Going position-by-position through the biggest stories ahead of Patriots training camp.
This year’s New England Patriots training camp has a chance to be as busy and as involved as any camp the team has had in recent years. After all of their offseason changes – in terms of both players and coaches – the team has a lot of questions to answer as camp begins on Wednesday.
Of course, position and roster battles tend to be the bigger storylines of any training camp, but there’s much more going on than just that. So, having already covered the top position battles to watch this summer last week, let’s dig a little deeper.
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Today, we’ll be taking a look at the biggest non-battle storylines to watch at each position on the Patriots’ roster (not including coaching, which is in itself arguably the biggest story following the departure of Bill Belichick but will have less tangible short-term results). That ranges from individual player improvement and usage to full positional questions.
Heading down to Gillette Stadium for a practice or two this summer, or just following along from afar? Here are some key storylines to keep track of…
Quarterbacks: Drake Maye’s development
Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesFOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 29: Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots makes a pass during the New England Patriots OTA Offseason Workout on May 29, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
This is probably the most obvious ‘what to watch for’ of all the positions. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye seemingly checked every box he could be expected to check in the spring non-padded, non-contact practices. Can he keep building and keep that momentum going in camp?
The biggest test will be when the pads come on and he starts facing something resembling more of a ‘live’ pass rush. That will build up to the actual pass rushers he’ll face in the preseason. Can he operate as cleanly when there are NFL defenders actually on their way to/allowed to hit him?
Running backs: How are they splitting up the reps
Eric Canha-USA TODAY SportsJun 10, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson (21) runs through a drill at minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
For a long time, the Patriots split their running back responsibilities by situation. They had early-down backs (ex. Antowain Smith, Corey Dillon, LeGarrette Blount, Stevan Ridley) and passing-down backs (ex. Kevin Faulk, Shane Vereen, James White). While some backs did both, for the most part there was a clear division in the usage.
Now the Patriots are running a new offensive philosophy with a new coaching staff, and have two well-rounded backs at the top of their depth chart in Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. They are now set up better to divide the workload simply by rotation or fatigue, rather than situation. This can have the advantage of making the offense less predictable, but running backs capable of playing this style can be harder to find.
Training camp will give us an early look at how the Patriots are dividing the workload. Are there certain situations only one back is repping in? How comfortable do the backs look, not just catching the ball, but blocking? These will be important to track at the position.
Wide receivers: Is Kendrick Bourne ready to start the season?
Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesFOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 22: Kendrick Bourne #84 of the New England Patriots carries the ball in the second quarter of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on October 22, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
There’s a log-jam at the bottom of the Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart, which we discussed in our position battle preview. As those players compete amongst themselves, Kendrick Bourne’s ability will loom large.
Bourne is working his way back from a torn ACL he suffered in October. He didn’t participate in any practices this spring, but was on the field with his teammates at times in street clothes. There hasn’t been an update on Bourne specifically since, but head coach Jerod Mayo did tell reporters at the end of minicamp that – besides Cole Strange – he expects all players to be good to go within “the first couple of weeks of training camp.”
If Bourne is back and at full strength by roster cuts, that’s one less wide receiver job available. However, there is a new rule this year where up to two players can be placed on IR prior to final roster cuts, and still be eligible to return during the regular season. If Bourne isn’t going to be ready for Week 1, the Patriots could go that route with him – potentially opening another spot for a receiver.
Tight ends: How are the Patriots using Jaheim Bell?
Eric Canha-USA TODAY SportsJun 12, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Jaheim Bell (88) makes a catch at minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Seventh-round draft pick Jaheim Bell is listed as a tight end, but that may as well be by default as much as anything. At Florida State, Bell proved to be effective lined up in-line, in the slot, out wide, and in the backfield. He’s really a multi-positional tweener, and it will be up to Alex Van Pelt and the Patriots’ offensive coaching staff to figure out how to use him creatively.The Patriots won’t show all of their offensive creativity in training camp – that stuff usually happens later once the practices are closed. But as they install their base playbook, there should be some sort of indication as to what the plan is for Bell.
Offensive line: Almost everything
Eric Canha-USA TODAY SportsJun 10, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor (77) walks to the practice fields for minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
It might be easier to go through the list of things that are settled on the Patriots’ offensive line heading into camp, rather than what still needs to be decided. David Andrews is back and will be the team’s starting center, giving the unit a reliable veteran presence in the middle.
