Evan Lazar

@ezlazar • 88,049 subscribers

Senior Reporter and host of Patriots Catch-22 at https://t.co/ZPuThmi7fz. Thanks to @guertin11 for putting up with football season. Thoughts are my own.

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Evan Lazar

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Film review on A.J. Brown coming tomorrow morning. Here are a few cutups: go-ball winner, slant demon, double move artist, backside digs/crossers. Brown only ran 12.4% of his routes from the slot last season (career low). Could see Josh McDaniels move him around more.

First look at WR Romeo Doubs in a #Patriots practice.

That would make more sense. Sorry, I misheard him. Still, he pops right up after it. Just wild.

I remember this well from the beginning of camp. The big-time throw we were waiting all offseason to see once camp began.

#Patriots reported signing FB Reggie Gilliam moves really well at 6-0, 244 pounds. Has some range at the position and body control to square up his targets while on the move. Buffalo really liked this zone windback play with Gilliam leading up to the second level.

Romeo Doubs put up 8 catches for 124 yards and a TD in Green Bay's loss to the Bears in the Wild Card round last season. Doubs pretty much put his full repertoire of tricks on tape in that game. Slot fades, play-action verticals, 1-on-1 wins in isolation, slot options, etc.

Same play-caller, same play.

Penn State LG Vega Ioane (No. 71) is an absolute stud. This is what a first-round guard prospect looks like.

Is anyone throwing the hole shot against cover-two better than #Patriots QB Drake Maye right now? Puts the perfect weight on the ball every time, and is seeing post-snap rotations at a high level.

I'm having a good time watching Markel Bell (6-9, 346) blocking this poor corner on a WR screen.

The end zone angle of the Williams TD goes hard. Not even sure how Maye bent the bullet like this while he was being hit during his throwing motion. And the ball placement was perfect.

This is the type of stuff #Patriots LT Will Campbell does that's not normal in pass protection. His lower-body flexibility/bend to get his pads down for proper leveraging to anchor vs. speed-to-power completely stonewalls A.J. Epenesa.

New #Patriots S Kevin Byard still has the goods. Ball-hawk with great instincts to anticipate route combinations, reads on the QB, and range at deep safety. Byard and second-year S Craig Woodson should be a fun tandem.

The freakish size-speed receiver in the top-50 is Chris Brazzell. After watching him today, NDSU's Bryce Lance is the top-100 version. Flashes release quickness vs. press, long speed (4.34s 40), tracks the ball well. A huge step up in competition is coming, but Lance can ball.

Always hesitate with Tennessee wide receivers because that offense is weird. However, a 6-foot-5 burner with legit deep speed and the ability to win the ball downfield feels like a Drake Maye kind of receiver. Some impressive reps vs. press by Chris Brazzell against Georgia.

Love watching #Patriots NT Khyiris Tonga do work in the run game. Consistently fires into blocks to reset the line of scrimmage, and plays with a non-stop motor. Look at the hustle here from the 335-pound NT to run down the line of scrimmage on the zone toss.

The level of competition wasn't always pro-caliber, but Ted Hurst's 4.42-speed at 6-3, 206 seems to fit the type of receiver the #Patriots are reportedly in on. The second gear to either run under the deep ball or break away from the pack is impressive.

Texas A&amp;M WR KC Concepcion was breaking ankles with these routes. Prototypical Z/slot in a McDaniels offense if that's what the #Patriots end up needing.

The big dogs on the #Patriots D-Line were eating again yesterday. Christian Barmore and Cory Durden both wrecking this outside zone play. My goodness.

Videos

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#Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez with one of the best pass breakups I've seen from a corner all year. Bail technique in cover three vs. a post route with the safeties exchanging. Unreal recovery speed and athleticism to make the diving PBU vs. one of the fastest WRs in the NFL.

#Patriots edge Gabe Jacas bull rushing tackles (No. 17)

What I like most about Eli Raridon as a fit for the #Patriots is his nearly 11-inch hands and an 80-inch wingspan (68th percentile). His catch radius should pair well with Drake Maye working over the middle of the field.

