Patriots Training Camp Ups And Downs: Whose stock rose (or fell) this summer?

Author Matt Dolloff

August 27th, 2021 11:46 AM

It’s time to find out which Patriots players had a good – or not-so-good – summer in Foxborough.

Thursday marked the Patriots’ final open practice of 2021 training camp. Friday will likely be a non-padded walkthrough and will be treated like an in-season practice, meaning it’s closed to the media except for a brief 20-30 minute period. From there, it’s the preseason finale and, then, Week 1 of the regular season.

From July until now, more than a dozen players have either improved their status or seen a decline in their personal stock.

One player you won’t see on either list: starting quarterback Cam Newton. Despite being less efficient and disciplined than rookie Mac Jones in passing game drills – and missing five days of in-person work due to what the Patriots termed a “misunderstanding” of NFL COVID-19 protocols – Newton remains the first quarterback up in team drills, and the projected first quarterback under center in Week 1 against the Dolphins. Call him “neutral,” despite Jones breathing down his neck by virtue of his own ability (and availability).

A number of Patriots players at other positions emerged as key players, to varying degrees, throughout training camp. Others disappointed, relative to their pedigree or to the opportunities placed in front of them. Let’s go “Up” and “Down” with the Patriots players you ought to know about from our reporting at training camp.

• UP: QB Mac Jones

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  The big takeaway from Jones’ first NFL training camp: it looks like he’s going to be able to play quarterback at this level. First-round QBs are often a product of teams chasing raw talent, and flame out before ever making an impact. So if Jones is truly capable of taking over at some point in the next calendar year, and running the Patriots’ offense smoothly and efficiently, then that’s an all-important first step.
  
  Jones struggled in the first padded practice of camp, but that turned out to be a rock-bottom moment for the rookie. Since that time, he’s steadily improved his overall command of the offense, and thrown with better accuracy than Newton. His confidence and demeanor have also improved, looking and sounding like a starting NFL quarterback in addition to playing like one. His ability to respond strongly to mistakes and bad practices was an ongoing theme.
  
  The only downside? Fans are going to have to wait a bit to see Jones play in a real NFL game, certainly to start one. Bill Belichick seems content to ride Newton for as long as he can, and let Jones marinate until he’s ready to serve up to NFL defenses. Also, he may need to reshape his body before he can physically hold up over the course of a full NFL season. But fans ought to be excited about Jones' strong summer.

• DOWN: WR Nelson Agholor

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  Agholor is being paid like the Patriots’ No. 1 receiver, but he didn't play like it in camp. He got off to a strong start, making a number of big plays on connections with both Newton and Jones. But brief absences for a personal matter and later for an undisclosed injury felt like the start of a downturn.
  
  The former Eagles and Raiders wideout came to New England with high marks for his speed and separation, but also with concerns about drops. Those issues gradually crept back into his game as camp went along. And it’s not just the drops: Agholor has struggled to make contested catches, too. Opposing cornerbacks have knocked the ball out of his hands as often as the drops have been self-inflicted.
  
  Agholor had another ball knocked away in the final open practice on Thursday, a play that other reporters also charted as a drop. He’s still going to start at wide receiver, and his downfield speed should help open up the passing game underneath. But it looks like Agholor’s problems finishing plays are going to continue to hurt his production to start the season.

• UP: WR Jakobi Meyers

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  Meyers has risen from 2019 undrafted free agent to the Patriots' No. 1 wide receiver role with his performance in his third training camp. He’ll never be the fastest receiver on the field, but Meyers’ short-area quickness is legit. And he’s sharpened his route-running, which has resulted in better separation from opposing cornerbacks. That's not easy against the Pats' secondary.
  
  Most importantly, Meyers is catching everything. In 11-on-11 drills during joint practices against the New York Giants, Meyers caught 6-of-8 targets, and one of the incompletions was overthrown by Jones and may have been a throwaway. The defender mugged him on the other one, and could have been flagged for pass interference in a real game.
  
  Generally, if and when Meyers gets open, he gets his hands on the ball and holds onto it. He made arguably the best catch of the joint practices on a deep ball from Jones. Early in the final week of camp, he made an eye-popping dive for a touchdown on another beauty from Jones in 7-on-7. Meyers emerged as the Pats’ most reliable receiver over the course of camp, and looks poised to build upon a solid sophomore season.
• DOWN: TE Hunter Henry

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  Starting camp as the Patriots’ projected No. 1 tight end in “11” personnel (one running back, one tight end, three receivers), Henry looked like a favorite target of Newton’s down the seam and in the red zone. He still could be that - if he stays on the field. Unfortunately, Henry's career-long injury problems resurfaced before we could see him in game action.
  
  Though Henry’s apparent shoulder injury wasn’t major, he’s still had to miss the first two preseason games and didn’t participate in joint practices with the Eagles. He practiced in a limited capacity in a red non-contact jersey during the third preseason week, and appears doubtful for Sunday’s preseason finale.
  
