Patriots news
- Thread starter LordSensei1958
- Start date
Unless JuJu is some order of magnitude better than he was last year, why keep him?
This guy is available if we want to bring in another linebacker.
They've got plenty of cap space, especially since they tried to cheap out on their attempted WR1 FA acquisition.
People are arguing it's too expensive to cut him. Fuck that if their ever was a year to eat a bad contract this is it. Also Doug's roster has no kick returner. I think Reagor makes the team for that reason alone, he's good at it. I would not want Marcus Jones taking kicks other than as a fill-in or desperation gadget play.
The New England Patriots are off on summer break as they are officially done with OTAs and mandatory minicamp.
With things quieting down until the start of training camp in late July, let’s clean out the notebook with our Sunday Patriots Notes.
1. More to give: Plenty of attention was rightfully shined on the need for upgrades in the Patriots wide receiver room this offseason. But, when the team took the field this spring for OTAs and mandatory minicamp, it was one of their receivers from last season that shined.
DeMario Douglas’ rookie year came with plenty of success as he became the most productive rookie receiver in the Bill Belichick-Patriots era with 49 receptions for 561 yards. Despite the success, Douglas believes his game can reach another level.
“I’m not satisfied at all,” Douglas said in an appearance on Rich in Real Life. “I got the rookie record under Bill. I was like ‘I could do so much more.’ But, I had little injuries and stuff like that that got in the way.
“I know I just come 10 times harder than this next year. Regardless, I feel like I was blessed. I was blessed to be in this position. But, at the same time I’m like, ‘I know I got more.’ But I’m proud of what I did, don’t get me wrong. But, I’m not satisfied at all. At all.”
Douglas taking a next step would be welcomed news for an offense that continues to search for game breaking offensive talent. Staying on the field will be part of that, as the 5-foot-8 receiver did deal with injuries — including a pair of concussions — last season that limited him to under 500 offensive snaps.
Staying on the field more will produce better results on it’s own, but Douglas has worked hard this offseason with fellow receivers Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton to improve his own game entering Year 2.
That translated to the practice fields this spring, as the shifty Douglas was New England’s best, and most consistent, receiver during media-attended practices. That included one session in which he caught four touchdowns front three different quarterbacks — including rookie Drake Maye.
“Pop reminds me a lot of a guy I played with in college, Josh Downs. They do a lot of the same things: can’t guard them in a phone booth, they’re twitchy,” Maye said after practice. “He’s [got] speed. Those are two things you can't work on: speed and twicthness. So he’s got them both and look forward to see what he does.”
Hearing that comparison should excite New England fans, as Downs, who went 79th overall in the same draft as Douglas, was Maye’s favorite target during their one season together at North Carolina. In 2022, the duo connected 94 times for 1,029 yards and 11 scores.
New England will certainly take similar production from Douglas moving forward, as they hope their receiver does have more to give to become a key offensive piece that can grow with the 21-year old Maye moving forward.
2. To the links: With players officially breaking until training camp, vacations and offseason activities are in full swing. For punter and scratch golfer Bryce Baringer, he took to the golf course with his free time to keep the competitive mindset in tact.
Baringer spent Tuesday playing in the Massachusetts Amateur qualifier at the Stockbridge Golf Club and posted a round-winning 1-under-par 69. He won by one stroke which came thanks to a 25-foot birdie putt on hole 18, which he relates to pinning an opponent deep with a punt, to qualify for the Massachusetts Amateur Championship.
“Right now, we’re on our break before training camp. For me, being able to do these types of events helps me keep my juices flowing,” he told Mass Golf. “Being able to compete with myself and try to put my foot forward, no matter what I’m trying to do, is always good for self-improvement. It helps me stay competitive, and it helps me learn a lot about who I am as a player.”
AD
3. Offseason message: With the offseason program closing on June 12, players have 41 days until they return for training camp (37 for rookies). The message between now and then is simple.