#Patriots TE Julian Hill blocking highlights? Yep, Julian Hill blocking highlights. In-line (seals the edge, backside reach), lead to the second level, whams, crack blocks. Pats made their run-game better with FB Reggie Gilliam and Hill additions.

The #Patriots running the ball off their own goal-line while chewing up 6:09 off the clock in the fourth quarter was indeed "classy" as HC Mike Vrabel said. Two great outside zone reps (Onwenu!) and then Chism digging out the safety on a 9-yard run. Playoff football.

#Patriots DT Milton Williams was a game-wrecker on Sunday. PFF had him with 8 total pressures. Here's four of them: bull rush, inside-out crossover, wrap rush on a stunt, and unblocked on the fourth down stop. (Good rush by Ponder on the first clip as well).

Making the #Patriots roster at tight end will be tough this summer, but Tanner Arkin (No. 85) can really block. He was like an extra OT out there for Illinois. The first clip where he reaches and turns out the DE is the good stuff. Also washes down the line on his down blocks.

Been talking up Wright as a #Patriots fit for a bit lately. Classic mauling guard for a downhill run scheme. Played right guard for Auburn last season, and his power is noticeable throughout his film.

#Patriots third-round pick Eli Raridon vs. NC State is the tape to watch. Big play ability on full display: seam run, deep crossers, high seven routes. Legit vertical juice.

Some run blocking tape of #Patriots sixth-rounder Dametrious Crownover. Backside reaches and pushing the pile on a combination block. Playing right tackle.

#Patriots HC Mike Vrabel worked out projected first-round OT Max Iheanachor at Arizona State's Pro Day. Here are a dozen reps of Iheanachor (right tackle) vs. Texas Tech pass-rush duo David Bailey (R1 projection) and Romello Height (top-100). Iheanachor allowed just two hurries, per PFF.

One theme from #Patriots O vs. Chargers D that stood was LA taking away Diggs. To me, this is a dedicated double on the first third down of the game (cone or inside/out bracket). Diggs gets doubled, pocket collapses, and Maye doesn't have time to look elsewhere.

High-level play from three #Patriots on this one: - Stevenson aborts the play-action fake to cut down the blitzer - Maye beats the deep-third defender falling off the clear out to jump the sail - Henry shields the catch point to make a tough catch for 16 yards

The #Patriots went with a cover zero blitz on 4th-and-10 for the game out of dime. DB Dell Pettus pops out of the rush to fall underneath the slant, forcing Flacco to progress to the seam. Chaisson wins vs. the LT, Jones PBU. Ball game.

Great play by #Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez to "plaster" to Khalil Shakir in the scramble drill. Allen misses an in-structure opportunity on the deep over when he leaves a clean pocket, and Gonzo travels over 41 yards to break up the pass to Shakir.

This is why Josh Allen is the MVP. A two-play sequence with Buffalo up 21-19 in the fourth quarter: 1st play - Breaks multiple tackles for a 27-yard scramble Next play - 28-yard TD on a post-wheel bluff screen Just like that it's a two-score game. Blouses.

Still plenty of flashes of the bend and speed-to-power that made Landry highly productive with Vrabel to start his Titans career. Mike Dussault has all the details on the #Patriots first free-agent addition below.

Really well-designed play by McDaniels that had all sorts of space for Pop if its a better throw by Maye. Motions Douglas into the backfield, spinner PA fake with the puller to sell run, PIT plays cover-three and loses their short zone spacing with all the window dressing.

#Patriots QB Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs turning a covered under-center quick game (stick/hook) into a 31-yard gain on the scramble drill. Having a QB and wide receiver who can make a play on covered drop-backs rules.

Bradley Chubb has sacks in Weeks 1 and 3, but didn’t log a single pressure vs. Will Campbell last week.

Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion was breaking ankles with these routes. Prototypical Z/slot in a McDaniels offense if that's what the #Patriots end up needing.