Patriots
Kendrick Bourne continues to construct his sport after a gradual begin throughout coaching camp.
The Patriots solely have another preseason sport left on their docket, with New England set to move to Tennessee later this week to tackle the Titans on Friday evening.
With preseason bouts beginning to wind down and roster cuts on the horizon, right here’s a take a look at who’s rising and falling on New England’s depth chart.
Stock Up
WR Kendrick Bourne
At one level early in coaching camp, Bourne seemed like a possible roster-bubble candidate.
After a disappointing 2022 season by which he was largely phased out of New England’s offensive scheme, Bourne opened camp with restricted touches throughout his first-team reps with Mac Jones.
Add within the strides put forth by rookies in Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte, and Bourne ran the chance of being on the surface wanting in at Invoice O’Brien’s revamped offense.
However give credit score the place it’s due. After a gradual begin, a motivated Bourne is wanting increasingly like a difference-maker for New England.
The 28-year-old wideout — who accrued 800 receiving yards throughout Jones’s rookie season in 2021 — caught three passes from Jones for 34 yards throughout Saturday’s preseason contest in opposition to the Packers.
Bourne helped New England achieve a primary down by reeling in a fast cross off a slant route throughout one in every of New England’s run-pass possibility performs. He later hauled down a excessive throw from Jones for an additional first-down conversion whereas Jones confronted loads of strain.
Bourne may also probably earn loads of kudos from New England’s teaching employees for doling out this block that led to a 23-yard run from Rhamondre Stevenson.
If Bourne can revert again to the participant that was as soon as one in every of Jones’s most reliable targets, an already rejuvenated Patriots offense ought to obtain one other shot within the arm.
“He had a great spring,” Invoice Belichick mentioned of Bourne on Monday. “That spring led into having a great coaching camp. He’s achieved very properly in all phases of the sport. He’s performed a number of spots, caught the ball properly, blocked properly. He’s had a great camp.”
S Jalen Mills
The Patriots can’t simply flip to at least one participant to account for the lack of Devin McCourty within the defensive backfield.
However as New England continues to cycle in a number of contributors of their secondary, veteran Jalen Mills continues to impress as he shifts again from cornerback to his acquainted place of security.
Mills has seen loads of snaps to this point throughout preseason play as a nickel on New England’s protection, with the 29-year-old profiting from the additional freedom he will get when the ball is snapped.
He has the on-field consciousness and velocity to shut in on opposing wideouts and pluck passes out of the air, as was the case in opposition to C.J. Stroud throughout New England’s preseason opener in opposition to the Texans.
However Mills has additionally proven a knack for including some further thump in opposition to the run. In each of his appearances to this point this preseason, he has negated some potential chunk yardage on the bottom by approach of some well timed tackles.
Mills ought to proceed to impress in a revamped secondary that can also be seeing different gamers like Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger proceed to take constructive steps ahead.
OL Riley Reiff
It hasn’t been one of the best begin for Reiff in his first season in New England, with the 34-year-old veteran struggling at instances in his common spot at sort out throughout camp and preseason motion.
However on one other evening the place New England’s O-line was liable to some momentum-sapping miscues, Reiff was regular in his new position at proper guard throughout Saturday’s preseason matchup.
According to Pro Football Focus’ Louie Benjamin, Reiff logged 31 snaps in opposition to the Packers and didn’t give up a strain or get beat.
Sure, Reiff was signed by New England in hopes of both shoring up the crew’s emptiness at proper sort out or, on the very least, serving as much-needed insurance coverage as a main backup on the surface of the Patriots’ O-line.
However as New England tries to place collectively the jigsaw puzzle that’s its beginning O-line, Reiff’s promising displaying at RG not less than offers the crew choices.
When Mike Onwenu does return from the PUP listing, slotting him over at proper sort out would possibly give New England its greatest five-man unit in Trent Brown (LT), Cole Unusual (LG), David Andrews (C), Reiff (RG) and Onwenu.
P Bryce Baringer
Very like fellow rookie Chad Ryland, Baringer probably has a leg up in his special-teams competitors with a veteran (Corliss Waitman) because of the energy in his leg.
However Baringer’s probabilities of snagging New England’s beginning punter spot took a slight hit earlier this week after just a few so-so performances throughout joint practices in opposition to the Packers.
However a few of these issues have been alleviated on Saturday evening, as Baringer completely booted just a few balls and routinely pinned Inexperienced Bay approach again in its personal zone.
In whole, Baringer’s two punts on Saturday traveled a mixed 120 yards.
His first try sailed 59 yards and landed on the Packers’ 14-yard line. His second providing went 61 yards, with Samori Toure snagging it on the 14-yard line. Toure solely made it three yards earlier than Patriots special-teams common Brenden Schooler took him down.
