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Go To: FlashUpdate / August Update Main Page
| New England Patriots | |||
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Go To: Off-season Team Review
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| Most Recent News Updates: | |||
| NWE -- Parker Positioned To Excel; Will WR Finally Make Good On Potential? (8/31/18:49 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Patriots Claim QB Corral With Thornton Heading To IR (8/31/15:12 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Zappe, Cunningham Clear Waivers, Return To Pats Practice Squad (8/30/12:39 CT) | |||
| NWE -- What's The Plan Behind Jones? (8/30/00:17 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Patriots Release Backup QB Zappe (8/29/14:12 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Patriots Deal PK Folk; Rookie Ryland Set To Be NE PK (8/29/12:49 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Patriots Release QB McSorley (8/28/15:41 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Patriots Trade RB Strong To Browns (8/27/10:19 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Cunningham Claims He Has No Preferred Position (8/26/20:59 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Starters Take The Night Off In Loss To Titans (8/26/00:19 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Jones Won't Play Against Titans (8/25/16:20 CT) | |||
| NWE -- More On Elliott Fitting In Behind Stevenson (8/25/01:13 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Teammate Contends Jones Has Made A Leap Forward Under O'Brien (8/24/00:04 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Elliott Likes The Ways Patriots Put RBs Front And Center (8/23/19:13 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Elliott Getting More Work Behind Stevenson (8/23/01:07 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Montgomery, Strong, Gesecki On The Practice Field; Thornton Isn't (8/22/18:51 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Jones Continues To Laud Presence Of OC O'Brien (8/22/01:10 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Patriots Getting A Handle On What Elliott Has To Offer (8/21/18:46 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Bourne Making A Push To Regain Relevance (8/21/13:22 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Strong Should Return From Concussion This Week (8/20/15:19 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Bolden Out Of Hospital; Patriots Cancel Joint Practice With Titans (8/20/09:10 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Zappe, Boutte Earn Rave Reviews In Injury-Shortened Game (8/20/00:08 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Pats-Packers Suspend Play After Rookie CB Bolden Injured (8/19/22:05 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Malik Cunningham In Line For A Taysom Hill-Like Role? (8/18/14:46 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Belichick On Elliott: We're Getting There (8/18/10:35 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Gesicki Has Mild Shoulder Dislocation; Could Be Ready Week 1 (8/15/08:31 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Elliott To Participate In Practice Tomorrow (8/15/08:30 CT) | |||
| NWE -- With Elliott On Board, What Should We Expect For Stevenson (8/14/20:28 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Report: Ezekiel Elliott To Sign With Patriots (8/14/15:43 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Gesicki Leaves Practice Early With An Arm Injury (8/14/13:28 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Thorton Among The Disappointments At WR For Pats; Rookie Douglas Is Not (8/10/00:21 CT) | |||
| NWE -- How Much Could Jones Benefit With O'Brien As OC? (8/08/19:45 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Thornton Playing Catchup After Slow Start (8/08/00:27 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Henry Establishing Himself As Clearcut TE1 Early In Camp (8/08/00:19 CT) | |||
| NWE -- Initial Issues And Injuries Of Note (8/08/00:00 CT) | |||
Current News Updates
8/31 According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, we shouldn't be surprised if wide receiver DeVante Parker has a big season. ... Graziano further noted that Parker, a first-round pick by Miami in 2015, is having an outstanding summer as the Patriots' top wide receiver and could be poised for a great year in Bill O'Brien's offense. "Now, yes," Graziano added, "I'm well aware that we've heard this kind of stuff before on Parker. Somewhat amazingly, he's headed into his ninth NFL season. In only one of the previous eight has he managed to stay healthy enough to play every game. He has always seemed to have the ability to be a No. 1 wide receiver, but he has never really sustained that level of performance." That