Patriots Camp Drama: Is Morgan Moses Already a Problem?

Beasley Digital

Fred Toucher and Mike Dussault discussed early impressions of the offensive line—especially concerns around veteran tackle Morgan Moses. Though the team was in just helmets, Moses appeared to struggle, prompting debate about whether his age and durability could become an issue. On a brighter note, rookie receiver Kyle Williams showed promise while the chemistry between Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs already seems to be developing.   Image courtesy of USA TODAY NETWORK

Transcript

00:00You were at camp yesterday.

00:02It's nice that everyone's back.

00:04Let's first talk about the arms on this left tackle, fella.

00:09You get in a look at the kid.

00:11Now, look, any line play before pads are on is ludicrous.

00:16I guess I would assume ludicrous to break down.

00:19I mean, they're not playing contact.

00:21I mean, they're not wearing pads.

00:23But Will Campbell's arms, I heard people talking about this yesterday.

00:27I do find it interesting.

00:28Does he look different than the other linemen?

00:32I don't know.

00:33I mean, we're judging arm link again.

00:35I mean, this is what we did.

00:35No, no.

00:36Yeah, but it's the first day, and it's funny to me.

00:39Like, I'm serious.

00:42Does he look different than the other tackles?

00:45I mean, compared to the 6'8", 320-pound guy they draft, yes,

00:50he does look a little different than that guy.

00:51I mean, he's not a super long tackle,

00:54but he's certainly a super athletic tackle.

00:56And, you know, it's his first day of camp.

00:58There were 16 11-on-11 reps.

01:00And, you know, for Jake May and the first team,

01:02this is what we're talking about.

01:03So I'm a defense guy.

01:05Like, you know, seeing this defensive line get some pressure.

01:07I think this should be one of the best defensive lines in the league.

01:09So the fact that they got some pressure yesterday,

01:11I think that's a good sign.

01:12And, you know, hopefully the tackles come along, but one day down.

01:15Okay, but you have to admit, if we're going to take anything seriously,

01:19then the situation at right tackle, what was going on at right tackle yesterday?

01:24Yeah, well, I mean, there were a couple different guys working in there, too.

01:28So, you know, I think everybody's just got such PTSD from the last couple years

01:31that the second, you know, I mean, I talked to a couple guys,

01:34walked down to the media tent, and some guys were already losing their mind.

01:37It was like three reps into training camp.

01:39So, you know, that's how it goes.

01:41I get it, you know, meanwhile, guys who have been complaining about

01:44receivers can't get separation for years,

01:47and now all of a sudden Stephon Diggs is out there and grabs a couple balls,

01:49and they're, you know, now we're on the offensive line.

01:51No, but if Morgan Moses got pulled because he was allowing a bunch of pressures,

01:56and you're saying that you liked seeing the defensive players get pressure,

02:00I mean, you're saying that, okay, so you were impressed by the defensive front.

02:04So if you're impressed by the defensive front, that means this was not all for naught.

02:08So if they were pulling Morgan Moses and he was struggling,

02:11is that true?

02:13And what do you make of that?

02:14If we're going to take any of this seriously,

02:16what did you make of Morgan Moses' struggles?

02:19Well, look, I can only speak for what I saw,

02:21and I don't know that for a fact that he got pulled because of performance.

02:24I don't know.

02:24At this stage of the game, they're rotating guys in.

02:26So, you know, people saw him come out and saw Trey Jacobs go in,

02:29take a couple reps.

02:30I mean, again, this is 16 reps yesterday that we're talking about,

02:33and Drake May completed almost every pass he made.

02:36So, you know, that this was the big talking point from day one,

02:39and no pads, just helmets, not even shells yet.

02:42I'm not really all that worried.

02:44Morgan Moses is a longtime veteran.

02:45Yeah, he's had a little bit of a ramp-up period, too.

02:47It was hot yesterday.

02:48We saw some other rotation going on.

02:50So I'm not going to get overly worked up.

02:53We talked about this stuff all offseason, and certainly, I get it.

02:56We all want the tackle play to be better than it was last year.

02:58But let's wait a little bit and see how it goes.

03:01Well, again, this might be one of the best defensive lines in the NFL this year.

03:04So, yeah, they're going to get some pressure.

03:06Wow, he pivots to defense.

03:08Okay, let's do this.

03:09It's so predictable.

03:10I mean, I don't know why you're there if you don't care about anything,

03:15but I'll tell you this.

03:18Morgan Moses, it would concern me because I like Morgan Moses,

03:21and I thought last year he was as good an influence as you could have

03:26in the Jets locker room.

03:28But he's like a 50-year-old, 34-year-old.

03:33I mean, he's good, but he's incredibly banged up.

03:38And so, look, if they pulled Will Campbell out

03:42or they pulled really anyone else out, I'd be like, okay, fine, whatever.

03:47But if the heat is getting to Morgan Moses,

03:49and I don't mean to mean too much about this,

03:51but I would keep an eye on Morgan Moses.

03:53If it seems like heat's getting to him or he's not steady,

03:58then pads or not, I mean, I would be a little concerned.

04:01He's a big guy who's been carrying a lot of weight for a long time,

04:04and I like Morgan Moses.

04:06But if they lose Morgan Moses, they're in trouble, no?

04:09Yeah, no, all fair points you make, Fred, for sure.

04:12But at the same time, I don't think Morgan Moses just fell off a cliff

04:15this offseason.

04:15And so, yeah, if he did get pulled yesterday, and I don't know,

04:19I mean, again, there's rotation going on.

04:22So everyone says, oh, he got pulled because he was terrible.

04:25No, no, no, no.

