Roche: Patriots Wrap Up Public Portion of Training Camp
FOXBORO (CBS) - A beautiful day here in Foxboro for the final public workout for the Patriots of their 2014 training camp.
The Pats practiced for just over two hours and then - in a nice touch - every player on the roster went over to the crowd and signed some autographs.
As for some observations:
--With the return of Jerod Mayo, Michael Hoomanawanui, Jeremy Gallon, Dominque Easley and Bryan Stork the Patriots are close to being as healthy as a team can be. Sebastian Vollmer wasn't at practice, but it stood out that the Pats have come through this stretch in relatively good health.
--The Gronk watch continues and on Monday he added a bit more in his comeback from major knee surgery. On Monday, he took part in 11-on-11 team drills, and that included some limited contact. He's still on track for the regular season.
--Saw something that you don't see that often in camp. The team was called to gather in one big huddle about midway through practice. It appeared to be a "wake-up call" courtesy of their coach.
--Rookie Jimmy Garoppolo looks like a completely different player ever since his preseason game debut at Washington. Confidence growing that he belongs in the NFL.
--Lots of running game and special teams work during the workout Monday too.
--Meanwhile, there are going to be some interesting roster cuts this year, if everyone stays healthy - especially on the offensive line and in the secondary. Special teams/versatility may give certain guys the edge over others, and we may see some surprising cuts.
--Finally, hope you'll join us Friday night for preseason game number three as the Pats host the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. We'll get you started with Gameday at 7 p.m. Kick-off is at 7:30 p.m. followed by our Fifth Quarter post game show. It's all on WBZ-TV Ch 4.
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