
Now that Darius Butler has all but wrapped up a starting spot at left cornerback, there are three positional battles to really watch. Nick Kaczur and Dan Connolly will duke it out for Logan Mankins' spot at left guard. James Sanders, Chung and Brandon McGowan will battle for the starting safety job next to Brandon Meriweather. And there's just a whole slew of combinations that could happen at linebacker.
