New England Patriots

New England Patriots

New England Patriots

  • May 23, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Tre Nixon carries the ball at the team's OTA at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

    May 23, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Tre Nixon carries the ball at the team’s OTA at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

    Last summer, the Patriots had to answer the biggest question that can face a team this time of year – who will be the starting quarterback? While there’s nothing that consequential on the docket this summer, there’s still a number of questions to be answered between now and Week 1 that will impact both the depth chart and overall composition of the roster. We’ll take a look at some of those questions over the next two weeks, starting with the offensive side of the ball today.

    What storylines should Patriots fans be watching on offense throughout training camp? Here’s three that stand out.

    Note: We’ll focus on bigger picture questions here, there will be a separate post coming on the biggest head-to-head positional battles.

  • How many wide receivers will make the roster?

    Jun 8, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots receiver Tre Nixon (82) during the New England Patriots minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

    Jun 8, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots receiver Tre Nixon (82) during the New England Patriots minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

    Heading into camp, there are five roster locks at the wide receiver position in DeVante ParkerKendrick BourneJakobi MeyersNelson Agholor, and Tyquan Thornton. While there has been speculation that Agholor could be a trade candidate, a lot would need to happen for things to get to that point, and it’s highly unlikely the team would outright release him. So for now, the number sits at five.

    How the top of the depth chart will sort out is a question of its own, and we’ll address that in a ‘top training camp position battles’ post later in this series. But the other question is whether or not any other receivers will join those five on the roster.

    Between positional minimums and other roster locks, the Patriots project to have between six and eight ‘at-large’ spots to be won on the roster (we explained ‘at-large’ roster spots in full last summer here). Will a wide receiver win one of those?

    The players in contention for this right now include Tre Nixon, Ty Montgomery, Kristian WilkersonLil’Jordan Humphrey, and N’Keal Harry could be included in this group as well. If one of those players really stands out this summer, they’ll have a strong chance to make the roster. At the same time, all of those players bring very different skillsets to the table, so it could come down to roster fit instead of simply a true talent ranking.


  • (Click here to subscribe to Patriots Audio on 98.5 The Sports Hub.)

  • What will the offensive line look like?

    May 23, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive lineman Cole Strange (50) (right) works on a drill with offensive tackle Trent Brown (77) (left) at the team's OTA at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

    May 23, 2022; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive lineman Cole Strange (50) (right) works on a drill with offensive tackle Trent Brown (77) (left) at the team’s OTA at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

    The Patriots appeared to make a change up front during this year’s spring practices. Isaiah Wynn – who has been the team’s starting left tackle the last three years when healthy – played most of his snaps at right tackle. Meanwhile Trent Brown – last year’s right tackle – was on the left side.

    When asked about the realignment, Bill Belichick told reporters “we build our depth in training camp and in the spring and we will see what we need in the fall.” So, was this simply giving both players a chance to work on their versatility? Or a sign of things to come?

    That’s a question we’ll get a clearer answer to this summer. Brown has played left tackle before, including during his first stint in New England in 2018. Wynn only played right tackle in his rookie preseason in 2018, so if the move is permanent his development is the one to keep an eye on.

    In addition to the situation at tackle, the Patriots are also looking to replace both starting guards from last season. Michael Onwenu comes into camp the favorite to win the right guard spot, while first-round pick Cole Strange is the logical fit on the left side.

  • A new offensive philosophy?

    Jun 8, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the New England Patriots minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

    Jun 8, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the New England Patriots minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

    One of the biggest headlines from the spring was the influx of a new scheme into the offense. The offense appeared to be running a significant amount of zone during team drills.

    This somewhat relates to Belichick’s quote from the previous question. The Patriots have run zone in the past, just not at a significant rate. Was this them just refining those parts of the playbook, or a sign of things changing?

    Even beyond the run schemes, the generally offensive philosophy will be something to consider – more so during the preseason than the training camp practices themselves. With Josh McDaniels no longer in the building and returning coaches Matt Patricia and Joe Judge expected to have a central role with the offense in addition to Belichick himself, what will change?

Get The 98.5 The Sports Hub Newsletter Delivered To Your Inbox

Stay up to date with the latest Boston sports news and analysis, local events, exclusive contests, and more.

*
By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.