The Hanley Ramirez ‘Friend’ Situation That Cost Him His Job

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The Hanley Ramirez Situation

Hanley Ramirez should probably search for some new friends after the past few weeks’ events. His so-called ‘best friend’ was smuggling drugs from New York to Boston and was stopped by police. If you don’t know the story, the friend, who hasn’t been identified, was stopped for a routine traffic stop.

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The Suspect Was Quick to Throw Hanley Under the Bus

The suspect told a Massachusetts state trooper that he was delivering a box to Hanley Ramirez’s mother. After he was pulled over, he called Ramirez via Facetime so the trooper could talk to Hanley. Hanley gave consent to search the box, which contained two kilograms of Fentanyl.

According to the Boston Globe, the suspect immediately told police Ramirez wasn’t involved at all and the box wasn’t for him. Hanley would be released from the Red Sox a month later.

Hanley supposedly grew up with this person and has known him since his childhood. The saying, though, is “you are who your friends are”. Hanley was hanging out with bad people. They threw him under the bus because they only care about themselves. Hanley got screwed and now he’s out of a job.

The Red Sox, who say they didn’t know until it came out in the media, are obviously lying because the rumor was going around for weeks before it was released.

What Is a Friend?

The word ‘friend’ is pretty simple. A friend is someone who doesn’t throw you under the bus. Someone who doesn’t give or do drugs around you. I’m talking about the hard drugs, because so-called “friends” that do those drugs will be quick to throw you under the bus. Which will cost you your job, like it did for Hanley Ramirez. In more dangerous situations a life would be lost. A  senseless tragedy because the ‘friend’ was only thinking about themselves.

Williams

Robert Williams Not Off to a Great Start in Boston

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Robert Williams Hasn’t Made the Best Entrance in Boston

Robert Williams…it’s been rough so far. The first-round draft pick missed his introductory conference call because he overslept. Though he eventually did connect with the team and with media, it wasn’t a great start. Then today, reports surfaced that Williams missed the first Summer League practice with the team-because he missed his flight to Boston. Jay Larranaga, the Celtics’ Summer League team coach, told media that the team was disappointed in Williams, but will handle the matter internally.

Come on now, Robert. You’d think that after one mishap like this occurred, he would have learned his lesson. This now marks two instances in which simple negligence led to a headache for the team. It’s no coincidence that one of the big question marks for Williams before he was drafted was his work ethic. It’s now concerning to see this occurring from Williams again. However, there’s no doubt that Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens knew what they were getting into when they chose him. Hopefully, they can whip him into shape soon.

This isn’t the biggest problem in the world. Remember when Marcus Smart punched a picture in a hotel and was out for weeks? This isn’t nearly as bad as that. It just isn’t something you want to see from a guy in his first few weeks with the team, especially not after the oversleeping incident. This was Williams’ first team activity in Boston, and he missed out because of mistakes of his own accord. He can’t keep pulling stuff like this if he wants to make a good impression on the team and the fans. He should be present at the next team practice, as he was en route to the facilities, according to recent reports. If he performs well in Las Vegas, people will soon forget about his shaky start with the franchise.

Image via NBA.com

Follow me on Twitter for more: @jackbuffett_

 

Celtics Set to Run the East after Lebron Signs with Lakers

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Celtics Ready for Finals Run After Lebron Signing

Well, there it is. LeBron James finally made his long-awaited decision, signing with the Los Angeles Lakers after months of speculation. The deal is worth $154 million over four years, with a player option in the last year. This signing will undoubtedly send Lakers fans into crazed states of excitement, but Celtics fans should also be rejoicing. This moves clears the way for the team to waltz into the NBA Finals.

https://twitter.com/KlutchSports/status/1013574315411849216

A Weakened East

Now that Lebron has spurned the Cavaliers (again), it’s time for the Celtics to finally make their move. Toronto had another successful regular season last year, but they choked in the playoffs again and fired their head coach. The Sixers have intriguing young pieces, but the Celtics easily dispatched them in the playoffs. The Bucks still have Giannis Antetokounmpo, but don’t have many strong players around him. The Pacers have a young star in Victor Oladipo, but not much otherwise.

