The New England Patriots are expected to sit quarterback Mac Jones in Friday night’s preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans, according to Karen Guregian of MassLive. Guregian also reports that it “doesn’t appear many – if any – of the starters will see action” on Friday night.
But that doesn’t mean the Patriots will be sitting all 53 players that end up making the initial roster. There will still be several players worth watching in the preseason finale, in all three phases of the game.
Here’s who you should keep your peepers peeled for on Friday night…
WR Kayshon Boutte
Aug. 19, 2023: New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshoun Boutte runs past Green Bay Packers safety Anthony Johnson Jr. (36) after catching a pass to score a touchdown at Lambeau Field. (Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports)
Boutte has quietly and steadily become one of the most intriguing players on the Patriots’ 90-man roster. After a slow start to training camp, he’s stacked a lot of good days and made a nice-looking touchdown catch-and-run last week against the Green Bay Packers.
Assuming the Pats’ veteran receivers don’t play in Tennessee, Boutte should start and see plenty of snaps, at least in the first half. He’s been showing good speed on the outside, which is something the Patriots have needed for years.
Boutte’s strong summer has made for interesting decisions come final cut-downs. If he has another eye-opening game on Friday night, it’ll become that much harder to keep him off the 53-man roster.
WR Demario Douglas
New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas runs after making a catch at 2023 minicamp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
Much like Boutte, Douglas has made a previously meh wide receiver situation much more interesting by simply having an excellent summer. For a rookie sixth-round pick, anyway. He flashed with Mac Jones in Green Bay, but it’ll be fun to see him get a little more chances to make plays with his speed, route-running, and short-area quickness.
RB Pierre Strong Jr.
New England Patriots running back Pierre Strong Jr. makes a leaping catch during 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
Strong has not had a great summer, but certainly he hasn’t languished enough to lose his roster spot so soon. That’s especially evident in the fact that he continues to get quality work with the passing game in practice. He may just need more time to develop. But it would be nice to see him make a play or two on Friday night.
TE Matt Sokol
New England Patriots tight end Matt Sokol makes a catch while running a drill at 2023 minicamp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
With Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki both likely to be out on Friday night, the tight ends are worth watching. Even when they’re healthy, the Patriots will probably carry a third tight end on the roster or practice squad. Sokol seems to be in the lead because of his blocking/combo ability, despite Anthony Firkser having the edge as a pass-catcher. This is becoming an interesting battle.
QB/WR Malik Cunningham
Aug. 10, 2023; Foxborough, MA: New England Patriots quarterback Malik Cunningham (16) against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
Cunningham is a deep longshot as a wide receiver, but he’ll be well worth your eyeballs if he gets snaps at quarterback. He also has a looong way to go at QB, as well, and his relative lack of size – he’s listed at Patriots.com at a generous 6-foot-1, 198 pounds – might always hold him back at that position. But his athletic ability is no doubt intriguing.