“The message is don’t lose the gains that you’ve made, and either you’re getting better or you’re getting worse,” Mayo explained. “There is no maintaining, alright? So, continue to work out at home and make good decisions off the field. If you do that, you’ll be okay.”
Second-year offensive lineman Sidy Sow added: “Don’t be stupid and go out there and gain 35 pounds because you haven’t been doing anything. Be ready, camp is coming, and that’s where you earn your job.”
4. Strange’s status: Jerod Mayo described left guard Cole Strange’s status as “month-by-month” earlier this offseason, which cast doubt about his status this upcoming season. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Strange suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee when he went down in December.
Strange originally suffered an injury to his left patellar tendon on the first day of padded practices in training camp which cost him the rest of the summer before he eventually returned in Week 2. It’s also the same injury Mayo suffered in 2014 late in his career.
5. Eyes on UFL: With the end of the UFL season last Sunday, NFL teams are now free to sign players from the league. New England took advantage as they agreed to terms with offensive lineman Liam Fornadel, who most recently played for the D.C. Defenders.
Another position they could take a look at is kicker, a group that saw much success in the UFL this season. While the Detroit Lions already inked standout Jake Bates, several other options remain. One includes Matt Coghlin, who hit 16-of-18 field goals this season with a long of 57 yards for the New Orleans Breakers. Coghlin also played college football at Michigan State with Bryce Baringer.
6. Locker room feel: “The locker room is very accepting,” free agent addition Antonio Gibson said. “I feel like it’s more of a bond here, they do a lot of things together. Nothing against my brothers on the other side, but everybody communicates with each other — from offense to defense. That’s a good feeling coming over here and them being accepting.”
7. Running back rank: Gibson will combine forces with Rhamondre Stevenson this season to create a 1-2 punch atop the Patriots running back depth chart. The room is then currently rounded out by Kevin Harris, JaMycal Hasty, and UDFA’s Terrell Jennings and Deshaun Fenwick.
In a current ranking of running back units on Pro Football Focus, New England’s group ranked 25th in the NFL.
The quarterback was then one of several Patriots’ in the building Monday night for the Boston Celtics Game 5 victory in which they clinched Banner 18.
9. Championship Stat: With the Celtics NBA Championship, the big-four Boston professional sports teams have now combined for 13 titles since 2000 — with six won by the Patriots. As pointed out by Red Sox Stats on Twitter, 26 percent of all players who played on the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, or Bruins have one at least one championship ring in their Boston tenure.
10. Setting up the week ahead: The quiet portion of the NFL offseason rolls on. While rookies will remain in the building over the next week to continue to work, teams are off the field until the beginning of training camp in late July.
With things quieting down until the start of training camp in late July, let’s clean out the notebook with our Sunday Patriots Notes.
1. More to give: Plenty of attention was rightfully shined on the need for upgrades in the Patriots wide receiver room this offseason. But, when the team took the field this spring for OTAs and mandatory minicamp, it was one of their receivers from last season that shined.
DeMario Douglas’ rookie year came with plenty of success as he became the most productive rookie receiver in the Bill Belichick-Patriots era with 49 receptions for 561 yards. Despite the success, Douglas believes his game can reach another level.
“I’m not satisfied at all,” Douglas said in an appearance on Rich in Real Life. “I got the rookie record under Bill. I was like ‘I could do so much more.’ But, I had little injuries and stuff like that that got in the way.
“I know I just come 10 times harder than this next year. Regardless, I feel like I was blessed. I was blessed to be in this position. But, at the same time I’m like, ‘I know I got more.’ But I’m proud of what I did, don’t get me wrong. But, I’m not satisfied at all. At all.”
Douglas taking a next step would be welcomed news for an offense that continues to search for game breaking offensive talent. Staying on the field will be part of that, as the 5-foot-8 receiver did deal with injuries — including a pair of concussions — last season that limited him to under 500 offensive snaps.
Staying on the field more will produce better results on it’s own, but Douglas has worked hard this offseason with fellow receivers Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton to improve his own game entering Year 2.
