Patriots dump rookie free agents Jones, Watson and Houston, sign veteran tight ends

The New England Patriots moved closer to realizing their new-look offensive scheme on Sunday by releasing three undrafted rookie free agents and replacing them with veteran heft in advance of unveiling their power-based Pro Set offense.

The Patriots released tight ends Justin Jones and Asa Watson, both longshots to make the final 53 man roster, and replaced them on the camp roster with veteran blocking tight ends Ben Hartsock, formerly of the Carolina Panthers as well as well-traveled veteran Steve Maneri and rookie free agent Terrence Miller.

Maneri with the Patriots as a tackle in 2010

The team also waived undrafted rookie free agent Stephen Houston, who seemed on track to battle for the big back role in Foxborough - but put the ball on the ground in New England's loss to the Redskins on Thursday night and was pulled from the game.

Jones muffed his only target in that game, as he couldn't corral a seam pass from rookie quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, while Watson didn't figure at all in 26 snaps.

Since being the Indianapolis Colts' 3rd round draft pick in 2004, Hartsock has caught 31 balls for 312 yards and one touchdown in playing for four different teams.  At 6' 4" and 265 pounds, the Ohio State product has value as blocking tight, though the Patriots may decide to use him as an H-back, much the same as they are trying to do with fullback James Develin.

The 6' 7", 280 pound Maneri is back for a second stint with New England - this time as an end-line tight end after stints with Kansas City, Chicago and Tampa since being signed as an undrafted free agent by Houston as an offensive tackle in 2010.  Maneri has played in 23 games in his four year career, catching six balls for 52 yards between the Chiefs and the Buccaneers and comes to New England as a capable and nasty blocker.

Miller was first signed by the New York Jets to compete with Zach Sudfeld for their third tight end spot but was released shortly after signing.  The 6' 4", 235 pounder out of Arizona had decent production in the Wildcats' system as a hybrid wide receiver-tight end, and proved to be a seam-stretcher in his senior year, catching 40 balls for 467 yards and one score.

A tremendous athlete, Miller has some straight-line speed and size to compete as a "move" tight end and is a decent blocker as well.

These moves reflect the back-to-the-basics approach at the tight end position and a shift in philosophy to more of a power-based attack after the team toyed with the tight end-centric gimmick offense for the past few seasons - but that notion was put on the back burner as All Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski has dealt with numerous injuries and missed good chunks of playing time as a result...

...and because of the indiscretions on the part of former tight end Aaron Hernandez, both instances essentially crippling the offense last season as quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick were forced to improvise an attack that featured mostly new receivers, including three rookies - yet still managed to finish in the top ten offenses in the league.

Patriots to focus on depth against Redskins; Mallet scheduled to start

Brian Tyms has had a tough life.

His parents both abusive and neglectful, the New England Patriots receiver bounced from one foster care group home to another until he finally landed in a permanent home at the age of 12, where years of love and respect from his foster parents somewhat soothed over the pain of his parents drug-addled existence and subsequent related deaths.

Tyms has a shot at the roster, but will have to make his mark on special teams

Sports, particularly basketball and football, helped him channel the anger and disappointment - but in starting organized sports so late in his childhood - he didn't play football until his senior year in high school - he didn't attract any scholarship offers.

Undeterred, the 6' 3", 210 pound Tyms hit the books and the field at Broward County Community College before enrolling at Florida A&M, where his exceptional grades and constant haranguing of the coaching staff earned him a walk-on tryout and, eventually, a scholarship.

Tyms is uniquely qualified to endure the rigors and constant disappointment that comes with the life of an undrafted free agent in the National Football League, what with bouncing from the San Francisco 49ers to the Miami Dolphins to the Cleveland Browns and now in camp with the Patriots, where he will get the opportunity to strut his stuff against the Washington Redskins on Thursday night.

Tyms has been a steady, if unspectacular, contributor in camp and catches everything that the quarterbacks throw his way, and has built a particularly strong rapport with backup signal caller Ryan Mallett, whom it is being reported will actually start the team's preseason opener at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland...

...which is neither here nor there, given the fact that the Boston media are issuing conflicting reports regarding who is starting the game, though it goes to figure that Mallett will get the majority of the reps no matter who lines up first, and Tyms could be the player that benefits the most.

