Camp News

[BigKen]

 

[SDGuy73]

The New England Patriots have become the first NFL team to buy their own plane to fly to games. Make that two planes.

Sources tell ESPN that the reigning Super Bowl champions bought two 767 Boeing wide-body jets in the offseason and retrofitted them with all first-class seats, some of which recline completely. On the outside of at least one of the planes is the team logo and five Lombardi trophies on the tail.

These planes, depending on miles flown and condition, generally cost between $5 million and $65 million. A source said the planes the Patriots bought are extended range, which allows the planes to fly nonstop for about 12 hours.

A brand-new plane could cost $200 million.

One plane will be used as the main plane for the season, while the other will be the backup, with flight operations being run out of Providence, Rhode Island, sources said. Patriots spokesman Stacey James said team officials would not be publicly commenting on the acquisitions.

NFL teams haven't thought much about buying their own planes in the past, with only 10 games on the road. But charter travel has gotten more expensive over the past couple of years, due to the major carriers starting to retire the bigger planes that fly the teams around.

The bigger planes -- which can carry a full team, its support staff and the onerous amount of equipment the team needs on the road -- are being retired because they are nearing a point in their life cycle where they have to be stripped, fully gutted and reworked in order to satisfy Federal Aviation Administration requirements. Airlines like Delta and American have chosen to begin retiring the planes instead of going through what would be a cost-prohibitive reboot.

American said last year that it would no longer fly the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelersand Miami Dolphins. At least two of those teams, the Steelers and the Dolphins, took their business to charter-only airline Miami Air, sources said.

The rising cost of chartering flights for NFL teams makes the decision to buy a plane somewhat easier. Sources with knowledge of the deals teams have done with charter companies say the 10 round-trip flights per season can cost up to $4 million.

It is expected that team-owned planes will help give athletes a leg up on the recovery process, which is one of the areas that interested the Patriots.

In 2014, a concept plane designed by a firm named Teague, in partnership with Nike, sought to equalize the effects of air travel on mind and body as well as get a head start on recovery through an in-flight training room. Two years later, Russian aircraft maker Sukhoi built its concept plane, which had features including a "smart toilet" that measured an athlete's state of hydration and sensors in seats that could detect an athlete's physiological changes.

The Patriots will allow for the planes to be rented out during the season when they are not needed for team travel, sources said. It is not known how aggressively the team will seek to make up some of its costs by advertising the planes' availability.
_____________

AirKrafts are great. Your move Jerry Jones!

 

[CreepCreep2014]

OK...so went to camp and wow, it looked like I was going to a regular season game. Tons of people....Few things I noticed.

-Ealy played mostly on the inside with Guy, Brown, Butler. I took me awhile to find him because he was not on the edge. He was running mostly with the 1st team and was getting great pressure, got to the QB a few times. Maybe the talk about him slacking has caught up with him. I believe I saw an article about him admitting he gotta get his "grove" back.
-Wise is a big fucking man on the edge. He lined up with the ones with Flowers on the other side. He is going to cause some shit. He is long and wide. He was getting great pressure off the edge and seems to have the hustle you want. His hands are great too, very quick and strong up top.
-Harris was mainly in the middle with Van-Noy.
-Langi was out there all day with the 1's and lined up as OLB on both sides. I have to admit, I was more than shocked at him. He seems to have gotten bigger and is as fast as fuck off the edge. He is strong too. He must have bull rushed both OT numerous times with success and was always around Bortles. He also was able to drop back in coverage and get on his man quick. I was blown away with him. Dude is gonna make this team.
-Rivers seems to be putting on some muscle, he looked bigger in person. He lined up with the 2's on the edge with Ealy on the other. Still a work in process...
-This secondary is just going to be disgustingly good. Gillmore is just a natural, he just flows out there. I was actually mostly impressed from him just by the way he takes the approach. Never got rattled or lost his man. Harmon is a stud. Gillmore on the left, MB on the right all day.
-No Solder at all today so Waddle was the LT with the ones. OL seemed to struggle today a little. Some decent pressure on Brady.
-They really didn't do much in terms of passing. It seemed BB was all about situational football. Gronk was Gronk, Cooks had a few nice catches. I mean, this offense should steamroll teams if the OL stays healthy.
-For all you Cy Jones fans out there..NO dropped punts and he actually looked calm out there...

I got the feeling they are ready to start hitting other guys for real. BB actually pulled the entire 1st team Def and made them run laps cause they fucked up. He was not a happy man for about 5m. LOL. Lewis looks back to his old self, no way he gets cut.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

OK...so went to camp and wow, it looked like I was going to a regular season game. Tons of people....Few things I noticed.

