There are a lot of storylines to follow surrounding the Patriots this offseason, one of which is all the roster battles that will be happening during training camp.
At most positions, the team is in a unique situation where they have a lot of talent that will need to be narrowed down, which will work to many players’ benefit. On the other hand, more than a handful will need to step it up as practices return next month in hopes of snagging a roster spot for the 2024 season.
Some players will face stiff competition, making it more challenging to make the team, while others will need to step up their performance to impress Jerod Mayo and the rest of the coaching staff.
This list is just seven of the names who will be fighting for a job at training camp.
7 Patriots players fighting for their jobs after minicamp
JuJu Smith-Schuster
JuJu Smith-Schuster is at the top of the list of players who need to have a fantastic summer in hopes of being kept on the Patriots 2024 roster for a host of reasons, many of which are reliant on the status of his rehab from injury.
The receiver was never a liked signing due to Bill Belichick’s decision to let Jakobi Meyers walk in free agency to sign Smith-Schuster to a nearly identical contract. This inevitably put more pressure on him to perform to the same level as the former Patriot, who had become a fan favorite over the years, to look even remotely worth it.
On top of that, he was coming off an impressive season with the Chiefs but ended the year with an injury, which prompted concerns about his fit on the Patriots’ offense. He wound up never fully acclimating to the new team, some of which can be blamed on the chaotic offense during the 2023 season. But it didn’t help that he ended the season on injured reserve.
Smith-Schuster has now claimed to be back to 100% health after recovering from his nagging knee injury, but his performance throughout minicamp wasn’t anything extraordinary.
A few standout plays made him a guy to watch in practice, which was a positive sign given his unremarkable first year in New England. However, his performance didn’t outshine others on the offense, notably Javon Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk, putting even more fire under Smith-Schuster to work even harder to secure a spot on the 2024 roster.
Kevin Harris
The Patriots backfield will likely be the prioritized part of the offense this upcoming season, led by Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. There’s room for another running back to step up into the third spot on the depth chart, with third-year player Kevin Harris seemingly being the top candidate.
However, he has yet to make much of an impression since being drafted in 2022 and will have more competition this summer in making the team.
The teammate he will probably see the most head-to-head competition with is JaMycal Hasty, who some feel is a “Brandon Bolden-type” player who can be utilized on offense on the ground and in the passing game while also having the special teams versatility to push him ahead of the others.
That puts Harris in a precarious spot because he has a lot to prove in a short amount of time. Unfortunately, it might be too tall of a task to make the initial 53-man roster, leaving him relegated to the practice squad again.
But things can change, and summer practices can yield surprising results.
Bailey Zappe
The quarterback competition was always going to be the most intriguing roster battle of the summer once it was clear the Patriots were going to draft their next franchise player with the third overall pick. It became even more interesting once Mac Jones was traded, and the new regime decided to double dip at the position and select Joe Milton III in the sixth round.
The unexpected addition of another quarterback to the roster immediately threw a wrench into the mix for Bailey Zappe, who was hoping to secure the QB3 spot behind Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye.
While that’s still possible, Milton has already impressed the team with his skillset, especially the rocket arm he’s become known for, which is not the strongest part of Zappe’s game. He’s proven he can be a formidable backup, but his erratic performance when handed the reins last season didn’t help his case on top of now competing with a rookie for a spot on the roster.
For the most part, Zappe hasn’t been spoken about much throughout spring practices, with Brissett, Maye, or Milton dominating the conversation. And when he has been talked about, it has typically been nothing positive, even more so with the other quarterbacks outshining him on the field.
K.J. Osborn
The receiving corps is one of the most concerning parts of the Patriots roster, yet also one of the most wide-open units on the team. It was clear the new regime needed to improve the receiver room this offseason, which they did by signing K.J. Osborn in free agency and double-dipping at the position in the draft.
However, as it currently stands, the roster has 12 pass catchers, with Kendrick Bourne and DeMario Douglas probably the only two with safe spots this fall.
That creates a massive opportunity for the ten others, including Osborn, who is yet to demonstrate why he was a quality signing.
We know what he’s capable of, as he proved that during his four years with the Vikings playing behind Justin Jefferson, but we’re yet to see that energy from him since becoming a Patriot. Others have taken the spotlight throughout OTAs and minicamp, especially the rookies, leaving Osborn as an outsider looking in for most of the last few months.
It will be tough competition to make the roster yet opportunistic, with Bourne’s immediate future looking questionable as he continues to rehab from a torn ACL. Osborn will need to take advantage of that to show what he can do and hope to outshine Baker and Polk, even if he has to do it by showing his versatility on special teams.
Chad Ryland
It was clear after he completed a rough rookie season last year that Chad Ryland would have a lot to prove to keep his spot on the Patriots roster moving forward. Instead of being immediately released like other teams might have done, Mayo professed Ryland deserved another chance, and the kicker has taken the challenge head-on.
At the same time, however, they have brought in competition for the lone specialist spot by signing veteran Joey Slye in free agency. The former Commander came to the Patriots after a three-year stint with Washington, where he recorded 84.8% field goal completion and 89% extra point completion, which isn’t perfect but is better in a lot of ways.
So far through spring practices, Slye has performed at a higher level and been more consistent, which was Ryland’s biggest issue last year.
It’s unfortunate for the young player, considering he became known for having a strong leg and even looked impressive throughout his rookie offseason. He still has time to bounce back and prove he’s the right man for the job, but competing against a proven veteran won’t be easy.
Tyquan Thornton
Like the battle that JuJu Smith-Schuster is fighting this offseason, Tyquan Thornton is also looking to win over the Patriots coaches this summer. He’s had a rough go the first two years of his career, some of which stemmed from what was deemed a massive reach by Belichick when selecting him in the 2022 draft.
The former head coach’s biggest reasons for picking Thornton were his size, speed, and skills at 50/50 balls. There was a clear niche for that on the Patriots roster at the time, and it still exists on the team today, even more so now that DeVante Parker has retired.
Thornton has shown flashes of impressive play, but starting the last two seasons with injuries and then failing to adequately integrate into the offense doesn’t bode well for his chances of making the team this year.
So far this spring, he’s had a few noteworthy moments on the practice field, but that has become commonplace for the young receiver over the last two years. He will shine early in practices and fall apart as the offseason goes on, which might be the case again this year.
On top of needing to prove himself worthy of a roster spot, he will have even more competition than in years past with Javon Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk in the mix. Given how well they have performed so far, Thornton will need to have a breakout summer to lock down a roster spot.
Austin Hooper
The Patriots have had difficulty finding quality tight ends since the departure of Rob Gronkowski and continue to deal with completing that task this offseason.
They made the right decision in re-signing Hunter Henry, who was set to hit the free agent market, as he has been the team’s most productive tight end over the last three years. The problem has been adding a solid number two to play alongside Henry, which they hope to have in Austin Hooper.
His connection to new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt is why he was signed in free agency, but he’s also racked up some impressive seasons throughout his eight-year career, mainly his time with the Falcons.
Hooper is expected to be a better fit on the roster than Mike Gesicki was last season. Since he seemed to get back on track under Van Pelt’s guidance, it seemed like he could be the right guy for the job. The problem is that the Patriots drafted an explosive tight end earlier this year who has outshone all others so far this offseason.
Jaheim Bell is an exciting player with low expectations given when he was drafted. However, some labeled him a steal of the draft since he was projected to go much higher than the seventh round when the Patriots snagged him.
If he continues to impress once the team returns to Foxboro for training camp, Hooper will have an even more difficult time securing a spot on the roster.