said, Graziano points out that little seems to be expected of this Patriots offense this season, and if you're looking for a spot where they could surprise, take another look at Parker, who averaged 17.4 yards per catch with New England in 2022.8/31 According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Patriots have claimed former Panthers QB Matt Corral off waivers. With Bailey Zappe on the team’s practice squad, the Patriots now have another option for backup QB. They had an open spot with Tyquan Thornton headed to IR. 8/30 After waiving both backup QBs left on their roster Tuesday, the Patriots get both back on the practice squad, re-signing Bailey Zappe and Malik Cunningham behind starter Mac Jones. Both Zappe and Cunningham cleared waivers today. 8/30 The Patriots currently have one quarterback on the 53-man roster. As previously noted, Bailey Zappe and preseason head-turner Malik Cunningham are both gone. Mac Jones is the only one left. Zappe and/or Cunningham could be added to the practice squad, if they clear waivers. Given that Zappe played fairly well in 2022 and in light of Cunningham’s versatility in the preseason, maybe one or both will be claimed. As Profootballtalk.com suggests, it’s a stunning development. While the Patriots surely will add at least one to the roster and perhaps another to the practice squad, their quarterbacks won know much about the system that offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien will be implementing — unless they add someone who has played for O’Brien in the past. 8/29 According to Ian Rapoport, the Patriots have released backup QB Bailey Zappe. 8/29 K Nick Folk is being acquired via trade from the New England Patriots for a 2025 seventh-round pick, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reports, per a source. With this move, it appears rookie fourth-round pick Chad Ryland has won the kicking competition in New England. Both Ryland and Folk did not miss a single kick in the preseason, but Bill Belichick is going with the younger guy. 8/28 The Patriots released backup quarterback Trace McSorley according to various reports. The Patriots signed McSorley in April as their No. 3 quarterback behind Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. McSorley did not see much preseason action. He completed 3 of 4 passes and was sacked twice. Zappe will be the backup behind Jones and Malik Cunningham will be an option if New England only keeps two quarterbacks. ... We'll be posting complete moves as they're reported through Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline on our NFL Roster Cuts page. 8/27 The Patriots have traded RB Pierre Strong Jr. to the Browns in exchange for OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr., sources tell NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 8/26 Patriots undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham has become one of the more intriguing players in the 2023 preseason, given his unexpected contributions at quarterback. Could be become a Taysom Hill-type weapon in Bill O’Brien’s offense? After an exhibition finale during which Cunningham had a very limited role (two pass attempts, one rush, one catch), he was asked whether he has a preferred position. “No,” he said. “I’m a football player. Whatever they need me to do, I’m going to do it. ... I feel like I did good over those three games. A lot to learn from, a lot to take on the chin, a lot of things I did good, a lot more things I need to work on as a quarterback or receiver, wherever they put me at.” It seems to be a given that he’ll make the 53-man roster, given his versatility and his performance. He’s still taking nothing for granted. “I mean there’s still a lot of stuff that I still need to work on,” Cunningham said. “But I feel like I put enough good stuff on film to let the coaches handle [that] and make a decision. Not my decision. I can only control what I control, and I’ll just keep my head down and keep working. ...” The work includes continuing to adjust to the NFL game. "[C]ollege and the NFL is so much more different,” Cunningham said. “I would say from a weight room perspective, definitely different. A lot more meetings in the league. A lot more spending time at the stadium trying to get your body right. Really, I really got into a routine in college. I mean, when you’re the best athlete on the field in college, there’s not much you can really do. But when you’re in the league, everybody around you [are] definitely good players and there’s stuff to learn from. ..." As Profootballtalk.com notes, Cunningham seems to be learning and developing quickly. He could become an undrafted success story for a Patriots team that could definitely use all the help it can get as it competes in a much more competitive AFC East. 8/26 New England rested much of its starting lineup with