Aside from these four teams, there isn’t really anyone else to compete in the Eastern Conference. The East was already the weaker conference, and now they are far inferior to the Western Conference. Boston should have no trouble moving past each and every one of these teams.

Oh, and in case you forgot, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward are returning.

Photo via Getty Images

A Strengthened West

Of course, now the West is absolutely stacked. The Warriors, Rockets, Thunder, Jazz, Trail Blazers, and now the Lakers are all legitimate contenders. The Pelicans, Spurs, and Timberwolves are all also good teams. They’ll all have to fight each other to reach the Finals. If these teams can weaken each other in a fistfight to the top, the Celtics will be golden.

Of course, the Warriors are still the Warriors, there’s Lebron over there now, and the Rockets are always tough. However, the Celtics proved last year that they can hang with anyone in the league. If the whole team is healthy when it matters, this team can cause a ruckus in the playoffs.

Bottom Line

Bottom line is, the Celtics are now in a great position to contend for a title. There’s still a lot of free agency to go. The Kawhi situation has yet to unfold. The NBA landscape can still drastically change before the regular season commences. However, it feels like everything is coming up Celtics these days. With the biggest Celtics killer in recent history out of the way, this could be the year that Boston finally returns to basketball’s biggest stage. It could all go wrong, obviously, like it did this year. But if it doesn’t, the league should be on notice.

P.S. Prepare for a renewed Celtics-Lakers rivalry. Kyrie and Co. against Lebron and the Lake Show is going to be must-watch TV.

Photo via Getty Images

Follow me on Twitter for more: @jackbuffett_

Bruins Attack Free Agency Day in the NHL

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The Bruins have lost out on the Tavares sweepstakes, as he decided to fulfill a childhood dream of playing for his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs on Canada Day.

Let’s take a look at the moves that Boston has made in this chaotic first day of NHL’s free agency period.

PLAYERS ON THE MOVE 

Anton Khudobin

Dobby was looking to get a raise, but the Bruins’ brass decided they wanted someone with more experience. He has now signed on with the Dallas Stars.

Riley Nash

He was a factor in the Bruins success last season, being a solid option in times of need. He will be missed as he moves on to Columbus.

Nick Holden

Nick played sparingly with the team this season and decided to move on to Sin City.

Tommy Cross 

Another player who didn’t see much ice time in Boston is moving on to Columbus as well.

Austin Czarnik

This is a player the B’s had interest in keeping. However, the roster depth on the Bruins made him expendable, and he is heading out west to Calgary.

Kenny Agostino

Agostino showed some flashes, but never really caught on with the team. He will now be wearing Montreal colors.

Welcome to Boston

Jaroslav Halak

Almost as soon as it was known that they had lost Anton, the Bruins acquired the experienced backup goalie they were looking for. Coming over from the Islanders, this will be Halak’s fifth team.

Jacob Nordstrom

Nordstrom is a LW who will fill a role on the fourth line. He was currently in Carolina, and also won a Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2015.

Jason Moore

The left-handed defenseman is a spot the team was looking to bolster. At 6’2″, the former Devil will fill in well behind Chara.

Chris Wagner

Wagner was second in the league in most hits by a forward last season. He is also a Walpole, Mass native, and will be joining the B’s after stints with the Ducks and Islanders.

 

To get detailed information regarding all these contracts go to: https://www.capfriendly.com

 

Image credit to : Boston Herald

Follow me on Twitter: @SOURCEFRIAS

Red Sox Catchers Coming Around

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The Red Sox catchers really struggled at the plate for the first couple months of the season. Vazquez and Leon were both hitting under .200 for much of May and there were calls to replace them. Though they might never light the world on fire at the dish, they have both proven capable of hitting enough in the past to go with their work behind the plate. Lately, the two of them have been coming around with the bat.