Brady won't play, but Mallett (15) and Garoppolo (10) will see action

If the Patriots are indeed shopping Mallett around as most media outlets are speculating, we will be in for a pass-heavy game with players like Tyms, Wilson Van Hooser and Derrick Johnson getting extended looks while veterans Josh Boyce and Brandon Lafell will see more than they would otherwise, as it would go to figure that an impressive resume tape on Mallett would include every throw an NFL quarterback would be likely called upon to deliver.

In that scenario, the tight ends should see some significant action as well, as Justin Jones and Asa Watson have a golden opportunity to tighten up the race to make a roster spot for themselves in the absence of Rob Gronkowski and Michael Hoomanawanui.

If the Patriots are not shopping Mallett, there will still be balls in the air, but the Patriots would likely sustain a more balanced attack as there are some questions as to the pecking order amongst the running backs, which also will involve the tight ends as inline blockers and safety valves in play action.

Linebacker depth on display:

With there being zero doubt about the three starting linebackers for the Patriots, there is some conjecture as to what kind of depth the team possesses.

At this point, backup run-stuffer Steve Beauharnais has had a ferocious camp and is a virtual lock, as is cover 'backer James Anderson.  The former Panther and Bear Anderson represents possibly the best nickle linebacker the Patriots have fielded in more than a decade, if not longer.

If there is to be a sixth - and perpetually game-day inactive - linebacker on the squad, it will likely be between veteran journeyman Darius Fleming and rookie free agents Deonte Skinner and Cameron Gordon, though the raw and smallish Gordon may ultimately end up on the practice squad.  Both will get long looks this evening.

Garoppolo in a real game situation:

Some guys leave it on the practice field, some are gamers.  Is Jimmy Garoppolo one or the other, or neither?  Patriots' fans may be pleasantly surprised to find out that Garoppolo has never really been a workout warrior, but has proven time and again in college that he steps up and delivers in actual game situations.

This is not to say that the Eastern Illinois product is going to light it up, and there is every reason to believe that he will stink up the joint.  But here's the thing: some guys are just gamers, and we'll find out tonight if Garoppolo has any of that in him as far as the pro game is concerned.


Connolly, Klein and who backs them up:

In the unfortunate absence of rookie center Bryan Stork, Belichick has been running mostly with Dan Connolly at center rather than incumbent Ryan Wendell, and second year man Josh Kline has all but assumed the right guard position held down last season by Connolly.

Belichick has talked up Wendell recently, which is usually the kiss of death.  The boss does praise players who do a good job for him, but Belichick got right into what sounded like a scripted list of accolades last week - almost like a letter of recommendation - as he spun a yarn of how Wendell went from being cut and then to the practice squad and eventually to starting center.

Don't be surprised if Wendell is an early cut, as Belichick likes to release veteran players whom he respects early enough in the preseason to allow them time to latch on somewhere else.

Expect Marcus Cannon, Jordan Devey, Braxston Cave and rookies Cameron Fleming and Jon Halapio to get the majority of the action as Belichick attempts to start putting his offensive line together.

How much does Browner play, and where?:

There appears to be quite an amount of conjecture as to where Brandon Browner will fit in this secondary, but those who have taken the time to do any research at all will discover that he lost his starting outside corner job to Byron Maxwell last season in Seattle, and was relegated to nickle and dime duties covering the double slot.

With the Pro Set virtually assured, White will get every chance

At issue is a lack of deep speed and seeming difficulty turning to look for the ball without losing his man in coverage, particularly down the sidelines.  We may see that manifest in some manner tonight as Browner will probably receive a good number of reps. 

He will play outside and inside, with his best spot as an enforcer and intimidator over the middle, perhaps even in coverage on Washington's sensational sophomore tight end Jordan Reed.

Another intriguing point of focus should be on corner depth, particularly with rookies Malcolm Butler and Travis Hawkins displaying good anticipation in camp, with Butler even taking snaps with the first team opposite Darrelle Revis at times.  Both are in the mix for a sixth corner and will get plenty of looks on Thursday night.

First real look at the running game:

The Patriots' typically do not tip their hand as to scheme and such in the preseason, but with the tight end-centric offense essentially on life support, Belichick will most likely return to the Pro Set on offense this season, featuring backs with diverse skill sets in a split backfield, one tight end and two wide receivers.