That translated to the practice fields this spring, as the shifty Douglas was New England’s best, and most consistent, receiver during media-attended practices. That included one session in which he caught four touchdowns front three different quarterbacks — including rookie Drake Maye.
“Pop reminds me a lot of a guy I played with in college, Josh Downs. They do a lot of the same things: can’t guard them in a phone booth, they’re twitchy,” Maye said after practice. “He’s [got] speed. Those are two things you can't work on: speed and twicthness. So he’s got them both and look forward to see what he does.”
Hearing that comparison should excite New England fans, as Downs, who went 79th overall in the same draft as Douglas, was Maye’s favorite target during their one season together at North Carolina. In 2022, the duo connected 94 times for 1,029 yards and 11 scores.
New England will certainly take similar production from Douglas moving forward, as they hope their receiver does have more to give to become a key offensive piece that can grow with the 21-year old Maye moving forward.
2. To the links: With players officially breaking until training camp, vacations and offseason activities are in full swing. For punter and scratch golfer Bryce Baringer, he took to the golf course with his free time to keep the competitive mindset in tact.
Baringer spent Tuesday playing in the Massachusetts Amateur qualifier at the Stockbridge Golf Club and posted a round-winning 1-under-par 69. He won by one stroke which came thanks to a 25-foot birdie putt on hole 18, which he relates to pinning an opponent deep with a punt, to qualify for the Massachusetts Amateur Championship.
“Right now, we’re on our break before training camp. For me, being able to do these types of events helps me keep my juices flowing,” he told Mass Golf. “Being able to compete with myself and try to put my foot forward, no matter what I’m trying to do, is always good for self-improvement. It helps me stay competitive, and it helps me learn a lot about who I am as a player.”
AD
3. Offseason message: With the offseason program closing on June 12, players have 41 days until they return for training camp (37 for rookies). The message between now and then is simple.
“The message is don’t lose the gains that you’ve made, and either you’re getting better or you’re getting worse,” Mayo explained. “There is no maintaining, alright? So, continue to work out at home and make good decisions off the field. If you do that, you’ll be okay.”
Second-year offensive lineman Sidy Sow added: “Don’t be stupid and go out there and gain 35 pounds because you haven’t been doing anything. Be ready, camp is coming, and that’s where you earn your job.”
4. Strange’s status: Jerod Mayo described left guard Cole Strange’s status as “month-by-month” earlier this offseason, which cast doubt about his status this upcoming season. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Strange suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee when he went down in December.
Strange originally suffered an injury to his left patellar tendon on the first day of padded practices in training camp which cost him the rest of the summer before he eventually returned in Week 2. It’s also the same injury Mayo suffered in 2014 late in his career.
5. Eyes on UFL: With the end of the UFL season last Sunday, NFL teams are now free to sign players from the league. New England took advantage as they agreed to terms with offensive lineman Liam Fornadel, who most recently played for the D.C. Defenders.
Another position they could take a look at is kicker, a group that saw much success in the UFL this season. While the Detroit Lions already inked standout Jake Bates, several other options remain. One includes Matt Coghlin, who hit 16-of-18 field goals this season with a long of 57 yards for the New Orleans Breakers. Coghlin also played college football at Michigan State with Bryce Baringer.
6. Locker room feel: “The locker room is very accepting,” free agent addition Antonio Gibson said. “I feel like it’s more of a bond here, they do a lot of things together. Nothing against my brothers on the other side, but everybody communicates with each other — from offense to defense. That’s a good feeling coming over here and them being accepting.”
7. Running back rank: Gibson will combine forces with Rhamondre Stevenson this season to create a 1-2 punch atop the Patriots running back depth chart. The room is then currently rounded out by Kevin Harris, JaMycal Hasty, and UDFA’s Terrell Jennings and Deshaun Fenwick.
In a current ranking of running back units on Pro Football Focus, New England’s group ranked 25th in the NFL.
8. Embracing Boston: Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye got the full Boston experience this past week after wrapping up the on-field portion of his first offseason program. Maye stayed for the entirety of the three-hour Tom Brady ceremony before attending a Red Sox game later that weekend.