Christian Vazquez

Vazquez is the one we wanted to be the answer, with his cannon behind the plate making runners think about trying to steal. He had some setbacks along the way, but last year batted .290 and hit one of the season’s most memorable home runs. It looked like the Red Sox might have their long-term catcher. However, after Vazquez really struggled to begin this season, that was brought into question. There was talk of trading Vazquez to get a better hitting catcher in the lineup.

Don’t look now, but Vazquez has been hitting like last year since the middle of May. For the month of June, he batted .298 with all three of his season home runs and an .860 OPS. Stretching that out further, Vazquez was batting .174 at the end of the game on May 15th, the exact middle of the month. Vazquez proceeded to get a hit in six of his next seven games. This was the prelude to his hotter hitting, the sign that he was starting to zero in at the plate. He has been hitting the ball harder, evidenced by his three home runs in June. When Vazquez hits a home run, he really hits it. There are no cheap homers for this guy. He also doubled four times in June after only hitting five over the season’s first two months.

Sandy Leon

It isn’t only Vazquez who has been coming around since the middle of May. Leon played on May 14th, picking up one hit to raise his average to a lowly .170. Since that point a month and a half ago, Leon has batted .317 with three home runs and an .893 OPS. His BABIP is a bit unsustainable at .415, but impressive numbers nonetheless. He has started 18 games in that span and collected multiple hits in six of them. Narrowing it down further, Leon is batting .438 over the past two weeks. He has also hit a home run in back-to-back games.

This is a guy who has gotten hot for stretches, he batted well over .300 for much of the time he was in Boston two seasons ago. Should we expect him to hit .300? Of course not, but he can hit plenty for a backup catcher.

Stand Pat

Would a guy like J.T. Realmuto of the Marlins look good in the lineup? No doubt, but the Red Sox realistically likely don’t have the prospects necessary to acquire him. The Red Sox also don’t need an All-Star hitter at every position, their lineup has already scored the most runs in baseball this season as it is. They also lead the league in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS. They have done all that with the struggles at catcher in the first month and a half as well as Jackie Bradley Jr’s struggles.

In the season’s first month and a half, Vazquez and Leon had one home run and 10 runs batted in between them. Their combined slash line (avg, obp, slg) was .173/.223/.218. In the past month and a half, the same time-frame, they have hit six home runs and driven in 18 runs with a combined slash line of .295/.325/.483. That plays, especially in this lineup that already has plenty of firepower.

 

 

Featured picture from Masslive.com

 

New: Aron Baynes Returns to Boston

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Aron Baynes Coming Back to Beantown

In the opening minutes of free agency, Yahoo’s Shams Charania reported that center Aron Baynes has agreed to a deal with the Celtics. The contract is reportedly for two years and $11 million. It also includes a player option for the second season of the deal. The signing brings back an important part of last year’s Boston squad.

Baynes returns off of a year in which he averaged six points and 5.4 rebounds over 18 minutes per game. He was one of the only healthy players on the squad all year and was a reliable starter at the five. In the playoffs he was key as he developed a serviceable three-pointer. He’ll return this year likely as a bench player as Gordon Hayward returns to game action. However, expect him to still see important minutes behind Al Horford at the center position. He’ll also serve a role as a mentor to rookie Robert Williams. Though Williams could eventually overtake Baynes’ role on the team, he’ll still benefit from the Australian’s tutelage.

This is a great re-signing for the Celtics. Last year, the team was able to establish chemistry on the court, and Baynes was a big part of that. Though he was often on the wrong end of posterizing dunks, he and his man bun quietly helped the team in multiple ways. There weren’t many reports that detailed other suitors for Baynes throughout June. However, it’s excellent to see that Danny Ainge was able to get this deal done with the big man right away, though it can’t be officially announced until July 6th. The team will now look to bring back restricted free agent Marcus Smart, which will likely be the extent of their offseason activity. Now that Baynes is back on the roster, he’ll start preparing for the 2018-19 season in Boston. Welcome back, Aron Baynes!