Why?  Because the aforementioned diversity within the running back corps is the key to keeping the opposing defense back on their heels as both Shane Vereen and rookie James White are equally adept at pass catching as they are running the ball, and to make sure that one or both are in the backfield at any one time can create mismatches on the second level and effectively set up the play action.

It will be interesting to see how power back Stevan Ridley is used in the Pro Set, as he has taken reps as a lead blocker in the split backfield - ala Sammy Morris - in camp at times, with favorable results.

So....Vereen, White, Ridley and...who else?  Brandon Bolden is reportedly dealing with an undisclosed injury and is back in Foxborough, so big backs Jonas Gray and rookie Stephen Houston will get some looks against the Redskins - and it's pretty safe to say that it is those two and Bolden are in competition for one roster spot.

All three have good hands out of the backfield and all of them have a powerful running style, but whomever emerges with the fourth spot in the backs rotation will most likely be rendered a game day inactive, but when you're talking about making an NFL roster, those things don't necessarily matter as much as getting your foot in the door.

After chippy first practice, Redskins and Patriots ready to rumble again

One thing that the New England Patriots' beat writers should be well conscious of by now, is that generalizations - i.e., sensational headlines with no visible means of support - can get the fanbase all worked up in a blink of an eye.

So it comes as no surprise that when several writers tweeted on Monday morning that tight end Rob Gronkowski was not spotted on the practice field when his Patriots' teammates began three days of joint practices with the Washington Redskins at their training camp facilities in Richmond, Virginia, the collective blood pressure of the six New England states rose to dangerous levels.

Is Brian Tyms really just a camp body?

After all, the health status on Gronkowski has been intensely monitored by every loyal Patriots' fan for the past two years - most waiting for the inevitable headline that Gronk has suffered another season-ending injury, causing the entire 2014 to go up in smoke before it even begins...

...and it takes only a minimal amount of common sense to ascertain that Gronkowski, who has been limited in practice coming back from last season's ACL tear, would be kept behind in Foxborough to avoid any possibility or temptation to throw him into the mix and risk the aforementioned inevitability.

But page views are page views, and if the public panics because of a misinformed or misleading headline, well, it wouldn't the the first time...

Gronk stays behind, Bolden too:

It is no surprise that All Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski was kenneled by the team and didn't make the trip to Virginia, as he would have been limited in practices and certainly would not be playing in Thursday night's preseason opener - and after the furor over the headlines died down and we were all assured that Gronk was safe at home, the only question left is why roster-bubble running back Brandon Bolden didn't make the trip to Richmond.

Is he injured?  No one is saying, but for Bolden not to make the trip otherwise is perhaps an ominous sign - but since there is no information available, we should digress until there is.  For sure, the Patriots' backfield is loaded with talent even with Bolden not on the field, and they showed just a flash of their overall potential, which is enormous.

Jones, Williams impress:

With Gronkowski and Michael Hoomanawanui on the shelf for this practice, both veteran tight end D. J. Williams and rookie Justin Jones made the most of their frequent reps - and along with H-back James Develin even had someone-on-one time with quarterback Tom Brady.

Jones made a Gronk-esque grab of a Jimmy Garoppolo shorty, reaching behind and gathering in the ball with the seam collapsing around him - a veteran move from an intriguing rookie.

Thompkins, Browner getting chippy, but with other people this time:

Ok, it is really just Brandon Browner punking Kenbrell Thompkins, or does the second year undrafted free agent have something to do with initiating dust ups in practice?  The apparently feisty receiver got into a schoolyard shoving match with Redskins' corner DeAngelo Hall on Monday.

It was a tough day for Hall as well, as he was burned repeatedly by Brady and his weird collection of receiving talent, and got hit in the mouth a couple of times in run support.

Redskins receivers were not happy with Big Bad Bully Brandon Browner pushing them all over the playground, and complained that there was significant contact and some holding going on beyond the five yard back alley - and even some words between Browner and Pierre Garcon on the sidelines, while slot receiver Andre Roberts took exception to Arrington's aggressiveness and they threw a few colorful metaphors around.

One of the major storylines going into Tuesday's joint practice is how the Redskins' receivers respond the the physical licking put on them in Monday's session.