After that though, there is a lot to be figured out. Chuks Okorafor seems to be penciled in at left tackle, but he’s working through a pretty significant adjustment after playing his first six NFL seasons on the right side. His progress in making that change will be a major storyline.
His backup is also up in the air. Calvin Anderson is the only player on the roster with somewhat significant left tackle experience in the NFL, with Vederian Lowe and Tyrone Wheatley Jr. project players at the position.
Rookie third-round pick Caedan Wallace could see time on the left side as well, with Eliot Wolf suggesting after the draft he could make the switch after being a career right tackle in college. However, the Patriots may need him on the right side if Mike Onwenu is going to move back to guard, as we saw him do at times this spring. That is because – with Cole Strange out with a knee injury – the Patriots need to figure out their interior spots as well. Sidy Sow, Nick Leverett, Michael Jordan, Atonio Mafi, Jake Andrews, and rookie Layden Robinson will battle it out for those two spots.
The overarching goal here is for the Patriots to find their ‘best five’ – or the grouping that can be the most successful and the most consistent. Expect them to play around with different combinations in camp and the preseason (and potentially into the regular season) until a ‘best five’ emerges. Offensive line coach Scott Peters certainly has a busy summer ahead of him.
Defensive line: Keion White’s Year 2 jump
Eric Canha-USA TODAY SportsJun 10, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Keion White (99) works with the defense at minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Matthew Judon is returning from a season-ending injury and Christian Barmore just got a sizable extension, but the most interesting player on the Patriots’ defensive line heading into training camp may very well be Keion White. White is entering his second NFL season after being drafted by the Patriots in the second round in 2023.
Last year, White showed flashes of being an athletically-dominant edge rusher. However he struggled to maintain that kind of presence consistently (perhaps having his timing thrown off by an early-season head injury). That’s not uncommon for a rookie, but still something he’ll need to build on.
Jerod Mayo cited White as one of the players that impressed him the most during spring workouts. Can White carry that over to the summer? If he can take another step in his second year, it could go a long way in improving the Patriots’ pass rush.
Linebackers: Where is Marte Mapu playing?
Eric Canha-USA TODAY SportsJun 12, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots safety Marte Mapu (15) makes a catch at minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Last year the Patriots drafted Marte Mapu seemingly as a developmental player. In college Mapu played linebacker at 6-foot-3, 217 pounds. Last year he bulked up to 230 for training camp and was playing mostly safety. However, he played just 204 defensive snaps during the regular season, getting most of his time on the field on special teams.
Will a new coaching staff take a new approach with him? Will he commit full-time to one position, or remain a tweener? The Patriots certainly have more of a need for an athletic off-ball linebacker after the departure of Mack Wilson, but he’s spent more time at safety.
Cornerbacks: Is the Alex Austin hype for real?
Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports HubCornerback Alex Austin stretches at Patriots OTA practice. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
The Patriots signed then-rookie Alex Austin late last year in desperate need of bodies at the cornerback position. Austin put together a strong showing in five games, and heading into the spring figured to be in the mix for a depth cornerback spot this upcoming season.
However, he showed much more than that. Austin repped as one of the Patriots’ top cornerbacks for most of the spring and made the most of the opportunities.
With the second boundary cornerback spot opposite Christian Gonzalez seemingly open to win, Austin may head into training camp the favorite based on what he showed in OTAs and minicamp. We’ll see if he can keep up that level of play.
Safeties: Who is getting reps at deep safety?
Eric Canha-USA TODAY SportsJun 12, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins (32) works out at minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The Patriots won’t use a true deep safety on over 90 percent of their snaps like they did when they had Devin McCourty. That figures to be a more situational role now, but one that still will need to be filled in key moments.
Most of the safeties on the Patriots’ roster are primarily box safeties, which creates a bit of a conflict. Last year Kyle Dugger started the season working at deep safety, but wasn’t as impactful as when he played in the box. The same can be said for Jabrill Peppers. Jaylinn Hawkins, who has experience as a free safety, saw some time deep in the spring and could be an answer for a rotational role. The balance of those reps will be worth tracking this summer.
Special teams: New kickoff rule
Again, we handled the top position battles for training camp in a post last week, so there’s more on the kickers there. Besides the battle at kicker, we’ll be keeping a close eye on how the Patriots are handling the new kickoff rules. They may not want to show their entire plan in open practices, but we’ll get a general idea seeing these rules play out in practice for the first time.
Eric Canha-USA TODAY SportsJun 10, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots kicker Chad Ryland (37) and punter Bryce Baringer (17) walk to the practice fields for minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