-Ealy played mostly on the inside with Guy, Brown, Butler. I took me awhile to find him because he was not on the edge. He was running mostly with the 1st team and was getting great pressure, got to the QB a few times. Maybe the talk about him slacking has caught up with him. I believe I saw an article about him admitting he gotta get his "grove" back.
-Wise is a big fucking man on the edge. He lined up with the ones with Flowers on the other side. He is going to cause some shit. He is long and wide. He was getting great pressure off the edge and seems to have the hustle you want. His hands are great too, very quick and strong up top.
-Harris was mainly in the middle with Van-Noy.
-Langi was out there all day with the 1's and lined up as OLB on both sides. I have to admit, I was more than shocked at him. He seems to have gotten bigger and is as fast as fuck off the edge. He is strong too. He must have bull rushed both OT numerous times with success and was always around Bortles. He also was able to drop back in coverage and get on his man quick. I was blown away with him. Dude is gonna make this team.
-Rivers seems to be putting on some muscle, he looked bigger in person. He lined up with the 2's on the edge with Ealy on the other. Still a work in process...
-This secondary is just going to be disgustingly good. Gillmore is just a natural, he just flows out there. I was actually mostly impressed from him just by the way he takes the approach. Never got rattled or lost his man. Harmon is a stud. Gillmore on the left, MB on the right all day.
-No Solder at all today so Waddle was the LT with the ones. OL seemed to struggle today a little. Some decent pressure on Brady.
-They really didn't do much in terms of passing. It seemed BB was all about situational football. Gronk was Gronk, Cooks had a few nice catches. I mean, this offense should steamroll teams if the OL stays healthy.
-For all you Cy Jones fans out there..NO dropped punts and he actually looked calm out there...

I got the feeling they are ready to start hitting other guys for real. BB actually pulled the entire 1st team Def and made them run laps cause they fucked up. He was not a happy man for about 5m. LOL. Lewis looks back to his old self, no way he gets cut.

Nice write up, thanks Creep

 

[YankeeRebel]

Check out Malcom Mitchell Patriots Notes: Malcolm Mitchell Schools Jaguars With Slick Route-Running

 

[BigKen]

Thanks Creep...nice work.

 

[ohiopatsfan]

Heard the Pats signed Keonta Davis as an UDFA. He was rated about as highly as Derek Rivers as an edge rusher. With Ealy not looking good and Wise hurting, this may be a good move if Davis' disc problem is healed.

 

[CreepCreep2014]

Heard the Pats signed Keonta Davis as an UDFA. He was rated about as highly as Derek Rivers as an edge rusher. With Ealy not looking good and Wise hurting, this may be a good move if Davis' disc problem is healed.

I read he was going to be one of the top UDFA after the draft, but was hurt and decided not to sign with anyone till healthy. I guess he have 10 sacks last yr and over 30 the past 3 yrs. I am curious if he was hurt during the draft and that is why he went undrafted.....gonna have to take a look.

 

[Southieinnc]

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<ALERT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Commercial Airlines have upped the cost of Charter Flights significantly. Most airlines are getting rid of the bigger planes and going smaller.

Bob Kraft has just purchased not one, but, TWO Boeing 767 Super Buses. He will retro fit them both. We know that one will be specifically for the football team. Pretty sure that it have no more than 75 oversized rotating/reclining seats. Full kitchen and all of the prefect cargo areas.

The other will be scaled back also and br used for the Revolution when they travel and additional Patriots players family and guests of the team.

Can't wait to see the paint job on the team plane.......An Honest to GOD ....FLYING ELVIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Southieinnc]

The New England Patriots have become the first NFL team to buy their own plane to fly to games. Make that two planes.

Sources tell ESPN that the reigning Super Bowl champions bought two 767 Boeing wide-body jets in the offseason and retrofitted them with all first-class seats, some of which recline completely. On the outside of at least one of the planes is the team logo and five Lombardi trophies on the tail.

These planes, depending on miles flown and condition, generally cost between $5 million and $65 million. A source said the planes the Patriots bought are extended range, which allows the planes to fly nonstop for about 12 hours.

A brand-new plane could cost $200 million.

One plane will be used as the main plane for the season, while the other will be the backup, with flight operations being run out of Providence, Rhode Island, sources said. Patriots spokesman Stacey James said team officials would not be publicly commenting on the acquisitions.