Edelman on a different level:

Some guys get the free agent pay raise and just mail it in, but Julian Edelman has apparently taken his game to a whole new level, and he is the unmitigated offensive star of camp thus far.  The way the Patriots are set up, in theory they are not going to need another 100-plus catch season out of "Minitron", but it's nice to know that he is certainly capable of it.

He gave Darrelle Revis a run for his money in training camp and gave as good as he got - and that's saying something, so when Edelman took the field against the Redskins this morning, he was a man among boys as he shredded the Washington secondary.

How much are they paying that guy?

Mayock says Mallett is the real deal:

Which, according to witnesses on the scene, is a crock of cow cookies.

Brady runs the offense with cold efficiency

The arm strength is certainly there, and always has been - but his accuracy and touch are nowhere near consistent enough.  Of course, no one noticed until Mayock opened his mouth - and now every arm-chair analyst in New England is going to be picking his game apart, and what they find when they get to the center of that tootsie pop will elicit the same emotion as it has for the past three seasons:

Sincere and utter anxiety.

The argument about whether or not Tom Brady is a system quarterback is antiquated, but the fact that Mallett just doesn't quite seem to be able to put his game together within the system is compelling.  It takes more than just a strong arm that can make a bucket throw every now and then, it takes a presence on the field, and if it really were the system that made Brady great, it goes to figure that it should do the same for Mallett after three years...

Brian Tyms not just a camp body?:

To know Tyms story is to know heartache, but also perseverance.  He spent the majority of his childhood bouncing from one foster home to another, and although he finally found a permanent home at 12 years old, the pain of being abused and neglected by his biological parents never goes away - but there are really only two outcomes, either you blame your life on your childhood and sink or rise above it and swim.

Tyms is on his fourth team in two seasons and has impressed in brief stops in San Francisco, Miami and Cleveland, but only to the tune of two career catches.  His 6' 3" frame, long arms and 4.3 speed are intriguing and his story fascinating, but running the right routes and catching the football is what adheres one to Belichick's and Brady's heart, and he has been doing plenty of that in his short time with the team.

"I've had everything that can possibly happen to a kid happen, and I've made it," Tyms said. "Find something positive that you enjoy and go for it. I used to write down all the negatives people said about me on a piece of paper and before I go workout, or before I do anything I'd read it. I'd think about how I felt, and I'd use that anger as fuel. Life is about proving people wrong and that's what I'm doing."

At the very least, the kid with the great concentration and soft hands is worth keeping an eye on throughout these sessions and on Thursday night.

Practices with Redskins offers Patriots' unique challenges

"The players are off tomorrow. We have to give them a day off – that’s their day off – and then we’ll travel Sunday." 

Bill Belichick is the National Football League's Duke of Deadpan, his delivery style right out of the Ben Stein archives - a former speech writer for Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, Stein managed to make them look and sound even more boring then they actually were...

...which is curious because on his several notable appearances in the visual medium - namely as the persistently annoying history teacher in Ferris Buhler's Day Off and as the folksy uncle persona on his self-named game show, Win Ben Stein's Money - he is comically delightful, and one almost felt bad for him if someone actually won his money.

There are really no similar sentiments forthcoming for Belichick, however, because when he addresses the media, he does so only at the mandate of the league - and he is rarely delightful, nor does his monotone droll evoke any sort of sympathy, because football's not like that.

That said, Bill Belichick has a terrific sense of humor, and his grasp of sarcasm mixed with his disdain for league mandated discovery meetings with the media sometime drip from every word - particularly when speaking in regard to a league rule that handcuffs his preparation time.

We have to give them a day off – that’s their day off...

Regardless, the Patriots are now in Richmond, Virginia preparing for their three day joint practice session with the Washington Redskins in advance of the preseason opener for both on Thursday evening, and with two weeks worth of training camp to draw intelligence from and to postulate opinions from...

...and while certain questions get answered, others spring up - but if you're looking for an itinerary from Belichick, or even a clue of what he might be looking at or hoping to gain from the four day road trip, you're barking up the wrong tree. 

"Obviously we’re not game planning for them or anything." Belichick said on Friday night, "We’ll just go down there, do what we do and they’ll do what they do and we’ll kind of figure it out as we go. We’ve seen our guys go against our guys a lot and now we’ll get to see them go against somebody else."

Word.