The quarterback was then one of several Patriots’ in the building Monday night for the Boston Celtics Game 5 victory in which they clinched Banner 18.
9. Championship Stat: With the Celtics NBA Championship, the big-four Boston professional sports teams have now combined for 13 titles since 2000 — with six won by the Patriots. As pointed out by Red Sox Stats on Twitter, 26 percent of all players who played on the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, or Bruins have one at least one championship ring in their Boston tenure.
10. Setting up the week ahead: The quiet portion of the NFL offseason rolls on. While rookies will remain in the building over the next week to continue to work, teams are off the field until the beginning of training camp in late July.
Before free agency this spring, the Patriots decided they would use the third overall pick in the NFL Draft on a quarterback. That meant they wouldn’t be in the market for a high-end free-agent quarterback like Kirk Cousins.
Instead, they went a different direction, signing veteran Jacoby Brissett, a reunion for the 31-year-old in two ways. The move brought the 2016 third-round pick back to the team that drafted him. But it also reunited Brissett with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who he played for with the Cleveland Browns in 2022.
Now, Brissett is set to begin training camp as the Patriots’ starting quarterback — even with No. 3 pick Drake Maye aiming to unseat him. So let’s look at Brissett’s road here and what we might expect from him in 2024.
Brissett may have limitations that keep him from being a top-20 quarterback. But coaches love that he does just about everything right. He’s good at getting the offense into the right play. His dropbacks are fluid, and he always ends up where coaches want him to be.
That’s not enough to make him a no-doubt starter, but it was enough for the Patriots to want that kind of player around Maye, who right now has, in some ways, the polar opposite skill set. Maye has all the tools but needs work on the fundamentals. The hope is some of what Brissett offers rubs off on Maye.
This offseason, Brissett took all of the snaps with the first-team offense. Van Pelt called him the team’s starting quarterback.
That undoubtedly will continue into the start of training camp. And as long as Maye doesn’t dramatically outperform him, Brissett will probably be the Week 1 starter.
The year before that, he started 11 games for the Browns while Deshaun Watson was suspended but became the backup after Watson returned. Brissett has started 48 games over his eight-year NFL career, totaling 51 touchdowns against 23 interceptions with a 61.3 percent completion rate and 6.6 yards per attempt.
So even if Brissett performs at about the same level as Maye in camp, he’ll likely still be the starter. After that, there are several windows in which the Patriots could turn to Maye instead of Brissett.
He ranked seventh in expected points added per play, 10th in success rate and third in completion percentage over expected among all NFL quarterbacks in the first 11 weeks of that season. He even outperformed Watson, but the Browns weren’t going to give Brissett the starting job back after the massive investment the organization made in Watson.
So the hope is that Brissett can return to that level of play (or even approach it) in New England now that he’s being reunited with Van Pelt’s offensive system.
The worst-case scenario is Brissett struggling in camp and becoming the backup quarterback behind Maye. If that’s the case, it’s a bummer for Brissett personally but totally fine for a rebuilding organization whose No. 1 goal this season is seeing positive strides from Maye.
Ideally, Brissett is good enough to start a handful of early games while showing Maye (who was only a starter for two years in college) what it takes to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. But even if that doesn’t happen, the Patriots would be fine seeing what Maye can do over a 17-game season.
But if Maye starts to string together some good practices and backs that up in the preseason games, at what point do they start to split snaps with the top unit?
The other thing to watch is how Brissett interacts with Maye on the field. Part of the reason Brissett is here is to help Maye develop. So if you go to practices, watch how often Brissett is in Maye’s ear with little tidbits and how the two work together.
Instead, they went a different direction, signing veteran Jacoby Brissett, a reunion for the 31-year-old in two ways. The move brought the 2016 third-round pick back to the team that drafted him. But it also reunited Brissett with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who he played for with the Cleveland Browns in 2022.
