The Patriots’ joint practices with the Eagles have already offered plenty to chew on, but one of the most meaningful developments came from an outside voice with real credibility: Lane Johnson.
Over the last two days, the Patriots reportedly edged the Eagles on Day 1 and were much closer on Day 2, a reminder that this young New England team may be further along than plenty of people expected. That backdrop makes Johnson’s comments about Will Campbell stand out even more.
Johnson, a six-time Pro Bowl tackle, had plenty of praise for Campbell after practice, and he didn’t stop at the usual polite compliments. He said Campbell reminded him of himself.
"Will just kind of reminds me of myself in a way. Country kid, drafted first round, saw the kind of pressures that are on guys like that.
For me, I thought he had a really good rookie season. Just for me, talking to him, our lives are similar in a lot of ways, just what we're doing.
You can see him just getting better. I was watching some of him today, he looks thicker, he looks bigger, he's healed up from his knee injury."
That’s the kind of praise that matters. Campbell has been a frequent topic this offseason, with criticism of his postseason performance and chatter about whether he belongs at left tackle or should be shifted to guard. But hearing a veteran like Johnson speak that way carries more weight than the noise that follows a player on social media.
The timing also matters because Campbell has worked with Johnson and other veterans earlier this offseason, and the early returns suggest he’s heading in the right direction. Based on what has been seen this summer, he looks steadier and more consistent than he did at the end of his rookie year.
That doesn’t mean every concern has vanished. There are still questions about whether he’s truly a left tackle, and the schedule ahead is described as brutal. But the Eagles star’s evaluation gives the Patriots reason to feel better about where Campbell is trending.
There’s still plenty to prove once the season starts, especially after the knee injury that clearly affected him in last year’s playoffs. The source of that struggle now looks more serious than it did at the time, and if Campbell has really put that behind him, the Patriots could be getting the version of him they need on offense.
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Patriots Face A New Doubt About Mike Vrabel And Drake Maye
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Cowherd was skeptical that New England can simply roll last years success forward and suggested the team looks more like a wild-card outfit than a Super Bowl contender. Even so, he had high regard for the Vrabel-Drake Maye partnership, ranking it among the leagues better coach-quarterback pairings and putting it sixth overall, which is part of what makes the Patriots next step such an intriguing one. [Read more 🡒]