Part of Belichick's charm is that he wants us to think for ourselves. He is not as cryptic in his player movement as he is in his words, and all it takes is a little studying and things generally start to make sense - and keeping that in mind, here are three things on offense and three things on defense that we will be looking for as the Patriots get their first taste of action:

1. The make up of the secondary - The Redskins feature a lot of speed in their receiving corps and at the tight end position, and it will be interesting to see how the Patriots play them.

DeSean Jackson (4.35 speed in the 40) will be Robert Griffin's deep threat, while Pierre Garcon (4.48) is a physical possession type while greybeard Santana Moss (4.31) handles the slot duties along with free agent pickup Andre Roberts (4.46) - that lineup, if in sync with quarterback Robert Griffin, could pose problems for any secondary.

Sadly, the only matchups that we will get to see along those lines will be in practice because the starters on both sides of the ball will yield to the scrubs after a couple of series, but there is still intrigue as to where free agent cornerback Brandon Browner lines up.

Perfectly suited for a big nickle role, he is at his best up on the line and mugging slot receivers and tight ends, then redirecting their routes to the inside - though he will see time on the outside as well, as Belichick attempts to find the perfect fit opposite Darrelle Revis.

That said, Browner has the very real chance to be the intimidator in the middle of New England's pass defense, as the big nickle - a role traditionally carried out by a safety - can evolve into a corner or linebacker in the Patriots' scheme, especially with Big Bad Browner who can play all three roles.

2. Linebacker depth - Just as in New England's offense, the Redskins under Jay Gruden will have their running backs and tight ends heavily involved in the passing game, and even though lead back Alfred Morris hasn't been used much in that capacity in the past, he'll need to be available as a target for Griffin or he'll lose snaps to third down back Roy Helu or sixth round draft pick Lache Seastrunk.

Anderson should have a chance to show off his speed and cover ability

Seastrunk wasn't involved in Baylor's passing game at all, but he did play in the same backfield as RGIII for a season and will be one to watch out for, particularly on Thursday night when he figures to get many snaps - but no matter who is curling out of the backfield, it will be the first Patriots' fans will see of free agent linebacker James Anderson and his freakish 4.5 speed covering Redskins' running backs...

...while we'll see how second year strong side backer Jamie Collins handles tight end Jordan Reed, a speedy pass catcher in the mold Aaron Hernandez, though we may see cornerback Brandon Browner handling Reed underneath at times.

The top four linebackers - Collins, Jerod Mayo, Dont'a Hightower and Anderson - are all locks, with battering ram Steve Beauharnais as close to a lock as you can get, and then there's a mad scramble for the sixth, and likely terminally inactive, linebacker spot where Darius Fleming has the early leg up in camp.

Expect to see lots of Beauharnais and Fleming on Thursday night.

3. Ambiguity at defensive end - It's weird that Jake Bequette seems to finally get it now.  He has shown up at camp with a new repertoire of moves and has been a penetrating force, much to the delight of Belichick, and could actually be making a run at keeping his roster spot.

He wont have it easy off the right edge where Washington is tight with Trent Williams and Shawn Lauvao, but if he comes off the left edge he will be facing any number in a mixture of veterans and rookies trying to shore up the strong side.  A strong showing could go a long ways to getting his name in the hat for a roster spot while Michael Buchanan and rookie Zach Moore figure to get long looks as well.

Newcomer Will Smith will see time on the strong side as well and may even see time at linebacker.

4. Right side of the offensive line - One of the more intense battles in camp has been along the right side of the Patriots' offensive line, where a lower-leg injury to rookie center Bryan Stork has thrown a wrench into the competition at both center and guard.

In Stork's stead has been mostly the versatile Dan Connolly, who has played at right guard for the past couple of years after a successful stint at center - so it will be most interesting to see who starts at center on Thursday night between Connolly and incumbent Ryan Wendell.  If it's Connolly, do not be surprised to see Wendell get the axe early in the preseason to give him the time to catch on somewhere else.

Second year guard Josh Kline has stepped up and made a claim for the spot to the right of center, and veteran swing tackle Marcus Cannon has been added to the mix at guard to to form what should be a terrific battle.

Rookie tackle Cameron Fleming should play most of Thursday night's game while starter Sebastian Vollmer stays safe on the sidelines, and with he and Cannon wide bodies of similar build and requisite toughness in the running game it would be interesting to see how wide of a hole they could open up for a back.