Now, Brissett is set to begin training camp as the Patriots’ starting quarterback — even with No. 3 pick Drake Maye aiming to unseat him. So let’s look at Brissett’s road here and what we might expect from him in 2024.
Offseason recap
The Patriots signed Brissett to a one-year, $8 million contract (with $4 million in incentives) for two reasons. First, they believe he can still be a solid starting quarterback in the NFL, partly because of Van Pelt’s positive experience with him. Second, they think he’s the perfect veteran to help develop a rookie.Brissett may have limitations that keep him from being a top-20 quarterback. But coaches love that he does just about everything right. He’s good at getting the offense into the right play. His dropbacks are fluid, and he always ends up where coaches want him to be.
That’s not enough to make him a no-doubt starter, but it was enough for the Patriots to want that kind of player around Maye, who right now has, in some ways, the polar opposite skill set. Maye has all the tools but needs work on the fundamentals. The hope is some of what Brissett offers rubs off on Maye.
This offseason, Brissett took all of the snaps with the first-team offense. Van Pelt called him the team’s starting quarterback.
That undoubtedly will continue into the start of training camp. And as long as Maye doesn’t dramatically outperform him, Brissett will probably be the Week 1 starter.
History
With the Washington Commanders last season, Brissett took a backseat to Sam Howell and didn’t start any games.The year before that, he started 11 games for the Browns while Deshaun Watson was suspended but became the backup after Watson returned. Brissett has started 48 games over his eight-year NFL career, totaling 51 touchdowns against 23 interceptions with a 61.3 percent completion rate and 6.6 yards per attempt.
X-factor
The Patriots’ difficult start to the schedule could force the team toward starting Brissett even if he and Maye have very similar training camps. Given that four of the team’s first five opponents have Super Bowl aspirations, the Patriots might conclude that starting Maye could hurt his confidence if the team struggles out of the gate.So even if Brissett performs at about the same level as Maye in camp, he’ll likely still be the starter. After that, there are several windows in which the Patriots could turn to Maye instead of Brissett.
Reasons for optimism
Brissett’s advanced stats were quietly very good in his 11 games as the Browns’ starter in 2022 with Van Pelt as his coordinator.He ranked seventh in expected points added per play, 10th in success rate and third in completion percentage over expected among all NFL quarterbacks in the first 11 weeks of that season. He even outperformed Watson, but the Browns weren’t going to give Brissett the starting job back after the massive investment the organization made in Watson.
So the hope is that Brissett can return to that level of play (or even approach it) in New England now that he’s being reunited with Van Pelt’s offensive system.
Reasons for concern
Honestly, there aren’t many.The worst-case scenario is Brissett struggling in camp and becoming the backup quarterback behind Maye. If that’s the case, it’s a bummer for Brissett personally but totally fine for a rebuilding organization whose No. 1 goal this season is seeing positive strides from Maye.
Ideally, Brissett is good enough to start a handful of early games while showing Maye (who was only a starter for two years in college) what it takes to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. But even if that doesn’t happen, the Patriots would be fine seeing what Maye can do over a 17-game season.
What to watch in camp
Brissett is going to have a better grasp of the offense than Maye after playing in it for a full year. He’s going to get the reps with the starters, at least at the beginning.But if Maye starts to string together some good practices and backs that up in the preseason games, at what point do they start to split snaps with the top unit?
The other thing to watch is how Brissett interacts with Maye on the field. Part of the reason Brissett is here is to help Maye develop. So if you go to practices, watch how often Brissett is in Maye’s ear with little tidbits and how the two work together.
The first major chance is over for New England Patriots players to make a strong impression on the new coaching staff.
Organized team activities and minicamp are especially important times with a mostly new group of decision-makers. For a few Patriots players, those sessions ended with plenty to feel good about. For others, a strong training camp is necessary to give them a shot.
After projecting the 53-man roster earlier this week, let’s look at four players whose stock is rising and four who are headed in the wrong direction.
This is partly due to issues on the interior of the offensive line. But in minicamp, the Patriots moved Mike Onwenu from right tackle to right guard to, as head coach Jerod Mayo suggested, use the best five offensive linemen regardless of position.