04:26I find that a little hard to believe in 11 with just helmets on.

04:30Right.

04:30Like, you know, maybe he got beat once or twice,

04:32and I go, oh, my God, that's it, pulling.

04:34So I don't know.

04:35That's what the storyline's going to be.

04:36But you're right.

04:37You're right to be concerned.

04:38And again, like, we need him to be steady.

04:39I'm not concerned about yesterday.

04:40I'm concerned about, like, if this is something where he's –

04:44I don't think they pulled him because, oh, my God, he can't be out there.

04:47He forgot how to play right tackle.

04:49But if he's, like, lumbering or they're concerned about his conditioning

04:53or they're concerned about just –

04:56it's something I think that Warren's keeping an eye on because of who he is

05:00and how long he's played.

05:01And again, when they signed him, I liked the signing.

05:04I just – but I'm not convinced, and I don't think you would be either,

05:08that there is any guarantee that he's going to play a ton of games this year.

05:11He is important.

05:12He's very important.

05:13Fred, I agree with everything.

05:14Everything you're saying right now, you're right.

05:16And, I mean, look, it's – you wanted to go out there, and it's airtight,

05:19and, you know, it's something to keep an eye on for sure.

05:21And like I said, like, this is such an important storyline for this offense.

05:25And, you know, yes, Stephon Diggs looked pretty good yesterday.

05:28Callie Williams caught up a couple balls yesterday.

05:30Those are positive developments.

05:31But, you know, we all are going to be keeping an eye on this offensive line

05:34throughout the whole summer and how the rotations go

05:36and who's in and out, and you're absolutely right with –

05:39you know, a lot of times with these veteran free agents, they come in.

05:41We saw in 2021 you have an expectation that they're going to play

05:45at a level that they might have played at before,

05:46and sometimes they don't hit that.

05:48So you're absolutely right to be concerned about, you know,

05:50an older tackle for sure.

05:52I'm just not ready to freak out yet.

05:54I guess I'm still in the afterglow of, you know, watching Stephon Diggs

05:57and, you know, Kyle Williams and Drake May look, you know,

05:59like he's getting the ball out pretty quick.

06:01And, you know, again, like I'm excited about this defensive front.

06:03I was a little bit interested to see how it looks.

06:05And, yeah, they're going to be a nightmare.

06:07They were – you know, that Philly front was a nightmare last year,

06:09and they exposed the Patriots' offensive line

06:11and really gave you some truth serum at that point in training camp.

06:15So we'll see how it progresses.

06:16I hear everything you're saying, and you're absolutely right.

06:18We need those tackle positions to be good.

06:20And any time you're coming out of the first day of any practice

06:23feeling like, well, it wasn't great today, not a great sign, but a long way to go.

06:27Talk a little bit more about the wide receivers.

06:29You mentioned Kyle Williams and why Jalen Polk did not participate yesterday.

06:33Yeah, Polk was a little bit of a surprise.

06:35I mean, he's obviously – he's been rehabbing shoulder surgery during the offseason,

06:39but, you know, we say it all the time.

06:41Any time with these younger guys, especially rookie guys,

06:43but even second-year guys like him who are looking to have a bounce-back year,

06:47you just – you need to be out there for every practice.

06:49So it's a little disappointing not to see him out there right from the get-go,

06:52but with such a jam-packed wide receiver room,

06:55it really is going to give some other guys some opportunities.

06:58So Matt Collins not practicing yet.

06:59Jalen Polk was out.

07:01You saw yesterday.

07:02I mean, it was just great.

07:02I mean, the first play of 11-on-11, it's, you know,

07:05Stephon Diggs on a little crosser.

07:06I was like, all right, that's what everybody needs.

07:08You know, feel like, hey, we've got a weapon,

07:10and that connection and chemistry between Drake and Diggs is growing.

07:14And, you know, really, I thought the – just Kyle Williams,

07:16just seeing him out there and being involved.

07:17I've seen – I've been around long enough to see rookies come into camp,

07:20and they're either hurt and they can't get going,

07:21or they just don't do anything.

07:22And, you know, again, I'm not going to overreact to it,

07:25but come out of 16 total plays and you have a couple catches

07:28in your first day of practice, pretty good sign for that guy.

07:31So tackle's a big concern, but wide receiver's been a big concern too.

07:34Some positive developments at that spot on the first day.

07:37How's, like, the rhythm and the cadence of practice with Vrabel

07:40compared to Mayo?

07:42Well, you know, Vrabel is unique to me.

07:45And, you know, admittedly, I've only seen three head coaches,

07:47like, up close at training camp.

07:49But it's just the involvement.

07:52That's what stands out to me among Mike Vrabel.

07:54And I don't even know if that's, you know, an apt comparison to Gerard May.

07:56I don't know if a lot of coaches are like that, you know,

07:59hopping into different drills.

08:00And, you know, you see as soon as he gives them their little pregame talk,

08:03they break the huddle and Vrabel's, like, in a full sprint out,

08:05setting the tone.

08:06So he's just so involved and you just really feel that energy

08:10that he kind of played with, that tough guy.

08:12And, you know, we've already seen it in the opening days.

08:13It's really entertaining, to be honest.

08:16It's fun to watch whether he's in a press conference

08:17or he's running around on the practice field.

08:19So did you feel bad for Volan when he screwed up like that

08:23and then he got called out?

08:25Yeah, well, then Vrabel did pop quiz time yesterday with everybody else

08:28and nobody knew that.

08:29So I think you've got to be on your toes with Vrabel.

08:32I mean, I had to know people didn't already know that,

08:34but they know it now.

08:35If you liked that clip, and how could you not?

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