There was plenty to like for the Patriots this week, and a few names made real moves as the team pushed through practices and joint work with the Colts.
With Thursday’s preseason opener looming, Mike Vrabel made it clear Tuesday that the front-line guys are being protected for a reason. The whole point of the joint practices, he said, is to get those players work without putting them in preseason games.
That means Patriots fans probably won’t see Drake Maye at all on Thursday, and other starters are expected to be limited. The game, then, becomes a stage for the players who didn’t get as many reps against the Colts.
That backdrop makes stock watch 2.0 pretty timely. Here’s who climbed and who slipped over the past week.
Stock up
Romeo Doubs, WR
Doubs started camp quietly, but he’s picked things up fast over the last few practices.
He finished Monday’s practice by climbing high for a two-handed touchdown over Christian Gonzalez during the two-minute drill. He kept rolling in the next session, hauling in a redzone touchdown in 11-on-11 work and adding another strong sideline catch from Maye for a nice gain. Those were only part of a productive joint practice for him.
Drake Maye, QB
Maye had one blemish - an interception on a bad throw late in practice - but most of his work against the Colts was clean and sharp.
He was a little off-balance on a throw to Rhamondre Stevenson, yet he still put enough touch on it for Stevenson to run under the ball for a touchdown. He also kept finding DeMario Douglas for chunk plays.
His chemistry with Doubs and A.J. Brown keeps growing.
More than anything, Maye looked composed. He spread the ball around and did it with accuracy.
Will Campbell, OT
Campbell won both of his 1-on-1 matchups in the joint practice and followed that up with another strong showing in team periods.
Even while working through an arm injury, he’s kept building on a strong summer.
Vrabel said months ago that Campbell would stay at left tackle, and nothing so far has suggested that plan is changing, even after the Patriots took Caleb Lomu in the first round.
Elijah Ponder, EDGE
Ponder made his presence felt by blowing up a screen pass from Daniel Jones with a forceful swat.
The second-year edge rusher has been consistently getting into the backfield this summer, and that matters because the Patriots need help there. Dre’Mont Jones has been good, Gabe Jacas could push for more time once he gets up to speed, and Harold Landry is still not back. Ponder has been available and productive.
Eli Raridon, TE
Raridon keeps trending toward being a real Day 1 option at tight end.
He’s been getting more first-team reps this week and backing that up with steady production. His size and speed could give the Patriots a vertical threat alongside Hunter Henry right away.
Tommy DeVito, QB
DeVito delivered one of the best throws of camp Tuesday, dropping a deep ball perfectly in stride to Kyle Williams.
He has past starting experience with the Giants, but last year he was the Patriots’ QB3. Now he looks more settled in the backup role and has shown off a stronger arm than many probably expected. Dell Pettus said DeVito has found his “flow state,” and that fits the way he’s looked.
Cory Durden, DT
Durden appeared to force a fumble on a sack, though a penalty wiped it out.
The 6-foot-4, 305-pound tackle has held up well while filling in for Christian Barmore, and his physical play has shown up repeatedly. One rookie tight end even pointed to a rep against Durden as his “welcome to the NFL moment.”
“I definitely felt him,” Durden said.
John Saunders, S
Saunders was the only Patriot to come away with a takeaway, jumping on a tipped pass for an interception during the situational scrimmage portion at the end of practice.
He’s still buried on the depth chart behind Kevin Byard and Craig Woodson, with Dell Pettus and Brenden Schooler also in the mix after making the roster last year. But on a day when turnovers were scarce, he made one of the few plays that really popped.
DeMario Douglas, WR
Douglas was everywhere Tuesday, using his quickness to separate on all kinds of routes. He also came down with a contested catch in 1-on-1s.
Maye kept looking his way early and often, maybe a little too often. That led to Maye’s lone interception when he tried to force one to the slot receiver.
Even so, Douglas turned in a strong day.
Stock down
Behren Morton, QB
Morton didn’t show up in the joint practice scrimmages.
That likely means he’ll get his shot Thursday, since Maye isn’t expected to play and DeVito probably won’t handle the whole game. There’s still a chance to flip this one quickly.
Jam Miller, RB
Right now, Terrell Jennings appears to have the edge in the race for the third running back spot.
Jennings and Lan Larrison have also been taking steady reps at kick returner, which has cut into Miller’s opportunities. It’s not that Miller has been bad; he just hasn’t been getting as many snaps with Jennings back in the mix.
Jack Westover, TE
Westover’s path is getting tougher by the day.
With Raridon rising and Reggie Gilliam signed, it’s becoming harder to picture Westover on the 53-man roster. The Patriots moved him from fullback to tight end this summer, but CJ Dippre and Tanner Arkin seem to be battling for the third tight end job.
Roster spots are tight at both fullback and tight end, and the newer faces appear to be getting more chances.
The secondary also had a rough Tuesday without Christian Gonzalez, who was out, and Carlton Davis, who was limited. The Colts completed 11 straight passes at one point during scrimmages, making it hard to single out just one defensive back for blame. Charles Woods and Kindle Vildor have been the top backups so far, with rookie Karon Prunty also mixing in.
In Other News...
Christian Gonzalez Just Cemented His Place In Patriots Plans
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For New England, the recognition only reinforces what teammates and other NFL players already seem to understand about Gonzalezs value. He has drawn praise for the way he played and the impact he made last season, and that kind of respect carries weight for a Patriots team trying to identify exactly who should anchor its plans moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Have An Obvious Christian Gonzalez Decision Coming Soon
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Gonzalez still has two years left on his current deal, so there is no immediate deadline forcing action. Even so, the next months will tell a lot about how aggressively the Patriots want to move on a new agreement, especially with Gonzalez unlikely to take part in the upcoming preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. For a team trying to build around young, foundational talent, this is the kind of decision that tends to linger until it suddenly doesnt. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Suddenly Have A Gabe Jacas Question They Cant Ignore
Gabe Jacas has quickly become one of the more intriguing names in Patriots camp, not just because of what he can do off the edge, but because of how carefully New England has had to handle his return. The rookie has been in a cautious ramp-up after offseason knee surgery, and while the staff is keeping the development plan measured, he has still flashed enough in recent padded practices to make people around the team take notice.
The bigger issue is no longer just whether Jacas can help this fall, but what kind of long-term path the Patriots are signing up for with him. His knee situation adds an uncomfortable layer to an otherwise encouraging spring and summer storyline, and it leaves Mike Vrabels staff balancing immediate promise against the kind of durability questions teams hate to confront when a young edge rusher is just getting started. [Read more 🡒]