PATRIOTS TRAINING CAMP 2026 Patriots Training Camp Day 3

[captain stone]

Prentice?

Never heard of him until he was claimed. While not a definitive kiss of death, in this case I doubt it's gonna happen, I still wish they had drafted Oklahoma WR Deion Burks instead of the execrable Quin Hutchins; Burks' agility scores aren't super-impressive but his explosion #s are off the charts...

 

[Family]

I really, really hope Hudson doesn't make the 53. If he does, then we've either had an injury or one of Bryant/Crownover failed to impress.

I'm hoping for a Backup 5 of Bryant - Lomu - Brown - Wallace - Crownover. Neither Hudson nor Rupcich belong on the 53 of a Legit contender at this point in their careers; and the rest of them are worthless Trash.

Captain - I think everyone prefers the young players being successful. That's the framework every team shoots for.

But Hudson seems like he might be an adequate like Vederian Lowe replacement (including the false starts). Every contender has backup candidates like him, at some or even many positions, who earns a spot on the 53. Hudson would only be 4th tackle on the 53.

It would be extremely fortune to have all the young guys work out. Unlike some on this board I think if any of Bryant, Wallace, Crownover are cut, there is a good chance they will go unclaimed. Every team has their own development candidates.

So what's the difference if one or two of these young players are on the 53 or practice squad? And if they are claimed, well they couldn't beat out Hudson.

That's what depth looks like.

 

[Zuma]

Captain - I think everyone prefers the young players being successful. That's the framework every team shoots for.

But Hudson seems like he might be an adequate like Vederian Lowe replacement (including the false starts). Every contender has backup candidates like him, at some or even many positions, who earns a spot on the 53. Hudson would only be 4th tackle on the 53.

It would be extremely fortune to have all the young guys work out. Unlike some on this board I think if any of Bryant, Wallace, Crownover are cut, there is a good chance they will go unclaimed. Every team has their own development candidates.

So what's the difference if one or two of these young players are on the 53 or practice squad? And if they are claimed, well they couldn't beat out Hudson.

That's what depth looks like.

I felt the same about Hudson when he was signed but then I changed my mind and now hope Crownover is the 4th. At the end of the day… I just hope the 4th ends up a good one no matter who it is.

 

[rkarp1]

 

[DaBruinz]

There will be 6. You can take that to the bank.

If I had a dime for every time you said that and were right.. I'd have a dime.. Maybe.

 

[DaBruinz]

big negative on Williams coming out was his hands

*SMH* Gotta love when you exaggerate things.

The "KNOCK" on Williams about his hands was that they were small at 8 3/4". He had a total of 15 drops in 5 years, though 5 of them came during his senior season. Now, you're probably patting yourself on the back over that. The problem is that those drops were attributed to concentration lapses and not having butterfingers or weak hands.

Maybe you should go and research how Williams did during his gauntlet drill at the combine. Unless you think that doesn't matter because it doesn't fit your narrative of trying to knock the guy.

 

[rkarp1]

*SMH* Gotta love when you exaggerate things.

The "KNOCK" on Williams about his hands was that they were small at 8 3/4". He had a total of 15 drops in 5 years, though 5 of them came during his senior season. Now, you're probably patting yourself on the back over that. The problem is that those drops were attributed to concentration lapses and not having butterfingers or weak hands.

Maybe you should go and research how Williams did during his gauntlet drill at the combine. Unless you think that doesn't matter because it doesn't fit your narrative of trying to knock the guy.

I saw the following in most of his pre draft analysis

Weaknesses​

• He has a slender and small frame could have issues in the NFL. He measured in at 5’10.5” with small 30-inch arms and 8 ¾ inch hands.
• Hip stiffness holds him back on certain routes. He cannot quickly cut for Out, Dig, or sharp Slant routes.
• His hands can be questionable at times, given their small size. It clearly shows up on film for harder passes.
• He will occasionally double catch or drop balls that should be easy grabs when working back toward the quarterback.
• He is not the best at catching balls while he is being contacted unless it is a deep ball where he can use his body.
• Williams could stand to increase his overall play strength. Defenders have an easy ability to play through him when the ball is in the air.