Bailey Zappe starting at quarterback. The Patriots managed just 79 yards total offense in their Friday night loss to the Titans. Patriots quarterback Mac Jones dressed but did not play. Zappe came back in in the third quarter. ... Chad Ryland, the Patriots' fourth-round pick out of Maryland, hit the crossbar on a kickoff to show off his strong leg as he pushes veteran Nick Folk for the kicker's job. ... The Patriots host Philadelphia on Sept. 10 to open the season. ... You can access complete stats for preseason Week 3 via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore. 8/25 Mac Jones will not play in the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans. This according to Karen Guregian of Masslive. Jones started the preseason Week 2 game against the Packers, playing three series. THe offensive line was shaky against Green Bay and the protections hasn't been very good. Against the Packers, Jones was 6-for-9 for 52 yards. For what it's worth, Jones attempted 46 passes over the final two days of training camp. Now, we won't see him until Week 1. During the two practices held during the week, Jones sizzled, but both he and and Bailey Zappe were under constant pressure. 8/25 By all accounts, Ezekiel Elliott has fit right into the Patriots' culture and offense in his short time with the club. "I think if you look at my play style and the culture of this team, it's a good match. I think I'm a good fit," Elliott said on Wednesday, via ESPN. "I was at home for a long time, so I thought I definitely should come in and be kind of an energizer boost. The transition has been good. I've been getting along with the team. Love the coaches, love the atmosphere and love this program. Just having fun." With Elliott coming off career lows of 876 yards and 3.8 yards per carry last season, the question is how much the 28-year-old has left in the tank. Elliott isn't worried about the outside perception. "I don't think any outside entity could put more pressure on me than any pressure I have for myself," he said. "So, it's not really to go out and prove anything to anyone but just go out there and show what kind of player I am." Zeke profiles to share carries behind three-down back Rhamondre Stevenson and seems likely to get the bulk of the red zone work, where he still showed prowess last season, earning 12 touchdowns. Elliott's pass-blocking ability -- which remains among the best in the league -- should also earn him some snaps in non-rushing situations. "He's a back that has a similar running style as me," Elliott said of Stevenson, "so I think we'll be able to complement each other very well." The Pats clearly needed a veteran back to pair with Stevenson after the youngsters on the roster did nothing to stand out during training camp or preseason. Elliott won't see the 240-plus carries he got used to in Dallas, but he can certainly have a role in New England's offense. The lightened workload may actually make Zeke a more effective back at this stage of his career. 8/24 Mac Jones has been enjoying his work with new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and one of Jones’ defensive teammates said he’s already seeing a big difference in the quarterback. Jones and the entire New England offense struggled to find any positive footing in 2022, which led to questions about Jones’ development even as it became clear the team’s offensive coaching staff lacked the necessary tools to help him make strides in his second NFL season. After several months with O’Brien, Patriots safety Adrian Phillips said he feels Jones has taken a leap forward as a player. “I just think overall, he’s a way better quarterback,” Phillips said, via Chris Mason of MassLive.com. “He took last year on the chin. He’ll be the first one to tell you that’s not how he wanted to play. And for all of us, that’s not how any of us wanted to play. But he’ll be the first to tell you that, and he’s coming out here every single day and he’s trying to light our defense up. Like, literally, light us up. I’m talking bombs, anything that he can do. You just love to see that. He’s always checking the play. He’s always ready to give you something that you have to think about. I just think his confidence is through the roof right now. ..." As Profootballtalk.com suggests, should that kind of improvement make itself clear when facing other defenses come September, the book on Jones and the Patriots will be much different than it was last year. 8/22 Following up on the previous item. ... As Profootballtalk.com laid it out, "The NFL’s valuation of running backs has been a frequent talking point this offseason and most of the focus has been on team’s putting less importance on paying players at the position." Ezekiel Elliott’s experience as a free agent didn’t do much to push back at that feeling. Elliott was released by the Cowboys