Football is just about back. This week, the Patriots begin their 2023 training camp at Gillette Stadium. The first set of practices will take place on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and then either Saturday or Sunday. All training camp practices at Gillette Stadium are open to the public free of charge.
What should fans be looking for when they head to training camp? One of the top storylines in any training camp for any team is usually the position and roster battles that play out throughout the summer.
READ MORE:
— Revisiting the Patriots’ offseason plan
— How the Patriots missed out on DeAndre Hopkins
— A look at the Gillette Stadium upgrades coming this fall
Although they’re sometimes used interchangeably, position and roster battles are two different things. A position battle is between players both expected to make the team and at the same position, competing for a higher spot on the depth chart. A roster battle is between players sometimes at the same position and sometimes not, battling for a spot on the 53-man roster (this relates to the concept of the roster bubble and ‘at-large’ roster spots). At times, certain battles can be both.
The Patriots’ current roster sets up for both kinds of battles as 2023 training camp gets underway. There certainly seems to be more battles on offense than defense, but there will be something to watch in this regard at just about every position.
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What are the biggest battles to watch in Patriots training camp this year? From the top of the depth chart to the back end of the roster, here’s who to keep an eye on as practices get underway on Wednesday…
Honorable mentions
Aug 11, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Tre Nixon (82) returns a kick against the New York Giants during the first half of a preseason game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
–Fifth wide receiver spot: Will the Patriots keep a wideout beyond their four veterans? (Kayson Boutte, Demario Douglas, Tre Nixon, Ed Lee)
–Third tight end: After Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki, who’s next up? Will this be for a roster spot, or the first player elevated from the practice squad? (Johnny Lumpkins, Matt Sokol, Scotty Washington, Anthony Firkser)
–Strong-side early-down defensive end: Will Lawrence Guy’s holdout affect his job status? (Keion White, Lawrence Guy)
—Third boundary cornerback: Assuming Jack Jones remains on the team and Jalen Mills remains at safety, who is the next true boundary cornerback behind Jones and Christian Gonzalez? (Shaun Wade, Isaiah Bolden, Ameer Speed, Quandre Mosley)
5. Last linebacker spot
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 09: Anfernee Jennings #58 of the New England Patriots runs onto the field before the game against the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium on October 09, 2022 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Nick Grace/Getty Images)
The Patriots come into camp with linebacker as one of if not their deepest position. Ja’Whaun Bentley returns as the starting off-ball linebacker with rookie Marte Mapu projecting to play next to him, and free agent signing Chris Board offering depth behind them. Matthew Judon, Josh Uche, and Jahlani Tavai are at the top of the depth chart on the edge. That all feels pretty set.
The big question is, will the team keep any linebackers beyond that group. Six linebackers is about right for the Patriots, especially given how often they project to be in five, six, or even seven defensive back sets. Can any other players step up as depth options to earn an extra roster spot?
Anfernee Jennings is the most likely candidate after he played 32 percent of the team’s defensive snaps last year. However, we didn’t see him much in the spring. His tightest competition should come from Ronnie Perkins, who could also contribute as a strong-side edge setter. Perkins is trying to get on the field for the first time since getting drafted in the third round in 2021.
If the Patriots want more depth at middle linebacker, Mack Wilson could factor in here as well. Wilson, who re-signed with the team this spring as a pending free agent, has a similar skillset to Mapu and would give the team another athletic linebacker as well as special teams contributor. The biggest question is where he stands with the coaching staff – his playing time dipped from Week 8 on last year, and he didn’t get any defensive snaps after Week 12.
4. Punter
Punters Corliss Waitman (15) and Bryce Baringer (59) of the New England Patriots during 2023 minicamp in Foxboro. (Matt Dolloff/98.5 The Sports Hub)
Things change quick in the NFL, as is the case for the Patriots at the punter position. Two years after Jake Bailey was an All-Pro in his second professional season, the team is looking for his replacement. Sixth-round draft pick Bryce Baringer and veteran Corliss Waitman will both try this summer to grab the team’s punter job, after a rough 2022 season from Bailey and Michael Palardy.
In his first full pro season last year in Denver, Waitman led the NFL in punts with 96 but was towards the bottom of the league in most major metrics like net yardage and I-20 percentage. Baringer is coming off of a season at Michigan State where he led the nation in net yards per punt with 45.33.
With Baringer missing some time in the spring, Waitman appears to have the early edge on the competition going into camp. It’s still very close though, and it feels like a tossup as camp gets underway.
For those looking for the other specialist spot – between Chad Ryland’s status as a fourth-round pick, and Nick Folk’s age and performance at the end of last season, Ryland feels more secure for a roster spot than Baringer does. It’s not not a competition, but the punter battle feels much closer.
