FOXBOROUGH - After being the talk of the spring and mandatory mini-camp, Elijah Ponder’s training camp has been, well, fine. The 2nd-year pro hasn’t missed any time and has been consistently running with the first-team defense opposite free-agent acquisition Dre’Mont Jones. That consistency has been needed as Harold Landry remains on the PUP following offseason knee surgery.
But asking Ponder to be an every-down edge is a lot different than his role from a year ago, when he was mostly a designated pass rusher who finished his rookie season with 4 sacks. From Mike Vrabel’s viewpoint, has the kid from Cal-Poly handled his new role?
“I think good,” he told me on Monday morning. “I think he continues just to be more comfortable and understand what the game is and what it is from a special teams standpoint, what it is from a first and second down standpoint, what some of the formations are, what he may be looking at, some of his keys, doesn't seem to be overly stressed or panic.”
Understandably, that’s a much different vibe Ponder’s giving off from a year ago at the time. Then, he was just an undrafted free agent from a small school trying to prove he belongs. Now, he has a foundation to build off. Whether that leads to a year two leap is hard to predict, but the 23-year-old (he turns 24 at the end of the month) certainly feels he’s in a better spot.
“It definitely feels different coming in year two, with the same system, with the same coaches, and just building all those relationships and then building with the team,” Ponder observed. “So I mean, yeah, it feels good compared to coming in not knowing anybody, not knowing the system, not knowing really just the NFL and how it works.”
Ponder’s practice on Monday was one of the better ones he’s had this summer. He made a heady play against an end around, keeping his eyes in the right place and squelching a potential big play.
Then, on back-to-back reps in 11-on-11s, his speed proved to be too much for right tackle Morgan Moses. On the first rep, he got to Moses’ outside shoulder before he could fully extend, and then bent around the edge to get to Drake Maye. Maye completed the pass, but in my estimation, that was a sack. On the next snap, Ponder went speed-to-power to get into Moses before again getting low and angling toward Maye. The quarterback had to quickly pull his eyes off scanning down the field, and instead had to check down to TreVeyon Henderson for a short gain
“I think he's done a great job of obviously elevating himself throughout the season last year, and then working on some things that he needed to work on this offseason, and he's established himself as a player,” Moses said to me after practice. “You know, not just a role player, but a player that we depend on out here. I'm glad that we get a chance to go against him every day.”
“I think confidence does a lot for any player, Ponder said. “When you come in day in and day out and (are) putting the work, and you start seeing yourself grow, your confidence grows as well.”
Ponder’s proven that he can be a factor against the pass, but with this expanded role comes the challenge of holding up on early downs, as Vrabel mentioned. Of his 215 regular-season snaps as a rookie, only 70 were against the run, and no one would confuse him with, say, Anfernee Jennings in that regard, or even Landry. Rather, Ponder was more on par with K’Lavon Chaisson, and we know that wasn’t the latter’s strength. To his credit, Ponder is aware of his shortcomings.
“That's a big thing, you know,” he said. “Stopping the run is - you can't get to the quarterback if you don't stop the run. So that's the major emphasis in our defense. In the off-season (I was) taking steps, working technique and doing things like that to better my craft and my game.”
With Landry seemingly ramping up his on-field activities - he’s been spotted on the lower field (the injured field, if you will) running, and also doing hills under the watchful eye of Frank Piraino, Director of Sports Performance - and the Pats force-feeding second-round pick Gabe Jacas, Ponder might eventually return to being a rotational piece. But in the meantime, he’s increasing his value to the team and proving to be trustworthy, regardless of the role. Not bad for a UDFA, not by a long shot.
Patriots sign guard help: The Patriots signed veteran guard Greg Van Roten to a one-year deal. He brings much-needed depth at guard, and has played some center as well, with Ben Brown out for a month.
Van Roten, 36, is well-traveled. He started 17 games each of the last three seasons for the Raiders (Josh McDaniels' offense) and the Giants.