FOXBORO, MA. — In Jerod Mayo’s first (and only) season at the helm, the New England Patriots gave out 13 offseason awards. One year later, new head coach Mike Vrabel only awarded four.
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the awards were given to wide receiver DeMario Douglas (who Vrabel told reporters about ahead of Monday’s practice), offensive guard Cole Strange, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga and edge rusher Truman Jones.
As for Douglas, his award-winning offseason has translated onto the practice field. Through five training camp practices, the argument can be made that the third-year wideout is the team’s most productive offensive player so far.
Great energy, great demeanor, very coachable,” Vrabel said. “One of our offseason award winners. So, he obviously worked extremely hard, was here every day, ready to learn, ready to earn a role. I love being around Pop. He’s got great energy and he’s got a lot of respect from everybody around here.”
Douglas — the former sixth-round pick out of Liberty — has taken control of one of the team’s top spots on the wide receiver depth chart. Alongside Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte, the trio of pass catchers have quickly bonded with quarterback Drake Maye as July nears a close.
The other award winners all make their money in the trenches, the part of the game that got the biggest emphasis once the pads came on this week. Strange, who’s been oft-injured for the better parts of the last two seasons, has come back with the goal of winning the starting left guard position. He’s been rotating with Georgia rookie Jared Wilson, but it’s been Strange’s job to lose ahead of his fourth NFL season.
The two defensive players are both fighting for a roster spot along the defensive front. Tonga signed a one year contract worth $2.7 million this past March, and Jones (who won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2023) ended last year’s regular season on the Patriots active roster.
Whether the offseason awards will translate to on-field performance once the preseason rolls around, we will see. The Patriots continue their padded training camp practices this week before their preseason opener against Washington on Aug. 8 at Gillette Stadium.
