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Some Patriots news and notes for this morning:
1) Tonight’s preseason game against the Giants caps off what has certainly been an interesting summer, with some looming questions still yet to play out when the team hits the field for the final exhibition game of 2025.
It would be a surprise to see the starters for any length of time tonight, if at all, which will make the line-ups intriguing, given that it will essentially provide some insight into where guys might be when it comes to earning a roster spot.
There are still questions at various positions. The left guard spot appeared relatively solidified in the early going, with rookie Jared Wilson seemingly elevating ahead of Cole Strange and seizing the role just a couple of weeks into camp. But by all accounts, he’s cooled a bit, and the club has since also been giving some snaps to Ben Brown, while Caedan Wallace has also seen time there.
Center still seems to be a question mark. After Wilson moved to guard, it’s been Garrett Bradbury who has seen a good portion of the snaps, with Brown, who was last year’s starter, also getting some work. The thought initially coming out of the draft was that Wilson would potentially be the guy who would step in, and maybe Strange, given Vrabel’s comments on him following how he played when he stepped in at that spot in 2025.
Instead, Strange has bounced around and remains among the question marks for the Patriots ahead of roster cutdowns.
Meanwhile, the receiver position has definitely worked out a little differently than many of us thought. Kayshon Boutte, who back in April seemed headed out of town as a possible trade candidate, has instead put himself up there with Stefon Diggs and Demario Douglas, among the team’s top three receivers. From there, there are still questions. Rookie Kyle Williams got off to a hot start, but he’s since cooled, with the head injury he suffered last week likely seeing him sit out tonight. Efton Chism has been the surprise of camp, but an injury last week has his status heading into tonight in question, although Mike Reiss of ESPN reported earlier in the week that his situation is potentially not serious.
Speaking of injuries, Ja’Lynn Polk, who was expected to make a push, suffered a shoulder injury against Washington, which ended that run. The question now is whether they’ll put him on IR, or if they’ll part ways with him altogether. Kendrick Bourne was also another player with plenty to prove, but he suffered an injury that has kept him sidelined. He was rolled up on during the joint practice against Washington, and Vrabel already said on Monday we wouldn’t see him this week.
Mack Hollins has built some momentum since coming off PUP, which, given what we’ve seen so far, the expectation is that he would be the fourth wideout behind Diggs, Boutte, and Douglas, with Williams and Chism the likely candidates to fill in the fifth and sixth spot, at least at this point.
While Javon Baker has had some nice moments in practice and has endeared himself to Vrabel on special teams, it has yet to translate to the game field.
He’s someone who will likely see a lot of time tonight to see if the light might finally come on for him in the passing game. He’s had a tough go of things through two weeks, with Baker currently sitting at 1-of-9 catching the football in game action, with his one reception going for 13 yards.
He’s yet to see time with the top offense in a game with Drake Maye, while Josh Dobbs is 0-for-7 targeting him and Ben Wooldridge is 1-of-2. In fairness to Baker, Dobbs was horrifically erratic last week while targeting him against the Vikings, throwing off target during a night where he was 0-for-5 looking Baker’s way.
But this is a big night for the UCF standout, who needs to make a push to try and prove he can possibly stick should the club elect to keep an extra player at that position.
2) On defense, while Kyle Dugger and Anfernee Jennings have been the biggest topics of discussion as of late, there are still some question marks elsewhere, most notably at cornerback. We know the two starting corners for the Patriots are likely going to be Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, but there are still questions when it comes to the depth there.
Alex Austin has had a good preseason, as has Marcus Jones. One of the most pleasant surprises of the preseason has been D.J. James, who didn’t play against the Vikings but registered three tackles against Washington, as well as an interception.
He has himself poised to potentially land on the roster, and he garnered some praise from defensive coordinator Terrell Williams earlier this week.
“DJ has taken advantage of his opportunities. He’s done a good job,” said Williams. “He was with us in the Senior Bowl, I think a year or two ago, whenever it was. Really coming here now and being with him here in New England, you see a guy that’s developing and taking coaching. He’s done a really good job of competing and just taking advantage of his opportunities with Gonzo being out and Carlton [Davis] having some limitations there.”
From there, Isaiah Bolden has had a relatively quiet camp, while Jordan Polk has been productive, having tallied a sack and an interception, in addition to seeing time on special teams.
Brandon Crossley and Kobee Minor have had some good moments, with both sitting at the top of the group and leading the team in tackles. Crossley forced a fumble in Minnesota and sits one tackle behind Minor in total tackles with 7 (Minor has 8). Minor’s production has probably been the biggest surprise, and he’s certainly outplayed his draft status to this point.
How this one will shake out should be fun to watch, and each of those guys in that last group should see a lot of time tonight.
3) Of all the positions to be concerned about, tight end is one that is worth keeping an eye on tonight. Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper are obviously the two top guys heading into the finale, with a group that, from there, has been uninspiring.
Jaheim Bell and Cole Fortheringham are the only ones out of that group to register a catch this preseason, with Bell sitting with two receptions for 28 yards, while Fotheringham has one grab for 6 yards. C.J. Dippre has a target but no receptions, although both he and Jack Westover have also seen a significant amount of time on special teams.
Over the course of the summer, the club has explored multiple options with this group at the number three spot, but seemingly to no avail. Of all the areas that they’ll likely watch as teams make their cuts in the coming days, this will probably be one they’ll definitely be looking to upgrade. If either Hooper or Henry gets injured, they don’t really have anyone who can step in, and that’s absolutely an issue over the course of a long 17-game season.
Nevertheless, it’s an important night for all of these guys, with Gee Scott Jr. also in need of putting something on film if he hopes to see his NFL aspirations continue, whether it’s here or elsewhere.
4) Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston sat down with Julian Edelman in his most recent Tom Curran’s Patriots Talk Podcast, with Curran asking Edelman for his thoughts on undrafted wideout Efton Chism.
The former Eastern Washington has been a fun story this preseason, with Chism making noise during the spring, and it’s carried over into training camp. He currently sits at the top of the receiver group, having hauled in 12-of-14 targets for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
The scrappy receiver has drawn comparisons to Edelman, but the former wideout went on to say that he feels Chism reminds him more of former teammate Danny Amendola, and feels like he’s had an impressive camp.
“Efton Chism reminds me of… I think he reminds me more of Dola than he does me,” said Edelman. “The way he runs is a little like that. His playing strength is really impressive that I’ve seen over the last few weeks. He’s had a hell of a camp. It’s going to be an interesting decision on what to do with these guys in that specific receiver room. I think that’s going to be a huge thing.”
There’s no doubt that Chism has had a terrific camp, and he’s likely someone who wouldn’t clear waivers if the club tried to stash him on the practice squad. Whether or not it can translate into the regular season is now the next question, but it feels like he’ll be among the final names standing in the coming days.
For now, the Patriots will hit the field for one final time tonight at 8:00 pm, with this one set to appear on Amazon Prime. The game will also air locally in New England on Channel 5.
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The media sourced the rumors of Boutte getting traded last spring. WR storys get eyeballs. Here’s a surprise trade or cut: Keion White. Free lancer, headache, and doesn’t have a true position at interior or edge/exterior. He hasn’t produced in prior regimes and is 2nd team in this Vrabel D that the media thought was a fit for Mr Keion White. 3rd year and not much momentum in his sails. Keep Anfrenee Jennings. You know what he is and he’s exceptional on run D/holding the edge. One of the best in the league on that. A good clue on the… Read more »