early in the offseason, but he didn’t find a place to play until signing with the Patriots earlier this month and the compensation in his deal won’t make anyone think that the tides are turning at the position. While the Patriots may not be putting more financial value on running backs than other teams, Elliott said that he thinks the team’s offensive system puts them front and center when he was asked what attracted him to the team. “The importance of the back in this offense,” Elliott said in an interview with the team’s website. “This is definitely a team that wants to run the ball and wants to be balanced. ...” It remains to be seen how Elliott and Rhamondre Stevenson will fit together, but Patriots history has shown they have plenty of room for multiple backs to make an impact and it won’t be long before we find out what Elliott brings to his new team. 8/23 According to ESPN.com's Mike Reiss, one aspect of Tuesday's practice that caught the eye: Notable uptick in work for RB Ezekiel Elliott behind Rhamondre Stevenson. Specifically, Elliott as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. This is interesting because Nashua Telegram Patriots beat writer Tom King, appearing with the FootballDiehards on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio last week, suggested Elliott could end up playing a James White-type role thanks in part to his pass-blocking ability. 8/22 The Athletic's Chad Graff reports there was a good news/bad news situation for the Pats on the injury front. Good news: Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong Jr. (red jersey), and Mike Gesicki (red jersey) were back at practice. The bad news: No Tyquan Thornton. ... We'll be watching for more. 8/22 After going through last season with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge leading New England’s offense, Mac Jones appears to be in a much better position to succeed with Bill O’Brien back as the club’s offensive coordinator. In a recent interview with Albert Breer of SI.com, Jones noted that he’s enjoyed getting to work with O’Brien and that the two “are definitely on the same page and we’re building that trust. ..." While Jones didn’t play with O’Brien as his OC at Alabama, the two knew each other a bit since Jones was around Tuscaloosa during his pre-draft process after O’Brien had been hired. As O’Brien has installed the scheme with the Patriots, Jones has noted there’s “for sure” some crossover from what both men had done with the Crimson Tide. “We speak the same language,” Jones said. “He used to coach for Belichick and [Nick] Saban, and I played for Belichick and Saban. We understand that it’s a tough place to play. In practice, everything’s going to be hard. You’ve got defensive head coaches, so they’re trying to make it hard on you. We love the challenge. We speak the same terminology. Sometimes I’ll bring up an old play, and everyone’s like, ‘What’s that?’ And O’B’s like, ‘It’s this.’ We’re talking the same language. It’s fun. He’s learned a lot, which is cool for me to see in just talking to him. You learn so much going from college to pros back to college to pros. He’s kind of picked up a little bit each way. I learned that about my coaches at Alabama. A lot of guys take what they learned at Alabama and take it to their next stop or vice versa. It’s cool to see that for sure. ...” As Profootballtalk.com's Myles Simmons notes, after leading New England to a playoff berth as a rookie, Jones completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,997 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 14 games last year. If the Patriots are going to get back to the postseason in 2023, they’ll need the partnership between O’Brien and Jones to be successful. 8/21 According to ESPN.com's Mike Reiss, how effectively running back Ezekiel Elliott still hits the hole remains to be seen, but he decisively hit the ground running in his first week after signing a one-year deal with the Patriots. Elliott’s energy, passion and football knowledge made a notable first impression on coaches and teammates. “He’s excited. Everyone in the room is excited,” RBs coach Vinnie Sunseri said. “He’s brought a little bit of juice.” HC Bill Belichick noted the majority of Elliott’s time has come working with Sunseri -- a former NFL safety who is entering his third full season leading the team’s running backs -- with a goal of getting him “caught up on terminology” of the offense. Sunseri shared that 28-year-old Elliott, the team’s oldest healthy running back (with 30-year-old Ty Montgomery II not on the 11-day preseason road trip due to a left leg/knee injury) has already been a vocal presence. “He talks to all the guys in the room -- how he sees runs, how he sees protections. He communicates well. He’s had a little bit of a leadership role so far, and we’ll see how that progresses,” he