Training Camp Talk: Stocks Rising & Falling
Sunday, July 27, 2014
The Patriots have completed four full days of 2014 Training Camp at Gillette Stadium. On Saturday and Sunday, the Patriots took the field in pads, signaling the real "start of football". Although the return of Rob Gronkowski has dominated the news landscape early in camp, there have been many other stand-out performers. Players such as Kenbrell Tompkins, Kyle Arrington, Tom Brady and Darrelle Revis have wowed the enormous crowds on the fields behind Gillette Stadium.
As camp continues, here is a look at the players who have excelled and those who have struggled easy in Training Camp.
Stock High:
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTDarrelle Revis:
Revis had high expectations on him heading into camp. Those expectations have been met, and even surpassed in the first few days. Revis has been dominant in every drill he has been a part of, according to reports. Whether it be 1-on-1's, 7-on-7's or 11-on-11's, Revis has locked down any player he has lined up across from. This includes an interception of Tom Brady while covering Julian Edelman.
Revis was also spotted taking part in kickoff coverage, an interesting spot for someone considered to be one of the best in the NFL at his position.
Kenbrell Tompkins:
Tompkins has been the beneficiary to Aaron Dobson missing the start of Training Camp. He has been one of the top targets for Tom Brady, and even been part of the post-practice 1-on-1 work with Brady, according to reports. Tompkins was considered to be on the bubble by many in the offseason, but has appeared to solidify his spot on the roster with his strong play so far.
James White:
White has been a pleasant surprise for many at Training Camp. Although the 4th Round pick had a somewhat high level of expectations, he has exceeded them and looks very comfortable in the Patriots offense, according to reports.
White has seen time with almost every unit, and has been on the field in conjunction with Shane Vereen, according to reports. This combination gives the Patriots an extremely athletic, great pass catching duo out of the backfield for Tom Brady.
Stock Low:
Jimmy Garoppolo:
Jimmy Garoppolo will face a large amount of pressure in his first Training Camp, most of it undue pressure. Although he was selected in the 2nd Round of this past NFL Draft, he is not expected to get anywhere close to the field in a game situation.
That being said, Garoppolo has struggled throughout the early portion of camp, according to reports. His accuracy has been poor, his timing with receivers has been worse and he is throwing a lot of interceptions. It is still early, however and for Garoppolo, “You can’t really worry about it. You move on to the next play and every play is a new opportunity to get better.”
Brandon Bolden:
Bolden is in a battle for his roster spot with the Patriots. The Patriots essentially have four running backs that are locks for the 53-man roster (Ridley, Vereen, White, Devlin) and Bolden is struggling, according to reports.
He has struggled to get on the same page with rookie quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who he is taking many of his snaps with. He has also struggled to catch the ball, according to reports. If Bolden does not turn his performance around soon, he could find himself on the outside looking in when roster cuts start to happen.
Duron Harmon:
It has not appeared like Harmon has done anything terribly wrong at Training Camp. He is, however, losing playing time at a position that many assumed was his to lose. According to reports, Tavon Wilson has been getting a bigger chunk of playing time next to Devin McCourty and the first team defense. Can Harmon claw his way back to the top? If he does not, the Patriots' safety position could struggle again in 2014.