The Curious Case Of JBJ

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While struggling offensively for what seems like forever, the once touted college prospect in Jackie Bradley Jr. has had an interesting career thus far. How much longer will JBJ be a red sox?

In college, Jackie Bradley jr was known already for stellar defense, bit his offensive prowess stood out. In his 172 game career with the South Carolina Gamecocks, he had a .331 average with 30 homeruns and 133 rbis to go along with 17 stolen bases and 218 hits. Then he was the 40th pick in the mlb draft.

He has had these stints before. Then sent down to Pawtucket to fix things, then get called back up. He has no more options at this point. It passes one to think of the only option remaining. Trade him.

It’s really that simple. If you cannot help him through different coaches, support, and training it will remain difficult in the long haul. What is a player with his ” potential” and more importantly defensive skill set worth? This can go down one or two ways. There could be a trade involving him for a pitcher/prospect package due to his cheap salary. ( $6.1 million) While having two more years of arbitration before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

The other option would to essentially ” fire sale” him and get the best offer on the market. This is the least likely to happen, due to the fact that he has some skill set viable to the teams success. While this leaves a gap within the outfield, there are other replacements that the team could look at any time.

Regardless of what happens, Jackie has glaring issues that does not deem a contract extension of the ” lucrative” side. With guys like Mookie Betts, and Chris Sale still awaiting a payday, Bradley jr. is going to have to wait a little longer.

Patriots Training Camp Preview: Running Backs

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There are many different players on this team compared to last year. The Patriots acquired four guys from trade, fifteen from free agency, and nine from the NFL Draft. They also lost nine players from trade and free agency and had three players retire.

In this new series, I will be looking at every player from each position leading up to training camp. For this installment I’ll focus on the running backs/fullback. The Patriots have brought in two running backs from free agency and one from the draft. This change is most likely due to the departure of starting running back Dion Lewis this past offseason.

James White #28 (2014-Present)

James White was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He has been on both of the Patriots’ Super Bowl winning teams in 2014 and 2016. For Super Bowl 49, James White was inactive for the Patriots 28-24 win over Seattle. However, he was active for Super Bowl 51 against Atlanta. White finished the game with 139 total yards (29 rushing, 110 receiving), three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving), and a two-point conversion. He capped off the Patriots’ 28-3 comeback with his game-winning rushing touchdown in OT. James White broke the Super Bowl record for most points by a single player (20), and tied Terell Davis’ Super Bowl record for touchdowns in a game (3).

White, 26, will be entering his fifth season with the New England Patriots. His first year for the Patriots was nothing special with him only playing in three games an rushing nine times for 38 yards. His second year is where he showed how good he is as a third down running back. He had 40 catches for 410 yards and four touchdowns, while running for 56 yards and two touchdowns. 2016 was White’s best statistical year with 717 total yards and five total touchdowns.

James has shown that he is one of the best third down running backs in the NFL, and will most likely have a roster spot come Week 1.

Sony Michel (Rookie):

Sony Michel was the New England Patriots 31st overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He became the first running back since 2006 drafted by the Patriots in the first round, and the eighth running back taken in the first in franchise history. Michel was the third running back taken in the 2018 NFL Draft (Barkley, Penny).

Michel proved why he should be a first round pick last year when he had his best year in college. His senior season consisted of Michel starting 14 games and attaining 1,323 scrimmage yards and 17 total touchdowns. He helped lead the Georgia Bulldogs all the way to a National Championship appearance last year. Michel had 232 total yards and four touchdowns, including a game-winner in OT of the Rose Bowl.

https://twitter.com/CaseyBake16/status/948017048424255488

Michel, 23, comes to the Patriots with high expectations as a first round pick. He will look to contribute right way to a Super Bowl-contending team like New England. He will 100% have a roster spot this upcoming season.