5. Tight end depth on display - Obviously, Rob Gronkowski will be very limited in his participation in practice and will be a non-participant in the game, and with Michael Hoomanawanui on the skids, the door for either D. J. Williams or rookie tower Justin Jones to steal the inside track for a roster spot will be wide open.

Gronkowski won't play, giving rookie Jones a big chance

And it should be a good test for them and H-back James Develin as the outside linebackers for Washington - Brian Orakpo and Ryan Karrigan - are very good, as is rookie Trent Murphy.  Williams has never lived up to his potential, but he will never have a better opportunity than he does in the next few weeks, and if Jones runs over linebackers and displays the hands in Washington as he has in Foxborough, he could emerge as the sleeper of this year's rookie class.

6. Changing of the guard at running back? - The Patriots are loaded with talented running backs - in fact, way too many talented running backs and only four roster spots.

For certain, Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen lead the way with Brandon Bolden, James White, Jonas Gray and Stephen Houston competing for two spots.  White has had a terrific camp and, according to some in the know, has passed Bolden on the depth chart already - but this has been just in practice where full speed isn't necessarily full speed and where someone on the opposing team isn't try to flatten him.

That said, look for White to get plenty of carries throughout practice and during the game as the Patriots begin their quest to impliment their power running game that was so successful toward the end of last season while Bolden desperately attempts to hold off Gray and Houston for the last roster spot.

Brady's command of concept, not big name weapons, key to Patriots' offensive success

New England Patriots' fans are the richest football fans on earth.

Maybe not in the cars that they drive or the clothes that they wear nor the abode that they live in - but separate from that, as in the currency called innovation, dedication to craft and attention to the most minute detail consistently displayed by the coaching staff and front office that has resulted in thirteen consecutive winning seasons...

...a fiscal resourcefulness and a thoroughly relentless professionalism that has the team built to win now and with a future so bright that they will still be a contender five years from now.  Maybe ten, or even twenty.

Bill Belichick spoils the hell out of us.

The future? Gronkowski and his protege, rookie Justin Jones

You bet he does, at least in an aesthetic sense, and to football fans who thrive on the intricacies of the game - the game planning, film study, discipline - there is no man in football more fascinating.  There have been record winning streaks and double-digit wins seasons where he literally had pulled players in off the street and integrated them to form a cohesive unit.

Yet, he is still doubted.  His personnel decisions are questioned and, at times, openly mocked - and his secretive manner about everything just adds to the fans' frustration, and his loathing of the media doesn't prompt them to paint a sunny picture of his disposition.

For years, fans and media alike have been trying to figure out what makes the man tick - why he drafts the players that he does, why he lets big-name free agents slide by without a second look, why he won't bring in a veteran tight end to compliment Rob Gronkowski...

Ah, That's the real issue here, isn't it?

Belichick introduced Patriot Nation to the wonders of the tight end-centric offense - the monstrously athletic pair of pass catchers that ran roughshod over defenses for two seasons before the entire thing started to unravel due to injury and madness, and Belichick just rode out the storm with what he had on the roster, which ultimately wasn't enough.

No need to go into the horrors of last season, other than to say that had Belichick known then what he does now, he probably would have tried to reinforce the position to guard against - well - guard against what ultimately happened.  Either that or take the approach he has this offseason, which consisted of taking his offense back to it's championship roots.

One never really knows what Bill Belichick has up his sleeve, but over the years he has earned the benefit of the doubt with his deft acquisition of talent - taking care of his own players first, provided he wants to retain them, then identifying players that fit their scheme in free agency and making offers, then adding the two together and subtracting them from the big picture and draft for what needs remain, if anything.

The fierce loyalty he has to owner Bob Kraft and his fiscal agenda is rivaled only by the loyalty to both his gut and his draft board that basically consists of identifying the players that they want and solidifying that before the draft.  Then it's just a matter of keeping their eyes and ears open to make sure they secure every one of them...

...which explains Tavon Wilson and Duron Harmon, and also Dominique Easley, Jimmy Garoppolo and James White - in each case the team had intelligence that those players were being targeted by other teams, which prompted Belichick to pull the trigger on them earlier than draft experts had them tabbed - in some cases a lot earlier.

