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- Thread starter Buckskin86
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HorseshoeFetish
Silver Bullet Supporter
TheStoicPaisano;2347709; said:
Talk about being in the right place at the right time...Go get em JAKE!!!
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TheStoicPaisano
But I didn't, so it doesn't
Hernandez is in bracelets and w/o a team. Ballard's up.
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youra6;2348869; said:
Well....since Gronk has the Super-AIDs and can't stay healthy, Hernandez is going to be made Nasty Nate's boyfriend here soon, I'd have to say it's quite likely that Ballard is in the running for the #1 spot....
And the loss of Wes Welker is looking bigger every day for the Pats too...
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ulukinatme
Old Skool
Awesome to see that Jake may be stepping into a huge role with the Pats this coming year, especially considering how BB likes to use TEs. I remember helping out at his middle school games my senior year. The senior players helped out at those games quite a bit back then, dunno if they do still. He was good then, but we never guessed we were seeing a future NFL player. Even back then you heard his name come up quite a bit. Kind of odd to hear my MIL tell stories about babysitting for his family back in the day 
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Buckskin86
Moderator
Matt Williamson on Patriots TE Jake Ballard
June, 26, 2013
By James Walker | ESPN.com
Jake Ballard is one of the hottest names in the Boston area Wednesday -- the veteran just moved up the New England Patriots' depth chart into the important No. 2 tight end role after the team released Aaron Hernandez, who is being investigated in a homicide case near his home in Massachusetts.
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
Jake Ballard doesn't have Aaron Hernandez's athleticism but should still help out in New England, Matt Williamson said.
The AFC East blog caught up with our resident scout, ESPN.com?s Matt Williamson, to get his take on what to look for from Ballard and New England?s offense this season.
Matt, can Ballard absorb the loss of Hernandez in New England?s offense?
Matt Williamson: I think Ballard is a solid player. It was a nice pickup that?s going to pay off for them. But his role, his game doesn?t mirror Hernandez's at all. To put it in a nutshell, Hernandez was as much a wide receiver as he was a tight end. He was equal parts of both. ... There was no way to label him from a defensive standpoint, because the Patriots moved him around so well and he is so versatile.
Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski were viewed as the best tight-end duo in the NFL. Where do Gronkowski and Ballard potentially rank?
MW: They're still the best. If "Gronk" is "Gronk" and healthy, he is still the best player at his position in the league. [New Orleans Saints tight end] Jimmy Graham is the only one who?s close. Gronkowski is more versatile than Graham because he?s a better blocker. And Ballard is still a high-end, No. 2 tight end.
What kind of production can you expect from Ballard this season?
MW: I think we'll see the Patriots play fewer double tight-end sets than they did in the past. The receivers need to step up now, whoever that is. I would say Ballard is in the 400- or 500-yards range with maybe four touchdowns. He can get 40 catches, maybe 45. Ballard is not going to stretch the field like Hernandez, nor is he close to being as good after the catch with the ball in his hands. Ballard is not as versatile with his route tree, but he?s a good player.
http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/78362/matt-williamson-on-patriots-te-jake-ballard
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Buckskin86
Moderator
- See more at: http://bostonherald.com/sports/patr..._in_happy_place_on_field#sthash.kkQiG3lN.dpufJake Ballard back in happy place: on field
IN THE MIX: Tight end Jake Ballard can make an immediate impact with the Patriots as he returns to the field for the first time since ACL surgery.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
By:
Mark Daniels
FOXBORO ? As the Patriots took the field yesterday morning for the first day of training camp, it started to hit Jake Ballard right as ?Crazy Train? blasted out of the speakers surrounding the practice field.
It was cold and it was wet, but there was no other place the tight end would have rather been.
It was Ballard?s first time playing in a non-limited role since tearing his ACL in Super Bowl XLVI, where he took on the Patriots as a member of the New York Giants. It?s been a year and half since that day and the 25-year-old couldn?t have been happier to play again.
?After warmups it kind of hit me a little bit. The music came on and I was like, ?Man, it?s really happening,? ? Ballard said. ?It?s great to be here. Sitting on the couch for so long, it got old. Definitely enjoyed being back out here.?
When the Patriots first claimed Ballard off waivers from the Giants, he was an afterthought for many. After all, he was joining a team with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez ? two of the best tight ends in the NFL.
But as the Patriots enter training camp, Ballard could take on a larger role than expected. The Pats released Hernandez. And yesterday, coach Bill Belichick said there is no timetable for the return of Gronkowski, who is out after having back surgery.
At training camp, Ballard took reps with the first-team offense and made a nice catch on a deep ball thrown by Tom Brady along the left sideline. He rotated in and out with fellow tight ends Michael Hoomanawanui and Daniel Fells.
Ballard spent his first year in the NFL on the practice squad with the Giants before catching 38 passes for 604 yards and four touchdowns in 2011. He said sitting out after his breakout year was ?a huge challenge.?
?I was on the practice squad a little bit my rookie year, but it really kind of stunk being out and not really being able to help the team out,? Ballard said. ?You know, just watching the games from the sidelines or even away games at your house. It was a hard challenge for me mentally, but I just had to keep pushing and getting better. I knew one day would come where I would get an opportunity to play again.?
When asked if his eyes light up at the possibility of having a big season, Ballard said that wasn?t the case. He was just happy to be back.
?I mean, my eyes light up when I was able to practice football today for the first time in a year and a half,? Ballard said. ?I?m just happy to be back out here and working hard.?
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