On the day where the big story was supposed to be the first practice of first round pick Jerod Mayo, what stole the show was the number of veterans not on the field. Eleven players were on the physically unable to perform list:
- DL Jarvis Green
- CB Ellis Hobbs
- OT Nick Kaczur
- OG Stephen Neal
- OT Oliver Ross
- LB Mike Vrabel
- LB Bo Ruud
- WR Wes Welker
- C Ryan Wendel
- DL Mike Wright
- RB BenJarvis Green-Ellis
Later on, safety Rodney Harrison was added to the list.
Everyone say it with me: Ow!
The good news is anyone on this list can be activated at any time. So it could be a case of someone not being in shape or has a minor injury. But the inverse could be true as well. It's no secret that Hobbs had surgery to repair a torn labrum and a hernia. He might not hit the field anytime soon.
I won't speculate, but I'm a little anxious about Vrabel, Harrison, Green, Welker, Wright and Neal. The sooner they join the team for practice, the better. I was reminded of DL Richard Seymour being on PUP to start camp last year. He wasn't activated until week six! And when Seymour returned, he wasn't the same player. He's not the same player this year, but that's a different story for a little later on.
As for the two rookies on the PUP, you better get healthy. in a hurry. Head coach Bill Belichick doesn't have patience for youngsters who can't play. Green-Ellis and Ruud should ask around about what happened to the likes of RB Justice Hairston and LB Oscar Lua. Hairston never made the field and didn't make the team while Lua was on IR for the year, but was released in the off-season.
Other developments:
Sey-less: Seymour participated today and he declares himself fully healthy. He even dropped about 10 pounds according to the former All-Pro. It's the second consecutive year a D-lineman to declared himself lighter. Last year it was NT Vince Wilfork proudly saying his actual weight was the same as his listed weight.
Hello, it's 2008: Apparently the media is still making a big deal out of 18-1. "Oh, to be so close and to lose the final game. It must be devastating for the team. Seven out of the last 10 Super Bowl losers failed to make the playoffs. Will the Patriots suffer a Super Bowl hangover?"
Puh-lease! Enough already! Don't they know who they are talking about? This is the team that played through a full season of the Spygate controversey. Yeah, that effected them badly. It turned them into an angry team that took their anger out on the rest of the league. Don't be surprised if that Super Bowl loss is the fuel that propels this team back to the ultimate game. There's talk of the team being focused on finishing the season. That sounds like a team driven to get back to the Super Bowl so they can end the season how they want to, as in winning the game.
It also sounds like a mantra for the season: Unfinished Business. Humble Pie caught on last year. Someone call LB Adalius Thomas. He needs to get a new set of t-shirts made for the team.
If you have the time, go read my open letter to the rookies for a fun look at two of the biggest competitions at this year's training camp.
Keywords: BenJarvis Green-Ellis, Bill Belichick, Bo Ruud, Ellis Hobbs, Jarvis Green, Jerod Mayo, Mike Vrabel, Mike Wright, Nick Kaczur, Oliver Ross, Richard Seymour, Rodney Harrison, Ryan Wendel, Stephen Neal, Wes Welker