said. “He’s done a lot of these things. He’s done a lot of these runs that we’re going to run.” OC Bill O’Brien added: “One thing you see right away is that he’s smart, he’s been in different systems, he understands football. Maybe they called it apples, we call it oranges, but it’s still football, and he gets it. He picks up on it really quick. ... I do think he’s a three-down back, and he’s been a really good addition to our football team.” Sunseri credited the team’s other backs for helping Elliott, a group that includes third-year pro Rhamondre Stevenson, who led the team last season with 210 carries for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns. Elliott has yet to answer questions from reporters since joining the Patriots, but that is likely to happen this week, as he is expected to increase his workload at practice. 8/21 The Patriots made a point of getting wide receiver Kendrick Bourne involved in the offense in Saturday’s preseason game, with Bourne catching passes on the Patriots’ first two offensive plays. HC Bill Belichick says that’s an extension of what Bourne has been doing all offseason. Belichick said today that Bourne has been one of the stars of the Patriots’ offseason program and is showing that he can be a major part of what the Patriots want to do on offense. “He had a good spring,” Belichick said of Bourne. “That spring led into having a good training camp. He’s done very well in all phases of the game. He’s played multiple spots, caught the ball well, blocked well. He’s had a good camp. ...” Bourne took a step backward in 2022, managing just 434 receiving yards after gaining 800 yards in 2021. Getting Bourne back on track will go a long way toward Belichick getting the Patriots’ offense where he wants it. 8/20 According to ESPN.com's Mike Reiss, barring an unexpected turn, the plan is for second-year running back Pierre Strong Jr. to rejoin the team this week after not traveling to Green Bay because he was in the concussion protocol. Strong likely gets bumped down the depth chart with Elliott’s arrival, but it’s hard to imagine there still isn’t a role in which the 5-foot-11, 212-pound player's breakaway speed -- a notable contrast to Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott -- can be tapped at times. 8/20 Patriots rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden was released from the hospital Sunday morning after absorbing a hit from a teammate that led him to be immobilized, placed on a stretcher and carted off the field in Saturday night's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. The Patriots said in a statement that Bolden would travel home with the team on Sunday morning. The injury led to the suspension of Saturday night's game early in the fourth quarter. Bolden had "feeling in all his extremities," according to the team, and remained at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay overnight for observation. The Patriots had planned to fly to Tennessee on Sunday, where they were scheduled to hold two practices with the Tennessee Titans leading up to Friday's preseason finale. The practices have been canceled by the Patriots "due to the circumstances surrounding the abrupt and unexpected ending" to Saturday's game. The Patriots now plan to practice at their team headquarters in Foxborough, Massachusetts, before traveling to Tennessee later in the week for the game. 8/20 According to NFL.com's Nick Shook, this Patriots offense won't bore in 2023. New England isn't an offensive machine at this point in the preseason, but it's certainly more exciting than it was a year ago. Bill O'Brien's influence was visible Saturday night, none more so than on second down late in the first half when Bailey Zappe ripped a bullet to receiver Kayshon Boutte, who made a contested catch in traffic and took off down the seam for a 42-yard touchdown. These types of plays just didn't seem to exist in New England's offense last year, and although the Saturday night numbers don't scream explosive offense, the Patriots were more aggressive downfield in this contest than they were in most of 2022. That's a good thing, especially if players like Boutte, Kendrick Bourne (who was the best pass catcher prior to Boutte's score Saturday) and an intriguing stable of running backs produce. ... Remember, this game was suspended with just over 10 minutes to play after rookie CB Isaiah Bolden suffered a head injury; Bolden was taken to a local hospital with movement in all extremeties. 