So given their struggle to find two competent guards, they might consider keeping Onwenu at guard while using Chukwuma Okorafor at left tackle and Wallace at right tackle.
In training camp, Wallace will have to show he belongs, but staying at right tackle (where he played at Penn State) could ease his transition to the NFL and lead to him being a Week 1 starter.
He was the team’s leading receiver last season — albeit with only 561 yards — and looked even better in spring practices.
The tough thing for the Patriots is that Douglas can pretty much only play from the slot, and they already have several receivers who are at their best in that position (including Bourne, K.J. Osborn and JuJu Smith-Schuster). But it’s going to be Alex Van Pelt’s job to figure out how to keep Douglas on the field because he’s the team’s most dynamic receiver.
Still, his road to the 53-man is difficult. There’s probably only one spot for Boutte, Smith-Schuster, Jalen Reagor and Tyquan Thornton. Boutte may not seem the likeliest to win that competition, but after a solid spring, don’t rule him out.
The Pats signed Austin in November after he was released from the Houston Texans’ practice squad, and he arrived with little in the way of expectations. Then he was thrust into action after J.C. Jackson’s leave from the team.
But he has built on his success from last season and could become the team’s No. 2 outside corner if Jonathan Jones plays in the slot.
“When we finished up last year, he was one of those guys where it was like, ‘Look, this is an NFL player,’” Mayo said. “So it’s good to see him coming back in shape and making plays.”
If he’s going to make the roster, he needs to definitively outplay both Boutte and Thornton in training camp while hoping Reagor loses the competition for the top kick-return job.
After a couple of bumpy seasons, Strange should be set up for his best year yet. But these spring practices are when you’re supposed to get lots of reps and learn the offense before building in camp. Instead, it’s unclear whether Strange will be ready for the start of training camp, which means he’ll be behind schedule in this crucial year.
To earn the No. 3 quarterback spot, he’d have to drastically outplay Milton, which didn’t happen this spring.
The Patriots have always done a good job of getting the most out of players others saw as being “between positions,” but Mapu seems a bit stuck. He’s too small to play linebacker consistently, but too big to play safety.
Organized team activities and minicamp are especially important times with a mostly new group of decision-makers. For a few Patriots players, those sessions ended with plenty to feel good about. For others, a strong training camp is necessary to give them a shot.
After projecting the 53-man roster earlier this week, let’s look at four players whose stock is rising and four who are headed in the wrong direction.
Risers
Caedan Wallace, OT
Two things can be true for the Patriots’ rookie third-round pick. First, it’s difficult to evaluate and put too much stock into the performances of offensive linemen during these spring practices since they’re not wearing full pads. Secondly, the Patriots seem pleased enough by what they’ve seen from Wallace to consider letting him stay at his natural position of right tackle.This is partly due to issues on the interior of the offensive line. But in minicamp, the Patriots moved Mike Onwenu from right tackle to right guard to, as head coach Jerod Mayo suggested, use the best five offensive linemen regardless of position.
So given their struggle to find two competent guards, they might consider keeping Onwenu at guard while using Chukwuma Okorafor at left tackle and Wallace at right tackle.
In training camp, Wallace will have to show he belongs, but staying at right tackle (where he played at Penn State) could ease his transition to the NFL and lead to him being a Week 1 starter.
DeMario Douglas, WR
Douglas was by far the Patriots’ best and most explosive playmaker in practice this spring. Every time he got the ball in his hands, good things seemed to happen for the offense. Now, it’s fair to concede that Kendrick Bourne didn’t practice as he recovers from his ACL tear, but these were important strides for the 23-year-old Douglas.He was the team’s leading receiver last season — albeit with only 561 yards — and looked even better in spring practices.
The tough thing for the Patriots is that Douglas can pretty much only play from the slot, and they already have several receivers who are at their best in that position (including Bourne, K.J. Osborn and JuJu Smith-Schuster). But it’s going to be Alex Van Pelt’s job to figure out how to keep Douglas on the field because he’s the team’s most dynamic receiver.
