DeMario Douglas isn’t looking at the Patriots’ crowded wide receiver room as a problem. He’s treating it like fuel.
New England has loaded up the position this offseason, and the fourth-year receiver has embraced the challenge instead of bristling at it. After the Patriots’ third training camp practice of the year, Douglas made it clear he wants the fight.
“I never shy away from competition,” Douglas said with a smile. “You shy away from competition, you shouldn’t be in this league.
In this league, everybody’s good. So, if you’re scared of competition, I honestly wouldn’t advise you to be in this league.
“I thrive off competition. I feel like that makes me better.
It helps me grow. And it’s people out there better, and then that’s how you learn.
When you learn, man, I feel like that’s how you get better.”
The Patriots now have 11 receivers on the roster, including A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte, Kyle Williams, Efton Chism III, Kyle Dixon, Kobe Prentice, Nick DeGennaro and Cameron Dorner. Douglas has already found a way to stand out with the top unit during camp.
That edge hasn’t been limited to the field, either. Douglas said the receivers are pushing each other in meetings and during drills, with the same competitive streak showing up everywhere.
“In the classroom, we’re going at it, trying to answer first, stuff like that,” Douglas said. “On the field, we push each other.”
Douglas’ role has shrunk in recent seasons, and last year he finished with a career-low 31 catches and 447 receiving yards, also the fewest he’s posted in a season. But he’s not dwelling on that now. Entering his second year under Josh McDaniels and third season working with quarterback Drake Maye, Douglas is trying to turn camp into something he can enjoy.
Part of that mindset comes from a phrase he and his teammates have been leaning on this summer.
“(Our) new motto, 'we've been putting in that pain,' and I feel like the summer has been good,” Douglas said, later explaining the meaning behind the new phrase.
“We're just working out, and one of my boys was like, 'Oh, this that pain.' Like, yeah, this is that pain.
So you know, so I always been saying, you know, we gotta put in that pain, so later we had that joy. So I'm putting that pain now so you know later, end of this year, that's when that joy comes.”
The early signs have been encouraging for Douglas. He stood out in the first two practices in shells and was working with the starters during Monday’s walkthrough. For him, the extra competition only strengthens the group.
“That makes the room better,” Douglas said. “The depth that we have, and man, the competition, man, it just makes the next person better. ... Since last year, you know, our room been stacked, and I feel like that's been making the next person better.”
In Other News...
Patriots Camp Just Sent A Troubling Message About The Receiver Battle
Training camp has only just opened, but the Patriots are already making the kind of roster moves that tend to tell you where the real battles are. New England claimed rookie wide receiver Kobe Prentice off waivers from the Panthers, a move that came with a corresponding release of first-year offensive lineman Sebastian Gutierrez, and the team also added tight end Jeremiah Franklin and Gabe Jacas as it continued sorting through the early camp mix.
For a receiver group trying to establish itself under Mike Vrabels staff, the timing matters. The Patriots have been busy with fan events, practice sessions and a round of press conferences from Vrabel and team executives, yet the more revealing news has come in the personnel churn around the bottom of the roster. Adding Prentice gives the group another young name to watch, and the fact that New England felt the need to keep adjusting the board this early suggests the competition at receiver is already getting tighter than anyone would prefer. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Camp Just Dropped An Early Roster Clue Fans Will Obsess Over
Mondays training camp walkthrough gave a quieter look at the Patriots roster picture after two faster-paced practices, but even in a lighter session, a few pecking orders stood out. Lan Larison kept working as the third running back behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, which is the kind of early camp detail that usually matters more than the drill itself.
At receiver, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III continue to rotate in the fight for what appears to be the next depth opening behind the established top options. The tight end group is also worth watching, with Tanner Arkin getting meaningful reps as the Patriots sort through the fallout from Julian Hills season-ending injury and try to settle on who can handle the next layer of the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Romeo Doubs Is Already Facing Pressure In Patriots Camp
Romeo Doubs arrived in New England with a chance to carve out a real role, but the early returns in camp have been uneven. Through offseason workouts and the first two training camp practices, the receiver has looked like he is still getting comfortable in Josh McDaniels offense, with route adjustments and the timing of reads still a work in progress as he tries to settle in alongside Drake Maye.
The bigger issue for Doubs is that the competition around him is not standing still. DeMario Douglas has been handling the slot work, Kayshon Boutte has looked ahead of him on the boundary, and the Patriots have not even reached padded practices yet, which means the pace is only going to pick up from here. With preseason games approaching, Doubs has time to close the gap, but he also has to show he can turn a slow start into something more convincing before the depth chart hardens. [Read more 🡒]