So when the tight end-centric offense died it's slow and painful death in 2013, many refused to let go of the notion even after witnessing the success a power running unit that the offense evolved into by necessity and the mediocre were powerless to stop - but because of the injury to Gronkowski and, indeed, throughout the pass catching corps, that too became one-dimensional and the Patriots' offense was again to blame for the team's post-season failure.

And still, the Hooded One let opportunity after opportunity to reinforce the position pass him by, both in the draft and in free agency, signing only undrafted, developmental-type free agents - seemingly content to hit the field in 2014 with a mended Gronkowski and a set of backups that couldn't get it done on the biggest stage last season.

The reason why is difficult to comprehend on the surface, but it's as simple as a gradual yet seismic shift in the direction of the offensive philosophy - abandoning gimmickry in favor of fundamentals.

Gone is the "over-under" spread offense of the Randy Moss/Wes Welker era that excluded the tight end position in favor of the quick strike potential, and now the tight end-centric attack that materialized afterward for one epic season then faded with injury and felony has followed it into oblivion.

A harsh reality for some to accept, but within the scope of the Ehrhardt-Perkins scheme that Belichick employs, balance is so crucial that to tip the scales to one focus on the offense - in essence, to put all of your eggs in one basket - makes the offense easier to defend, particularly when facing an elite, attacking defense that can take away what you do best...

...so the best way to attack an entity like that is to do everything well, and to have as many weapons as possible to rotate onto the field - and in theory, this Patriots' offense will be able to do that in a fashion that is going to be described as "Dizzying".

Consider that Belichick is going to be able to field an offense that will run primarily with a "21 Package" - a two back, one tight end, two receiver package utilizing the versatility of a group of "Skill" position players that will feature a rotation of six receivers, three tight ends and four backs, and will be able to fit any personnel combination into a concept that will enable Brady to morph the formation into anything he needs it to be to take advantage of mismatches.

This is why players such as H-back James Develin, rookie running back James White and free agent receiver Brandon Lafell are in Foxborough while "Big name" draft picks and free agent tight ends are not.  This offense is focused on one thing, and that is Brady's command of the offense - and Belichick has done a masterful job of providing him with a "dizzying" array of weapons to choose from.

This shift in philosophies brings a different focus to the depth chart.  The superstar is still the superstar, but will be harnessed within the confines of the scheme, and in Gronkowski's case, that means a visible attempt to remove a very large target off of his back by integrating him into the offense rather than featuring him - in effect, just making him one of the boys.

That said, the tight end position is still one of some conjecture, as the only locks thus far in camp are Gronkowski and Michael Hoomanawanui with Develin as a capable option at H-back, but the structure of the position sets the standard for the rest of the offense.

All three are powerful inline blockers, but while Gronkowski is on a level all his own as a complete tight end, both "Hooman" and Develin have shown soft hands as safety valve type receivers who are at their best chipping and releasing into the flat - but their real value comes in short yardage and goal line sets where they can flex their muscles and bury linebackers....

...which appears to be a favorite pass time of undrafted rookie free agent Justin Jones, who at 6' 8" and 275 pounds is a height-weight proportioned red zone monster who looks like a tackle but has the hands of a receiver, which he has been showing off in abundance in camp - and may upset the tight end apple cart if he continues to progress.

Develin's flexibility dictates the H-back label as he is a terrific lead blocker, quick enough and with plenty of lateral agility to clear out linebackers and defensive ends on the edge, possesses the aforementioned soft hands and demonstrates a stick-hunting style as a short-yardage ball carrier - and with the offense moving more to a two back pro set, the natural versatility doesn't restrict the playbook.

And that's the key.  In past years with the Patriots identifying particular players as their impetus for the offense, they had inadvertently put themselves in position to close off sections of the playbook when injuries occurred - so breaking camp this season with a group of skill position players that are seemingly just as anonymous as they are versatile, it gives Brady literally dozens of options in any given formation and in any given personnel package.

The result is that the offense will now have the ability to force the defense to defend the entire field - not because an Andre Johnson is spreading them out nor because a Dustin Keller is stretching the seam, but because any player on the field can run any route, and the defense must respect that or get burned.

And with Brady at the helm and running the scheme, the opposing defenses had better have plenty of soothing aloe on hand, because the burns will be a continuously occurring phenomenon...