NFL teams haven't thought much about buying their own planes in the past, with only 10 games on the road. But charter travel has gotten more expensive over the past couple of years, due to the major carriers starting to retire the bigger planes that fly the teams around.

The bigger planes -- which can carry a full team, its support staff and the onerous amount of equipment the team needs on the road -- are being retired because they are nearing a point in their life cycle where they have to be stripped, fully gutted and reworked in order to satisfy Federal Aviation Administration requirements. Airlines like Delta and American have chosen to begin retiring the planes instead of going through what would be a cost-prohibitive reboot.

American said last year that it would no longer fly the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelersand Miami Dolphins. At least two of those teams, the Steelers and the Dolphins, took their business to charter-only airline Miami Air, sources said.

The rising cost of chartering flights for NFL teams makes the decision to buy a plane somewhat easier. Sources with knowledge of the deals teams have done with charter companies say the 10 round-trip flights per season can cost up to $4 million.

It is expected that team-owned planes will help give athletes a leg up on the recovery process, which is one of the areas that interested the Patriots.

In 2014, a concept plane designed by a firm named Teague, in partnership with Nike, sought to equalize the effects of air travel on mind and body as well as get a head start on recovery through an in-flight training room. Two years later, Russian aircraft maker Sukhoi built its concept plane, which had features including a "smart toilet" that measured an athlete's state of hydration and sensors in seats that could detect an athlete's physiological changes.

The Patriots will allow for the planes to be rented out during the season when they are not needed for team travel, sources said. It is not known how aggressively the team will seek to make up some of its costs by advertising the planes' availability.
_____________

AirKrafts are great. Your move Jerry Jones!

Maybe we could get Gronk to rent the plane after we win the Superbowl and have a SB party for SportsHoopla?????

 

[BigKen]

Good News Monday????

Alan Branch was taken off the PUP List today and was a full participant in practice....He looks fat.

Austin Carr did some work with the first team today.

Hollister's aa6 yards against the Jags impressed BB and he was the #2 today.

Jordan Richards was pressed today. Bad performance punishment??

Who goes to Houston?? Who stays home??

 

[CreepCreep2014]

OL is struggling....No Solder, Garcia and now Waddle, so that means Flemming is getting tossed around. Good news is Cannon is handling JJ Watt with no problems.

Hogan is tearing it up.

Need to call on some of these FA DE. Wise hurt, Ealy hurt, Rivers hurt and sent back to Boston....no Nink...thin, thin, thin.....

 

[YankeeRebel]

OL is struggling....No Solder, Garcia and now Waddle, so that means Flemming is getting tossed around. Good news is Cannon is handling JJ Watt with no problems.

Hogan is tearing it up.

Need to call on some of these FA DE. Wise hurt, Ealy hurt, Rivers hurt and sent back to Boston....no Nink...thin, thin, thin.....

What the heck happened to Garcia and Solder?

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

Undisclosed injuries

 

[CreepCreep2014]

What the heck happened to Garcia and Solder?

Both have missed the past couple of weeks, but no clue why.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

The New England Patriots fear they have lost rookie defensive end Derek Rivers for the entire season due to a knee injury, league sources told ESPN on Friday.

 

[YankeeRebel]

The New England Patriots fear they have lost rookie defensive end Derek Rivers for the entire season due to a knee injury, league sources told ESPN on Friday.

Of course.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

Guessing we're going to start seeing quite a bit of Hightower and Langi playing DE.

 

[CreepCreep2014]

Looks like DT Butler will make this team pending any moves (trade or FA). Apparently he has the ability to move outside with Guy at times. So maybe were not that bad. Plus we just signed that DE that was injured. He was supposed to be a 3/4th rd pick. Still these kids are young. I would love to see Freeny come in and mentor these kids and just rush the passer.

Just a side note. I read that Ealy has picked up the pace at camp and his pass rushing has been much better, so there is hope for that.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

Looks like DT Butler will make this team pending any moves (trade or FA). Apparently he has the ability to move outside with Guy at times. So maybe were not that bad. Plus we just signed that DE that was injured. He was supposed to be a 3/4th rd pick. Still these kids are young. I would love to see Freeny come in and mentor these kids and just rush the passer.

Just a side note. I read that Ealy has picked up the pace at camp and his pass rushing has been much better, so there is hope for that.

Bringing Freeny in at/around vet min would be a great move. I think this still happens but Freeny the vet likely didn't want to be in camp. Maybe by the 4th pre season game?
Otherwise in BB we trust. That new kid could be BBs ace in the hole this year? He also seems to find that diamond in the rough.