Jeremy Hill #33 (2018-Present):

Jeremy Hill was acquired by the Patriots via free agency this past offseason. Hill is a power back who was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played his first four years of his career in Cincinnati, where he had a successful stint for the Bengals.

In Hill’s first season in the NFL he played in all 16 games. In those games he had 1,124 rush yards and nine rushing TDs.  His 2015 season was another successful one, with him starting 15 games and having 794 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, which led the league. In 2016 he had 839 rush yards and nine scores, and in 2017 he missed nine games due to injury.

Hill will look to make an immediate impact for the Pats as their go to back on short yardage plays. He will most likely make the 53 man-roster for Week 1.

Rex Burkhead #34 (2017-Present):

Rex Burkhead will be entering his sixth season in the NFL, and his second season for the New England Patriots. The Patriots brought Burkhead in during the 2017 offseason and recently re-signed him for three more years.

Burkhead was an important piece to the offense out of the backfield with his ability to break tackles and catch passes. Rex played in ten games last year and had 264 rush yards and five rush touchdowns. He was also a threat in the passing game with 30 receptions, 254 yards, and three TDs.

https://twitter.com/CaseyBake16/status/937412676321447936

Rex Burkhead was a very good all around back for the Patriots last year, which is why they brought him back for an extended deal. With Burkhead receiving a contract extension, he will most likely be on the roster this year.

Mike Gillislee #35 (2017-Present):

Like Burkhead, Mike Gillislee will also be entering his sixth year in the NFL and his second with the Patriots. Mike was brought in during the 2017 free agency period, where he signed a two-year deal with New England.

Gillislee was brought in to be a power back on the goal-line and short yardage situations. He showed he could carry that role in the first two games of the 2017 season. In the first game of the year against Kansas City, Gillislee had 45 rush yards and three rush TDs. The next very next game against New Orleans, Gillislee ran for 69 yard and a touchdown. However, in the next six games Gillislee would not have one score, which led to him becoming a healthy-scratch.

Mike Gillislee showed how good he could be in weeks one and two last year, but ultimately slowed down for every game after that. With the addition of Jeremy Hill, I believe Mike will not make the 53-man roster.

Brandon Bolden #38 (2012-Present):

Brandon Bolden is the longest-tenured running back the Patriots have. Bolden was released by the Patriots before the 2017 season, but was re-signed two days later. He then signed a one-year contract extension through the upcoming season. Brandon was also apart of both Super Bowl winning teams in 2014 and 2016.

Bolden hasn’t been much of a running-back for the Patriots since he has been in New England. Throughout his six year career, he only has 912 rush yards and six touchdowns. Brandon’s main reason that he is on this team is due to how good he is on special teams.

https://twitter.com/NFLonLive/status/671174869221040133

Brandon will still have to fight to make a roster spot for the upcoming season, but with him proving how valuable he is on special teams I believe he will make it.

James Develin #46 (2012-Present):

James Develin is coming off his best year in the NFL. He was selected to the Pro Bowl after six years in the NFL. Develin has consistently proven that he is one of the best fullbacks in the NFL today. He signed a two-year contract extension with the Patriots this past offseason.

Develin is more of a blocking fullback then a receiving-running fullback. However, he does have 176 total yards and one career TD. He has shown his durability the past few years with him playing in every game the past four years.

https://twitter.com/ezlazar/status/1007380685290659840

James will most likely be on the roster come Week 1 due to his toughness in the run game and his ability to protect the passer.

Ralph Webb (Rookie):

Ralph Webb is entering his rookie season as an undrafted rookie from Vanderbilt. Webb played in all over Vanderbilt’s games the past four years and has proven why he deserved to be signed.

Webb’s senior season consisted of him having 1019 total yards and 11 TDs. In total he had 4,750 total yards and 35 scores.