8/19 The Patriots and Green Bay Packers agreed to suspend their preseason game with 10:29 remaining after New England rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden was carted off the field. Bolden collided with Patriots linebacker Calvin Munson in pass coverage during the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s game at Lambeau Field. He remained down on the field, motionless, and eventually was loaded onto a stretcher and placed on a cart. The entire Patriots team left the sideline to attend to Bolden while he received on-field medical attention. During this process, Bill Belichick conferred with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, longtime New England captain Matthew Slater and referee John Hussey. As the cart carrying Bolden left the field, Hussey announced that the teams had decided not to play the remainder of the game. “Upon mutual agreement of the teams, tonight’s game between the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers has been suspended,” the Patriots announced in a team statement. 8/18 Maybe, in time, Patriots rookie Malik Cunningham will become the team’s starting quarterback. He could have a very important role before then. Cunningham could potentially become a Taysom Hill-style weapon for the Patriots? Via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, Cunningham participated in 10 snaps at receiver and 17 at quarterback in the preseason opener. Reiss also notes that, in 2022, only one player had double-digit snaps at both quarterback and some other position. That was Taysom Hill, who in a Week 8 win over the Raiders took 11 snaps at quarterback and 11 at non-quarterback for the Saints. The Patriots fit the profile of a team that could send its starting quarterback to the sideline from time to time, since Mac Jones isn’t a short-list franchise quarterback. A Cunningham package would force opposing defenses to prepare for both Jones and Cunningham during the limited hours they have before a given game. We’ll get our next glimpse of Malik Cunningham on Saturday night. 8/18 On Monday, running back Ezekiel Elliott concluded an extensive period of free agency and agreed to terms with the Patriots. So where do things stand regarding his preparation? “I mean, he’s only been here two days,” coach Bill Belichick told reporters on Friday (via Profootballtalk.com). “We haven’t really been able to practice with him, so not so much team work. But, he’s done things. He worked out with the strength staff on Wednesday. So, it’s coming along. He’s definitely not there yet, but we’re getting there.” As PFT noted, they’ve got 23 days until the regular-season opener. And Elliott has every reason to be ready to go. Most of his one-year contract is tied to playing and playing well. He makes $50,000 per game that he’s on the 46-man roster. He makes up to $1.5 million based on yards from scrimmage. He makes up to another $1.5 million based on playing time. So, yes, he has a clear incentive to be ready to go. And the Patriots have a clear incentive to get him ready to go. 8/15 TE Mike Gesicki, who according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, has been impressive early on in camp, suffered a mild dislocated shoulder during yesterday’s practice. While nothing is given, Rapoport advised his Twitter followers the hope is Gesecki is back for Week 1 despite the AC joint injury. 8/15 According to Ian Rapoport, New England Patriots RB Ezekiel Elliott will participate in joint practices with the Packers starting tomorrow. 8/14 Following up on the previous item. ... Ezekiel Elliott agreed to terms with the Patriots on a one-year deal, helping address one of the thinnest positions on the roster, a source confirmed to ESPN. Elliott's one-year deal with the Patriots includes a $3 million base salary, a $1 million signing bonus and can be worth up to $6 million with incentives, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. According to ESPN.com's Mike Reiss, Elliott, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, projects as a top complement to No. 1 option Rhamondre Stevenson. Reiss went on to note the Patriots have traditionally split the early-down workload between two running backs under coach Bill Belichick, who spoke directly to Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones for insight and evaluation of the former two-time NFL rushing champion before hosting him on a visit last month, a source told ESPN's Ed Werder. Elliott, who was released by the Cowboys on March 15 in a salary cap move, had a career-low 876 rushing yards in 2022, but he scored 12 touchdowns and remained a top short-yardage back and pass protector. ... Remember: The Patriots' lack of depth at running back has been notable during training camp. Stevenson has been backed up by second-year players Pierre Strong Kevin Harris, but Strong -- a 2022 fourth-round draft pick out of South Dakota State -- has been out of practice for undisclosed reasons the last two days. Also, veteran Ty Montgomery has been sidelined by a left leg/knee injury sustained in the second practice of camp. Third-year player J.J Taylor and former USFL rusher C.J. Marable round out the depth chart. The Patriots had signed former Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets running back James Robinson in March, but he was released in June. 8/14 The Patriots are expected to sign former Cowboys star RB Ezekiel Elliott to a 1-year deal worth up to $6 million after his successful free-agent visit earlier in camp, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. 