These observe miscues gained’t imply all that a lot for Baringer if he continues to blast the ball far down the gridiron.
Honorable Mentions: J.J. Taylor, Christian Gonzalez, Myles Bryant, Kayshon Boutte
Inventory Down
New England’s youthful offensive linemen
Sure, maybe it’s a cop-out in casting a large internet with this “down” designation.
However as Belichick, Adrian Klemm and the remainder of New England’s teaching employees proceed to seek for viable backup choices on the O-line, the crew’s massive grouping of first and second-year gamers haven’t precisely made essentially the most of their reps.
Two of Mac Jones’s three drives on Saturday evening in Lambeau Area have been undone by porous cross safety that resulted in sacks.
Second-year professional Andrew Stueber surrendered the costliest miscue throughout Jones’s reps. Slotting in for Brown at left sort out, Steuber was beat clear by Packers linebacker Kingsley Enagbare on one snap, with Enagbare taking down Jones for a strip sack. Inexperienced Bay recovered the ball, ending Jones’s evening on a poor notice.
Rookie Sidy Sow, already handed the powerful job of switching from guard to sort out up on the NFL ranks, was additionally beat by Enagbare earlier within the sport.
With New England trying to lengthen a drive on a third-and-9 state of affairs, Engabare powered by Sow with one arm en path to a takedown of Jones that pressured a punt.
Sure, it’s to be anticipated for youthful gamers like Sow to take their lumps throughout their first reps in opposition to NFL opponents.
Nonetheless, this early play from New England’s O-line reserves additional stresses simply how catastrophic issues might get for the Patriots if any of their anticipated starters are pressured to overlook important time throughout regular-season motion.
RB Kevin Harris
The arrival of Ezekiel Elliott would possibly make a number of different Patriots operating backs expendable over the following few weeks.
Earlier than New England opted to signal Elliott to a one-year deal, the Patriots turned to second-year backs in Kevin Harris and Pierre Sturdy throughout coaching camp with a view to see if both participant might step in behind Stevenson on the depth chart.
To date, these outcomes have been underwhelming. And whereas Sturdy is presently sidelined as a result of a reported concussion, Harris hasn’t popped to this point throughout preseason motion this summer time. The 2022 sixth-round decide led the Patriots with 10 speeding makes an attempt on Saturday, however solely averaged 3.1 yards per carry.
The sturdy play of J.J. Taylor in Inexperienced Bay (4 rushes for 29 yards, three receptions for 27 yards) might result in the 5-foot-6 operating again leapfrogging gamers like Harris on the depth chart.
With Elliott including some much-needed pass-catching capabilities to New England’s running-back corps, a veteran like Ty Montgomery (sidelined for many of camp as a result of harm) might additionally discover himself on the roster bubble.
DT Sam Roberts
The second-year defensive sort out out of Northwest Missouri State was already on the roster bubble this week, due partially to the depth New England already boasts throughout its D-line.
However Roberts’s undisciplined play actually gained’t assist his case of attempting to make the 53-man roster within the coming weeks.
Regardless of just a few strong performs in opposition to the run, Roberts hampered his crew with two expensive penalties on Saturday.
Whereas Packers QB Jordan Love slid on the finish of a scramble play, Roberts landed atop him in an undisciplined (and harmful) transfer, costing New England an extra 15 yards. Roberts was later whistled for unlawful use of palms.
There’s nonetheless loads to love about what Roberts can deliver to a sport as a thumper within the trenches. However given the variety of veterans in entrance of him, Roberts was going to must put his greatest foot ahead all through this preseason slate. Saturday’s decision-making didn’t assist him in any respect.
LB Mack Wilson
Although New England opened Saturday’s sport with a number of of their starters on protection taking the sphere, the outcomes have been very combined.
Regardless of recovering a fumble on Inexperienced Bay’s first drive (a self-inflicted miscue by Love), New England’s protection was diced up at numerous factors by the Packers.
Granted, Love delivered some spectacular throws in opposition to tight protection. However New England has little excuse for the poor run protection they displayed up entrance. Within the first quarter alone, Inexperienced Bay averaged 4.7 yards per carry.
Established veterans like Davon Godchaux probably didn’t benefit from the movie session following Saturday’s sport, however New England’s linebackers like Mack Wilson actually struggled to leap in as the following layer of protection within the trenches.
We’re nonetheless ready for rookie Marte Mapu to take to the sphere in a sport setting, however New England’s linebacker depth is terribly skinny when Ja’Whaun Bentley shouldn’t be on the market operating the present.
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