  This was the risk with Henry. And financially, much of the risk is in year 1, as he’s on the books for $16.875 million in real money. Most of that comes in the form of his $15 million signing bonus, and he’s set to earn all $25 million of his guarantees in the first two of his three years. If he can’t stay on the field, it would be disappointing, but also unsurprising for a tight end that’s never played a full season in the NFL.

• UP: LB Matt Judon

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  The former Ravens linebacker got paid the most of any Pats free agent signing in the offseason, and he’s represented his price tag well. Judon has been a tone-setter and a playmaker with his on-field performance and intangibles, looking and sounding like a future leader of the defense. It’s been a while since the Patriots had a real difference-maker off the edge, someone offenses need to plan for and someone who can make big plays by himself. Especially if Stephon Gilmore’s holdout lasts into the season, Judon will be leaned on as a major impact player in the front-seven.

• DOWN: WR N’Keal Harry

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  After injuring himself diving for a ball in the second preseason game, Harry has presented Belichick with a tough decision. Does the head coach name him to the 53-man roster, giving him the ability to place the receiver on short-term injured reserve? Is it even possible to trade Harry at this point? Does Belichick just cut his losses (literally) at this point? Harry made a number of dazzling catches in 1-on-1 drills in camp, but the talent didn’t show up the same way in competitive team drills or in game action. As a player who has barely contributed anything of substance entering year 3 and finds himself injured again, Harry is dangerously approaching “bust” territory.
• UP: LB Josh Uche

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  Other than a brief absence due to a minor injury, Uche has been available all summer for the Patriots, and has often looked like the fastest defensive player on the field. Most recently, he logged three “sacks” and drew a holding “penalty” during a scrimmage with the Giants on Thursday, according to Jeff Howe. It’s clear that Uche has been working on his pass-rush moves in the offseason, and his speed and explosiveness were never in question. Dont'a Hightower described Uche as “a little Judon,” and it’s an apt description. The duo looks like a dynamic one up front, and potentially the anchor of the team early in the season.

• DOWN: DB Jalen Mills

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  This partially isn’t fair to Mills, because it seems the Patriots have been playing him out of position at outside corner. The former Eagles defensive back has transitioned to more of a safety in recent years, and that’s where he projects in New England – in 2022. As it stands, Mills seems to be the No. 4 safety on the team behind Devin McCourty, Kyle Dugger, and Adrian Phillips. He may have to play inside corner, at the expense of moving Jonathan Jones outside or playing Joejuan Williams at that spot. Mills signed a four-year deal for up to $24 million with the Patriots in the offseason, so his real impact could come down the road. But for 2021, it could take a while to find a good fit for him.

• UP: CB J.C. Jackson

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  If Gilmore continues to sit, Jackson is the clear No. 1 corner on the Patriots. The good news is, he’s played extremely well in camp, in the conversation for the best overall player. But how does he look when he gets the test of a true No. 1 receiver? Jackson has played well against good receivers in the past, but can he be anything close to what Gilmore was in 2018-19? Even if he’s not a shutdown No. 1 cornerback, Jackson looks like he has what it takes to once again make plays on the ball at a high level, as he did in 2020.
• DOWN: K Quinn Nordin

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  It appears the Patriots' search for the Kicker Of The Future™ will have to continue. Nordin may be an easy stash on the practice squad, because he certainly didn't show enough consistency to be ready for any NFL roster during camp. But the undrafted rookie out of Michigan has a long way to go, as evidenced by his wildly erratic kicks. His leg strength is beyond legit, but he'll need to straighten out his kicks to make it into a real NFL game. Fortunately, the Patriots still have veteran Nick Folk, who can hold down the fort until the team finds a young kicker who can stick.

• Honorable Mentions

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  Rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson looks like a major beneficiary of the Sony Michel trade, and we could see him in short-yardage situations earlier than expected ... Third-year tackle Yodny Cajuste has finally had a full training camp free of injury, and he's come on in recent weeks as he looks like the No. 1 swing tackle - and perhaps a future starter ... Deatrich Wise has been quietly making plays as a pass-rusher, and may be rounding into form as a 3-4 lineman as the Pats will lean on him to generate pressure for a D-line filled with run-stuffers ... Center James Ferentz has quietly had a very strong camp, and could make the 53-man roster as the chief backup to David Andrews, with Ted Karras serving as a backup guard ... Speaking of guard, Michael Onwenu is proving he's no fluke and should make for a seamless transition out of the Joe Thuney era ... Gunner Olszewski may still need refinement as a receiver, but he appears to be the player who's benefitted the most from N'Keal Harry's injury, and could be a factor in the slot in his third season while continuing to be an elite punt returner.

MORE: Complete Patriots Training Camp Coverage

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at [email protected].

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