8/14 According to Christopher Price, Patriots TE Mike Gesicki left practice relatively early with a trainer, holding his arm. 8/10 According to NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal, sixth-round rookie receiver Demario Douglas has backed up a strong offseason program with starter snaps at New England Patriots training camp. He could be ahead of 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton in a wide receiver group that BostonSportsJournal.com's Mike Giardi described early in camp as "stink, stunk and stank." 8/08 According to NFL.com's Judy Battista, if there is a mantra attached to the Patriots offense right now, it is this: "How are we getting better each and every day?" It seems like a modest goal, but nobody here needs reminding that the Patriots offense did not get better each day of 2022. It stumbled in training camp with former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia working as the offensive play-caller -- an unorthodox decision that was later called an "experiment" by owner Robert Kraft -- and never got its footing, finishing 26th in offensive yardage and last in the league in red-zone efficiency. Quarterback Mac Jones, who threw for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions as a rookie in 2021, threw for just 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his second season, during which he also missed three games with a high ankle sprain. That spurred displays of open frustration from Jones and a seeming cooling of support for the quarterback from coach Bill Belichick, who has still not officially named Jones the starter for this season. But it also prompted Bill O'Brien's return as offensive coordinator. O'Brien has already declared a clean slate from last season, and last Friday (8/4), he also tiptoed right up to the line of declaring Jones the starter by stating the obvious: Jones gets most of the practice work with the first team, while Bailey Zappe works primarily with the second team. A complete change of offensive style is not anticipated, but even in these early days of training camp, a few wrinkles have become clear. Most noteworthy is that Jones has regained responsibility to adjust plays at the line of scrimmage. He did that in his rookie season, when Josh McDaniels was the offensive coordinator. Still, there are real questions about the Patriots' personnel and if the team did enough after finishing 8-9, in third place in the AFC East, to keep pace with the star-studded offenses in the conference -- and even in their own division. The Patriots did sign veteran receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to replace Jakobi Meyers, and Battista reports he and Jones already have developed a chemistry, which showed up in red-zone work last week. The Patriots also signed tight end Mike Gesicki, who, in five previous seasons with the Miami Dolphins, scored 17 touchdowns from inside the red zone (including playoffs). The expectation is that O'Brien, who recruited Gesicki to Penn State while working as the head coach there, will use Gesicki and Hunter Henry in multiple tight end sets -- something with which he had great success when the Patriots had Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. But going back to the mantra, the "getting better every day" portion suggests we're early in the process. 8/08 Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub reports that Tyquan Thornton “maybe be falling off in the team’s eyes” after a slow start to training camp. As Barth notes in his article, Thornton “struggled early in camp” and then missed two of the team’s three padded practices last week. At the same time, Barth added he doesn't believe coaches will be in a rush to give up on Thornton, who was the 50th overall pick two years ago and does bring game-changing speed to the position. 8/08 Hunter Henry has been QB Mac Jones' "go-to-guy in the red zone" during training camp, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports. ... As CBSSports.com notes, while Henry has some new competition for targets in the form of free-agent addition Mike Gesicki, the 28-year-old Henry has been making plays in training camp, especially around the end zone, per Mark Daniels of Masslive.com. Although the Patriots list Henry at 258 pounds, the tight end indicates that he approached this summer weighing somewhere around the high 240s, and it looks like he's playing faster, per Daniels. Though the presence of Gesicki figures to impact Henry's target volume, there has been a shift in reporting since OTAs and minicamps when Gesicki appeared to be playing a greater role. That hasn't been the case so far after two weeks of training camp. There figures to be room for both players to maintain a degree of fantasy utility, but Henry has taken a clear lead so far and his nose for the end zone can't be overlooked. 