What to look for during the Pre-season game Friday night.
Don’t expect the starters from either team to play much, if at all, on Friday night. If I were the coach, I would play Will Campbell and Jared Wilson at least half of the game so they build on the chemistry they have started to develop.
Look for Joshua Dobbs to play a lot and I expect that he will have as much success as he did yesterday against the backup Commanders. The Patriots’ backup receivers are much better than the Commanders’ backup secondary. In fact, the Commanders are pretty beat up in the secondary. I bet they had a claim in for Tre Avery, but the Pats scooped him up before them in the waiver wire order. The Patriots didn’t play either Christian Gonzalez or Carlton Davis either.
Another area I expect to see a positive result is in the pass rush. We have some young players who can apply pressure. Don’t expect any of the veterans to play. It will mostly be a game for the backups to show what they can do under game conditions.
Also, the kicking competition will be a fun one to watch.
Recent Transactions
The Patriots had a series of transactions when they signed 3 players, added 2 to Injured Reserve and waived a rookie they had just recently signed.
Trey Avery is a 5’11”, 181-pound CB from Rutgers. He ran a 4.43 and 6.69 3-cone drill at this Pro Day, according to NFL Draft Buzz. Tennessee signed in 2022 as an Undrafted Free Agent. He made the 53-man roster out of camp and played 14 games during the 2022 season, making 29 total tackles, nine pass deflections, and a fumble recovery.
Avery is 28 and played 15 games during the 2023 season, making 33 total tackles and two pass deflections.
The Titans waived Avery on August 27, 2024, and re-signed him to the practice squad. They elevated him to the active roster on October 15. He went on to appear in nine games during the 2024 season, making three tackles on special teams. On December 28, 2024, he was released. On December 30, 2024, the 49ers claimed Avery off waivers from the Tennessee Titans. The Patriots quickly pounced on Avery, claiming him on waivers the next day after losing Marcellus Dial, a core special teamer, to season-ending ACL surgery, and put him on IR.
In 2020, he was All Big Ten 3rd team while at Rutgers. Originally an Ohio State commitment he had some eligibility issues and transferred to Toledo. He never played for either team and transferred to Rutgers in 2017 with 4 years of eligibility remaining.
Avery made the Titans’ 53-man roster under Vrabel in 2022 and 2023.
NFL Draft Buzz said this about Avery:
- Has at least adequate straight-line speed and good balance, fluidity to change direction.
- Savvy cover skills to recognize and anticipate routes. Understands what’s coming and has good ball skills.
- Alert defender for zone coverage, showing good understanding of route progressions occurring behind him and a quick burst downhill to break on underneath passes in front of him.
- Good instincts and anticipation reads and reacts with discipline. Dangerous with the ball in his hands.
- Aware zone cornerback who is also adept in man coverage, flashing physical hand punch at the line and straight-line speed to stay with receivers downfield.
JaMychal Hasty RB was re-signed after not receiving a contract offer from the Patriots after 2024 (or any other team either). He was still available this late into Training Camp and they had a spot available.
Bryce Ganious DT was signed. He was an invitee to the Patriots Rookie Mini-Camp back in May. The Defensive Line room is crowded, adding the six-foot-even undrafted free agent. At 300 pounds, the 21-year-old played his college years at Villanova and Wake Forest and is now likely fighting for a spot on the practice squad in New England.
In subsequent moves, the Patriots placed CB Marcellus Dial and DT Jaquelin Roy on IR, meaning they will be lost for the season. Recently signed TE Tyler Davis was also waived.
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Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.