Webb has shown what he can do as a duel-threat back in college, but I believe his best chance to make it to the Patriots is by practice squad. The Patriots have a lot of depth at running back and unless Webb does something crazy in training camp and pre-season, I don’t see him making the roster.

Overall, the Patriots have a lot of options at running back and will look to showcase that position in the upcoming season.

Down on the Farm 6/23-6/29

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*Every weekend, I will update you on weekly results from the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA), Portland Sea Dogs (AA), Salem Red Sox (High A), and Lowell Spinners (Class A Short Season). After every team is recapped, individual stats are posted. Also, I will have a prospect of the week section at the end. Down on the Farm 6/23-6/29

Pawtucket Red Sox

Pawtucket went 2-5 on the week, and they are now 38-41 on the year. The Red Sox started off the week with a 5-3 loss against the Chiefs. Chandler Shepherd gave up four runs in 2.2 innings and the offense could not recover. They recovered and won 8-1 the next day. Adam Lind knocked in three runs and Jalen Beeks threw a shutout over seven innings. Pawtucket won again the next day, 3-2.

Adam Lind knocked in all three runs and Josh A. Smith picked up the win in two innings of relief. The bats were quiet and lost 3-1 the following day. Williams Jerez picked up the loss in relief, giving up two runs in four innings of relief. The Red Sox lost again the next day by the same score of 3-1. William Cuevas was decent, allowing two earned runs over 6.1 innings, but the offense could not pick him up. Pawtucket closed out the week with a 7-4 loss against the RailRiders. Jalen Beeks gave up five runs in 2.1 innings as if he is in the majors again.

Portland Sea Dogs

The Sea Dogs went 2-4 over the week and are now 29-49 on the season. Portland started off the week with an 8-4 loss in ten innings. Jordan Weems gave up all four runs in the tenth, and Jordan Betts drove in two runs. They rebounded and won 5-4 the next day. Austin Rei knocked in two runs and Trey Ball picked up the win by giving up no runs in two innings. The Sea Dogs continued their momentum and defeated the Fisher Cats 8-6. Tate Matheny drove in four runs and Dedgar Jimenez gave up four runs in five innings to pick up the win.

Portland lost the following day, 10-3. Kyle Hart gave up six runs in 4.1 innings to pick up the loss. They lost 11-6 on the 27th and were postponed on the 28th. Matthew Kent gave up ten runs over four innings, and the offense could not score enough to come back. The Sea Dogs closed out the week with a 3-2 loss against Binghamton. Teddy Stankiewicz only gave up three runs in six innings but the offense could not pick him up.

 

Salem Red Sox

The Sox started off the week with a 7-6 win against the Keys. Trenton Kemp drove in three runs and Daniel Gonzalez gave up two runs over six innings. Salem continued their momentum and won 7-1 the next day. Bobby Dalbec knocked in two runs and Bryan Mata gave up one run over five innings. They had an off day on the 25th and lost 5-4 on the 26th.

Jake Thompson gave up four runs in five innings and the offense could not score enough. They lost again the next day, by the score of 4-1. Tanner Houck gave up three runs over 5.2 innings and the offense could not pick him up. Salem lost the following day by the score of 8-3. Jerry Downs knocked in two runs but Dedgar Jimenez gave up five runs over 4.2 innings. They closed out the week with a 5-3 loss over Carolina. Bobby Dalbec drove in three runs and Daniel Gonzalez gave up zero earned runs over seven innings.

Lowell Spinners

Lowell went 2-4 over the week, and are now 6-8 on the year. The Spinners started off the week with an 8-2 loss against Tri-City. Hunter Haworth gave up five runs over three innings the offense was quiet. They had a tough loss the next day, 1-0. Alexander Montero gave up one run in five innings but the offense only recorded three hits. Lowell rebounded from the losses with an 11-2 win. Kole Cottam and Jarren Duran drove in three runs apiece and Eduard Bazardo threw a shutout over six innings.