Kayshon Boutte, WR
It’s still unclear whether Boutte will face any discipline following his offseason arrest for allegedly and illegally gambling on sports. But the 2023 sixth-round pick made enough plays that he’s back in consideration for a roster spot.Still, his road to the 53-man is difficult. There’s probably only one spot for Boutte, Smith-Schuster, Jalen Reagor and Tyquan Thornton. Boutte may not seem the likeliest to win that competition, but after a solid spring, don’t rule him out.
Alex Austin, CB
The 23-year-old quietly put together an impressive five-game audition for the Patriots at the end of last season when they were dealing with a slew of injuries to their cornerbacks.The Pats signed Austin in November after he was released from the Houston Texans’ practice squad, and he arrived with little in the way of expectations. Then he was thrust into action after J.C. Jackson’s leave from the team.
But he has built on his success from last season and could become the team’s No. 2 outside corner if Jonathan Jones plays in the slot.
“When we finished up last year, he was one of those guys where it was like, ‘Look, this is an NFL player,’” Mayo said. “So it’s good to see him coming back in shape and making plays.”
Fallers
JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR
The 27-year-old said his injured knee is much healthier than last season, which is a positive. But at least to this untrained eye, it didn’t appear as if Smith-Schuster had the same explosiveness he did in 2021 or 2022.If he’s going to make the roster, he needs to definitively outplay both Boutte and Thornton in training camp while hoping Reagor loses the competition for the top kick-return job.
Cole Strange, G
Perhaps it’s unfair to put an injured guy on this list, but this is a massive year for Strange. The Patriots are switching to an offense that better suits the guard they drafted in the first round in 2022.After a couple of bumpy seasons, Strange should be set up for his best year yet. But these spring practices are when you’re supposed to get lots of reps and learn the offense before building in camp. Instead, it’s unclear whether Strange will be ready for the start of training camp, which means he’ll be behind schedule in this crucial year.
Bailey Zappe, QB
Toward the end of OTAs, Drake Maye overtook Zappe as the No. 2 quarterback. That’s not entirely surprising, but with sixth-round pick Joe Milton also in the fold, it seems like Zappe’s days with the Patriots may be close to over.To earn the No. 3 quarterback spot, he’d have to drastically outplay Milton, which didn’t happen this spring.
Marte Mapu, LB/S
In fairness to Mapu, there’s a lot that can change once the pads come on in training camp. But after watching the defense in spring practices, I’m struggling to see a three-down role (or maybe even a two-down role) for Mapu, which is what you’d ideally like from a player drafted 76th overall last year.The Patriots have always done a good job of getting the most out of players others saw as being “between positions,” but Mapu seems a bit stuck. He’s too small to play linebacker consistently, but too big to play safety.
The New England Patriots were one of the worst teams in the league in 2023, but their issues stemmed from the offense while their defense wasn't really the problem.
Heading into 2024, New England returned most of their starters, with Lawrence Guy, Adrian Phillips and Jalen Mills being the most impactful players to head out the door this offseason. However, the Patriots will also get Christian Gonzalez and Matthew Judon back after missing most of last year with injuries. And, on top of that, their scheme should remain the same with Jerod Mayo bumping up to head coach and DeMarcus Covington being promoted to defensive coordinator.
On Monday, ESPN's Mina Kimes appeared on an episode of "NFL Live" and listed her top five defenses for the upcoming year, and New England's came in at No. 4.
"The New England Patriots are No. 4 for me because they still finished as a top-10 defense last year despite the fact they were the most injured unit in football and they lost their best pass-rusher Matthew Judon as well as rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez who looked fantastic," Kimes said. "Both of those players come back. Now, they did also lose a guy you might've heard of named Bill Belichick, but they picked Jerod Mayo to be the head coach of this team for a reason. I think this unit will continue to play at an extremely high level. In my mind, they are the best defense in the entire NFL."