 

[rkarp1]

The Athletic (Chad Graff)
Writing about the state of the wide receiver room, Chad Graff of The Athletic explicitly called out Williams' technical limitations, noting: "With the Cougars, Williams shone as a deep-threat receiver. New to the position, his route running wasn't polished, and he dealt with too many drops (he has small hands)." Graff emphasized that while the straight-line 4.40 speed is elite, the hands remain an obstacle to his consistency.

 

[rkarp1]

MassLive (Mark Daniels & Chris Mason)
Beat reports covering training camp practices have pointed out that Williams' shaky catching and frame limitations have caused a disconnect on the field. Reports from MassLive highlighted his statistical struggles, pointing out that Williams has historically not been on the same page as Drake Maye, pulling in a very low 42.9% catch rate (10 of 21 targets). Writers have noted that his struggles to secure the ball in heavy traffic are a big reason why he has spent considerable time catching balls from backup quarterbacks like Tommy DeVito rather than working with the first team. [1, 2]

 

[JoeSixPat]

Captain - I think everyone prefers the young players being successful. That's the framework every team shoots for.

But Hudson seems like he might be an adequate like Vederian Lowe replacement (including the false starts). Every contender has backup candidates like him, at some or even many positions, who earns a spot on the 53. Hudson would only be 4th tackle on the 53.

It would be extremely fortune to have all the young guys work out. Unlike some on this board I think if any of Bryant, Wallace, Crownover are cut, there is a good chance they will go unclaimed. Every team has their own development candidates.

So what's the difference if one or two of these young players are on the 53 or practice squad? And if they are claimed, well they couldn't beat out Hudson.

That's what depth looks like.

I don't see Crownover not making the 53-man roster

I think they want to protect him from getting snagged as a big guy with a lot of potential and having him on the roster gives them a backup blocking TE too.

I totally see Hudson getting picked up by a team if he's cut.

Hudson has never been on a PS so I don't seem him making it through and given that he does have multiple starts would be a good backup to most teams. But even though he's older, I could see Rupcich making it through to the PS as he's spent most of his time in the NFL there.

But overall I see them having 9 OL on the 53 man roster, and not going with as many RBs as most predict and just going with what they have at TE, knowing they can use others in blocking situations and Mack Hollins (who I think will make the team) as a TE-like WR who can step in.

 

[n1997y]

But overall I see them having 9 OL on the 53 man roster, and not going with as many RBs as most predict and just going with what they have at TE, knowing they can use others in blocking situations and Mack Hollins (who I think will make the team) as a TE-like WR who can step in.

These days the PS is an extension of the roster. So I can see them carrying two RBs plus the FB on the roster, and using the PS for the backups. Same way I can see them carrying two TEs and seven WRs on the roster, with Hollins playing both roles as needed. The one factor that could force carrying three RBs will be if Lan Larison comes back from his injury showing strong performance that makes him likely to be claimed by another team instead of reaching the PS.

 

[Family]

I don't see Crownover not making the 53-man roster

I think they want to protect him from getting snagged as a big guy with a lot of potential and having him on the roster gives them a backup blocking TE too.

Have they even used him once in practice as the blocking TE yet?

He's a 6th round pick. A lot of teams already passed. Those aren't generally locks.

If Crownover shows something in camp, I agree they will protect him, but if he's flat like Swinson was last year, they will take the risk.

And some will depend on Marcus Bryant because they might want one project at the position.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Have they even used him once in practice as the blocking TE yet?

He's a 6th round pick. A lot of teams already passed. Those aren't generally locks.

If Crownover shows something in camp, I agree they will protect him, but if he's flat like Swinson was last year, they will take the risk.

And some will depend on Marcus Bryant because they might want one project at the position.

Not as of Day 4, though he is a converted TE and that's the position Texas A&M recruited him to play

I just know that when it comes down to cuts, it's good for players on the bubble to have diverse skills. That'd be a situation where you'd be looking for an emergency fill in from a Mack Hollins if you need a receiver or in Crownover's case, a blocking TE
Like I said, I think they'll keep 9 OL at least and given the fact that they went to a six OL lineup at times with a tackle-eligible tight end in jumbo packages



But yes, as a 7th rounder from last year Bryant needs to show more than Crownover in this camp I'd say

I think it would be easier to sneak him on the PS as a 7th round pick from last year who still hasn't shown enough than a 6th rounder from this year who may have more upside, but I do agree that Crownover is a project