The New England Patriots will kickstart their preseason schedule with a matchup against the Washington Commanders on Friday.
It’s a night that will be headlined by Tom Brady’s statue unveiling that is scheduled to take place just prior to kickoff at Gillette Stadium, but the true sickos will have their eyes on a collection of underperforming veterans, undrafted free agents and talented players who need to translate what they’ve done in practice into a game setting.
I’ve written about players who fit those archetypes throughout the offseason, but now is the time to keep your eyes on a few in particular:
RB Lan Larison (No. 34)
Larison was anointed before he ever put the pads on, which was patently ridiculous, but there’s a reason why fans were so excited about an undrafted rookie running back who never played against any real competition.
I think…
The Patriots clearly like their top three in the running back room, with TreVeyon Henderson suddenly headlining a group that also includes successful veterans Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. It’d be difficult for anyone to work their way into the mix, but strong preseason performances could cause the organization to try and protect a player by keeping him on the active roster — at least early on. Larison needs to star in these games if he wants to be factored into plans.
WR Ja’Lynn Polk (No. 1)
Polk’s early training camp absences might have told us everything we need to know about his standing within the wide receiver room.
New England has moved into a direction where it clearly doesn’t need the former second-round pick, so perhaps they give him preseason opportunities to display value before potentially shipping him elsewhere. I’d be unsurprised to see him play all four quarters in this one, and if he does, you can count on a roster move following shortly thereafter.
CB DJ James (No. 30)
“DJ James always gets around the ball.” – DJ James on July 31.
Let’s see, kid.
S Kyle Dugger (No. 23)
Dugger is a veteran leader who will obviously have a role on this club, but will it be as large as it has been in previous seasons?
The Patriots’ new coaching staff clearly likes the idea of utilizing a pretty sizable rotation at safety, with rookie Craig Woodson and veteran Jabrill Peppers being the primary options in base packages. It’ll be interesting to see how much — and where — Dugger plays in the preseason opener.
EDGE Elijah Ponder (No. 91)
Ponder has been a better pass-rusher than Bradyn Swinson and Anfernee Jennings to this point in training camp, and if he continues to get pressure in a game setting, we might have to have a serious conversation about whether or not he’ll be suiting up in Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
TE CJ Dippre (No. 82)
Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper likely won’t be seeing the field very much this preseason, which opens up a gigantic opportunity for the young tight ends on the roster — Dippre, Gee Scott, Jaheim Bell, Jack Westover — to make some noise.
Dippre’s ability to serve in multiple roles makes him the most intriguing option, in my estimation. How much will they put on his plate early on?