One thing that the Patriots need to work on this year is their play against some of the best quarterbacks in the league. They beat up a lot on some lesser names, but this year will present more challenges in that aspect.
If they can stay healthy and get some jumps from their young players like Keion White and Marte Mapu, Kimes could be right on the money.
Heading into 2024, New England returned most of their starters, with Lawrence Guy, Adrian Phillips and Jalen Mills being the most impactful players to head out the door this offseason. However, the Patriots will also get Christian Gonzalez and Matthew Judon back after missing most of last year with injuries. And, on top of that, their scheme should remain the same with Jerod Mayo bumping up to head coach and DeMarcus Covington being promoted to defensive coordinator.
On Monday, ESPN's Mina Kimes appeared on an episode of "NFL Live" and listed her top five defenses for the upcoming year, and New England's came in at No. 4.
"The New England Patriots are No. 4 for me because they still finished as a top-10 defense last year despite the fact they were the most injured unit in football and they lost their best pass-rusher Matthew Judon as well as rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez who looked fantastic," Kimes said. "Both of those players come back. Now, they did also lose a guy you might've heard of named Bill Belichick, but they picked Jerod Mayo to be the head coach of this team for a reason. I think this unit will continue to play at an extremely high level. In my mind, they are the best defense in the entire NFL."
One thing that the Patriots need to work on this year is their play against some of the best quarterbacks in the league. They beat up a lot on some lesser names, but this year will present more challenges in that aspect.
If they can stay healthy and get some jumps from their young players like Keion White and Marte Mapu, Kimes could be right on the money.
At this point in the NFL offseason, most of the league's best free agents have already found new homes and teams to suit up for during the upcoming season, but former New England Patriots defensive back Duron Harmon is still awaiting his next opportunity.
“I think last year just kind of let me know where, you know, what my status in the NFL is,” Harmon said (via MassLive). “If somebody gets hurt we’ll give you a call or … maybe another opportunity comes up early, I’m not sure, but right now I am, you know, still training to play.”
Harmon, who was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2013 draft out of Rutgers, bounced around a bit. He started the year on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad, and a month later he was signed to the Chicago Bears active roster. After being released by Chicago after a month, he signed with the Cleveland Browns practice squad and then eventually made it to their active roster as well.
While it's been a while since he suited up for New England, Harmon believes that a return to the Patriots would be a perfect ending for his NFL journey.
“Oh, without a doubt, that would be the perfect end to this, to this story,” Harmon said. “I would, I would love to be, you know, a part of something from the beginning… because they’re trying to build something, right? And I know they have the right people to do it... So if the opportunity came, I mean, that would be special. That would be a really special way to end my career.”
The Patriots have some talent at safety, with Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers and Marte Mapu expected to see a lot of playing time, but beyond that, there are some depth questions. If one of those three goes down, Harmon would make a lot of sense for DeMarcus Covington's defense.
“I think last year just kind of let me know where, you know, what my status in the NFL is,” Harmon said (via MassLive). “If somebody gets hurt we’ll give you a call or … maybe another opportunity comes up early, I’m not sure, but right now I am, you know, still training to play.”
Harmon, who was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2013 draft out of Rutgers, bounced around a bit. He started the year on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad, and a month later he was signed to the Chicago Bears active roster. After being released by Chicago after a month, he signed with the Cleveland Browns practice squad and then eventually made it to their active roster as well.
While it's been a while since he suited up for New England, Harmon believes that a return to the Patriots would be a perfect ending for his NFL journey.
“Oh, without a doubt, that would be the perfect end to this, to this story,” Harmon said. “I would, I would love to be, you know, a part of something from the beginning… because they’re trying to build something, right? And I know they have the right people to do it... So if the opportunity came, I mean, that would be special. That would be a really special way to end my career.”
The Patriots have some talent at safety, with Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers and Marte Mapu expected to see a lot of playing time, but beyond that, there are some depth questions. If one of those three goes down, Harmon would make a lot of sense for DeMarcus Covington's defense.