3. Rhamondre’s No. 2
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 12: Pierre Strong Jr. #35 of the New England Patriots runs the ball against Antonio Hamilton #33 of the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter of the game at State Farm Stadium on December 12, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Pending the team signing free agent Dalvin Cook, Rhamondre Stevenson is locked in as the team’s feature back. After him though, the depth chart is up in the air with Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong, and Kevin Harris all competing for reps.
Part of what will settle this competition will be Stevenson’s role itself. He was a do-it-all back last year, with his 279 touches ranking 10th among all players in the NFL last season. It was clear that workload impacted his production, something he alluded to late in the season. Heading into 2023 the Patriots should look to take some of those responsibilities off his plate, with the idea that a more balanced workload will help him make a bigger impact late in the year.
The question is – which snaps are getting re-assigned? Will Stevenson continue to feature as the early-down back? That could open up passing snaps for Montgomery or Strong. If Stevenson is going to play more on passing downs, that would likely mean Harris and Strong would compete to earn early-down snaps.
There’s also the chance the Patriots go with a full rotation by drive, and eliminate situational substitutions at the running back position. They did so in the preseason last year before Ty Montgomery got hurt, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them do it again. If that’s the case, all three of Montgomery, Strong, and Harris would have a chance to win the RB2 role.
Another question here is whether the design will be dictated by the personnel choices, or the performance of the players in camp. For instance, will the Patriots go in knowing they want Stevenson on early downs and look for a passing down back, or will they be open to using Stevenson in whatever role allows them to maximize whoever ends up proving in camp they’re the second-best back on the team? This will be a continuing storyline throughout the summer.
2. ‘Z’ Wide Receiver
Receiver Kendrick Bourne looked bigger and rejuvenated this spring. (Photo by Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
With DeAndre Hopkins out of the equation, the Patriots’ wide receiver room is mostly clear. DeVante Parker will be the team’s ‘X’ receiver as the big, boundary player, while JuJu Smith-Schuster will feature in the slot. The only question left is who plays the off-the-line, ‘Z’ wideout?
It’s a role that will be crucial in the way the Patriots’ offense is structured, as this player will be tasked with being able to draw coverage in the middle of the field to open things up after the catch for Smith-Schuster, running backs, and tight ends. It’s the role Hopkins would have played had he come to New England.
Instead, that role will now go to either Kendrick Bourne or Tyquan Thornton. Both have potential – Bourne flashed at a 1,000-yard pace during a 10-game stretch in 2021, and Thornton is a recent top-50 pick. In order for the Patriots’ offense as a whole to reach its potential, at least one of those guys will need to do so individually.
There might be some deference towards Thornton here, given his recent draft status. Plus, Bourne’s relationship with the coaching staff is still a variable after he was essentially ‘benched’ last season in Matt Patricia’s offense – will that continue under Bill O’Brien? Still, of the two Bourne is the more proven NFL player, and was healthy throughout the spring while Thornton got shut down.
It’s hasn’t been uncommon in recent years for wide receiver to be a position of focus during Patriots training camp. This year though, the main battle at the position is as consequential as it’s been since the Tom Brady era.
1. Offensive Tackle
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – SEPTEMBER 25: Trent Brown #77 of the New England Patriots lines up against the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium on September 25, 2022 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Not left tackle. Not right tackle. Not starting tackle. Not backup tackle. Just the tackle position as a whole. All of it. Because right now, it’s kind of a mess.
Coming into camp, the tackle position is wide open in New England. Trent Brown will probably start on one side, but that’s about as much as we can surmise right now. Not only was there an overhaul at the position without a clear starter being brought in, but most of the players competing for the two spots can play on both sides of the line, which could help the Patriots come up with the best combination internally but further complicates things projecting externally.
Let’s say Brown returns as the starting left tackle. If that’s the case, Riley Reiff and Conor McDermott would likely battle it out at right tackle, with Calvin Anderson, Sidy Sow, and Andrew Stueber potentially in the running for a backup spot there.
If Brown is on the right side, Reiff and Anderson are the leading candidates to play at left tackle, with Stueber again in the picture as a depth option.
That’s assuming everybody stays in their current position. There’s also the wild card of Michael Onwenu – who is opening camp on PUP – moving back to tackle, where he had success during his first two years in the league. Despite multiple injuries at the tackle position last year the Patriots remained committed to keeping Onwenu at his natural position of right guard, citing his long-term development as a reason. With Onwenu in a contract year, will they chance their approach?
In terms of this season, the question is whether it was Patricia or Bill Belichick behind that line of thinking. If it was Patricia – who is no longer in the building – we could see Onwenu kick back out to right tackle given the Patriots have significantly more depth at guard (Atonio Mafi, Chasen Hines, Jake Andrews) than at tackle. However if it was Belichick that wanted to keep him on the interior, things probably won’t change.