They lost the following the day by the score of 4-3. Xavier LeGrant knocked in two runs and Brian Brown gave up two runs over four innings. They were off on the 27th and postponed on the 28th. They won the first game 4-3 and lost the second game 9-1. Jarren Duran reached on a fielder’s choice in the first game to walk it off.

Prospect of the Week- Michael Chavis

Age 22

Eligible to return from 80 game suspension on July 1st

Throws and bats right

Number one prospect in the organization

Ten Patriots That Need to Have the Eye of the Tiger: Part 1

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Who’s got the eye of the tiger?

The thrill of the fight…

 

Heading into the 2018 training camp for the New England Patriots, there are 90 hungry men vying for 53 roster spots. Who wants it? Who has what it takes? Training camp is the place for answers to these questions. The Patriots’ quest for a sixth championship begins with the start of the regular season.

In the first part of this series we take a pre-training camp look at which Patriots have the most to prove. We’ll take go deep into each position’s depth, contract details, and likelihood of making the roster. We’ll apply my scientific Shakeup Factor to let you know how critical it is for them to make the roster. 

10. Jeremy Hill, RB

The veteran running back signed with New England late in free agency. If he wants to make the team, he will have to show that fire that he possessed in 2014. As a rookie he rushed for over 1100 yards. However, Hill is recovering from an ankle injury that ended his 2017 season and has very little money guaranteed.

Shakeup Factor: 1.5

This is all gravy! If he returns to form and produces well. There is no downside here if he doesn’t make the team.

9. Jordan Richards, DB

This was one of Belichick’s more head-scratching picks. When he selected the Stanford Cardinal in the second round, nearly everyone else had the player as a day three pick. Richards’ ups and downs have been numerous. And the moments have been trending towards more downs.

Shakeup Factor: 1.8

It would be disappointing to see another premium draft pick not pan out. However, the CB/DB position is one of the deepest on the team. He does face some stiff competition. Will he rise to the challenge?

8. Ryan Allen, P

We are witnessing the very rare and mysterious left-footed punter competition. Allen needs to fend off the young Corey Bojorquez in order to secure his place on the team. Can Allen take his game to the next level and solidify his spot? Don’t forget he took the job from the Zoltan in an epic puntoff.

Shakeup Factor: 2.5

This is punting we talkin’ about. While Allen has been solid, reliable, and accurate he hasn’t established himself as a top guy. And let’s not forget that there was a grand total of one punt in the Super Bowl, and it wasn’t from the Pats’ guy.

7. Eric Lee, DE

Sometimes the Patriots treat the rest of the AFC East like it’s their minor league farm system. It seemed like a minor move when they grabbed the practice squad player from the Bills in November. And after his first two games with the Patriots, it looked like armed robbery had taken place. Over two sacks and an interception will make you sit up and notice. His production tailed off down the stretch and suffered some miscues. Lee needs to make these corrections and claw his way up the depth chart in order to make the squad next season.

Shakeup Factor: 3.4

Starting to get into temblor territory here. Pass rush is at a premium and he displayed some ability in that area. The defensive front is always in flux with the Patriots and the best guys will play more. Lee aims to be that guy.

6. Cyrus Jones, CB / PR

Fumbles will kill your career on the Patriots faster than Super Bowl confetti falls. Faster than Tom Brady’s anger when you run the wrong route. Faster than… You get the picture. In ten games during his rookie season he dropped five and recovered two. Ask Stevan Ridley for directions to BB’s doghouse. Still, when he wasn’t coughing up the ball to opponents, he showed a flash on returns and looked pretty good on defense. Then he suffered a knee injury in the 2017 preseason. Classic make or break season for the young guy.

Shakeup Factor: 3.9

The potential is there. He just needs to put it all together and stay healthy. There is lots of competition in the DB room that will make it difficult. Needs a standout camp and preseason and for good reasons.

Look for Part II coming soon…

All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise.

Be sure to check out other great articles for all your favorite Boston sports teams on Bostonsportsextra.com

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