8/08 Bill O'Brien is the Patriots' new offensive coordinator. This is his second stint as the Patriots' offensive coordinator, a title he previously had in 2011. He also spent 2007-2010 with the Patriots in various offensive assistant roles. For the last two seasons, O'Brien has been the offensive coordinator at Alabama. Last year the Patriots didn't have anyone with the title of offensive coordinator, but the primary offensive coordinator duties were handled by Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, and the result was a disaster. O'Brien's job will be undoing the damage from last year's failed experiment. O'Brien's familiarity with quarterback Mac Jones should help the offense get off to a more productive offseason O'Brien and Jones worked together during Bama's National Championship season in 2020 and Jones helped familiarize O'Brien with the Crimson Tide's system when he arrived. Among QBs who made at least 10 starts in 2022, Jones tied for 23rd in TD passes (14) but tied for 10th in interceptions (11). Following a Pro Bowl selection and a playoff appearance in his rookie season, Jones' downturn and his October ankle injury opened the door for rookie Bailey Zappe. Zappe went 2-0 as a starter and tossed at least one TD in all four of his appearances. Assuming he retains his QB1 status, it will be a make-or-break year for Jones. The Patriots' off-season upgrades -- WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and TE Mike Gesicki -- and the dual-threat emergence of RB Rhamondre Stevenson (69 catches in 2022) should at least give him a chance to win games and mend fences with the boss.
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 Team Review
Fantasy Grade: C-
last year— 26th in total offense at just 314.6 yards per game. There's a new offensive coordinator in town this year in Bill 0' Brien, but fantasy managers looking for offensive fireworks (especially through the air) likely aren't going to find them in Beantown. O'Brien's biggest task will be getting Mac Jones back on track after a turnover-plagued 2022 season. NFL insider Dan Graziano likes the coaching hire, but wonders how much Jones can shine given the weapons around him. 'This offseason. Belichick brought back O'Brien. who was the Pats' OC in 2011, and he'll be charged with getting Jones back on track,' Graziano wrote. "The Patriots still don't appear to have surrounded Jones with a very inspir-ing group of receivers, but the hope is O'Brien's experi-ence on the offensive side of the ball will set things right and allow Jones to continue to develop." That uninspiring group of receivers has a new face at the top — after Jakobi Meyers departed in free agency, the Patriots replaced him with JuJu Smith-Schuster. Smith-Schuster finished just outside the top-25 in PPR points among wideouts in his lone season with the Kansas City Chiefs, but that was playing on arguably the league's best offense. Now, Smith-Schuster moves to an offense that ranked 22nd in pass attempts last year. O'Brien told reporters that he plans to make Smith-Schuster a big part of the offense in 2023. it's early, but he's a guy that, when you watch him play and you watch his tape from the places that he's been, he's a very versatile guy:O'Brien said. "I think that's what you see in that wide receiver room. There's a lot of guys with versatility. He's definitely a guy that has been a good addition so far, just in the meeting room with his experi-ence and the things that he's done, especially most recent-ly in Kansas City. So, its been good to work with him." If Smith-Schuster (and to a lesser extent tight ends Hunter Henry and Mike Gesickl) carry the passing game, the true fulcrum for the offense should be the run game and Rhamondre Stevenson. Former Patriots running backs coach expects Stevenson to be a leader offen-sively this season. 'The kid has worked hard to do the things we've asked him to do,' Fears said, when appearing on WEEI's "8 Rings" podcast. "To learn, and to prepare, and to train, He's gotta continue in that mode, because, right now. he's about to become a leader. He's the veteran guy in the room." With Damien Harris gone, Stevenson has a clear path to a large workload this year in New England — and a sec-ond straight top-10 fantasy season is a real possibility. | |||
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2023 Off-Season News & Views
Click here for Complete set of News & Views
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