World

NFL notebook: The seven Patriots under the most pressure heading into OTAs and minicamp

ADMIN 05/19/2024

Tyquan Thornton knows it’s make-or-break time.

The former second-round pick added nearly 10 pounds of muscle this offseason, according to a source, and told reporters Thursday he intends to maintain his new weight of 190 pounds throughout the Patriots’ upcoming season. Why?

Thornton disappointed in his first two years, set back by injuries and poor performance. He struggled to get off the line at times. He rounded some of his routes. He dropped a deep pass in a December shutout loss to the Chargers, a play that captured both his rare deep speed and bumbling career start.

By the end of last season, despite competing within the NFL’s worst receiving corps, Thornton finished with 13 catches for fewer than 100 receiving yards.

Even if all that’s in the past for Thornton, the pressure is on in Year 3. He’s been crowded in an upgraded receivers room featuring two established veterans – Kendrick Bourne and KJ Osborn – a rising second-year player in DeMario Douglas, a second-round pick guaranteed to make the team (Ja’Lynn Polk) and a fourth-rounder, Javon Baker, who should cake walk into his own roster spot.

Thornton isn’t the only one staring down the possibility of a release or trade, however.

New England Patriots wide receiver Tyquan Thornton celebrates a first down during the fourth quarter of a game at Gillette Stadium. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

Here are the six other Patriots facing the most pressure heading into spring practices, which begin Monday in Foxboro.

QB Bailey Zappe

Drake Maye is the future. Jacoby Brissett is the present.

Which makes Zappe, another 2022 draft pick, probably part of the past.

But if Zappe creates significant distance between himself and sixth-round rookie Joe Milton this spring and summer, he could secure his place as the Patriots’ No. 3 quarterback. The Pats historically have rostered just one backup, but if they don’t feel prepared to start Maye by Week 1 – either because he isn’t ready or the offensive line can’t protect him – it makes sense to carry another quarterback who can serve as a buffer in case Brissett gets hurt.

Zappe, as we know by now, is a capable backup. Nothing more, nothing less. But Milton is younger, cheaper and physically more talented, so if/when he proves capable – a major if – Zappe should be on the outs.

Callahan: The Patriots caught no breaks with a brutal 2024 schedule

/*! This file is auto-generated */!function(d,l){“use strict”;l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&”undefined”!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll(‘iframe[data-secret=”‘+t.secret+'”]’),o=l.querySelectorAll(‘blockquote[data-secret=”‘+t.secret+'”]’),c=new RegExp(“^https?:$”,”i”),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document);

WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

Barring a return to his 2022 form, Smith-Schuster has two paths ahead of him this season.

One leads to an exit, the other to a back-end roster spot and similar production. A knee injury sapped the 27-year-old of his burst last season, when he posted 29 catches, 260 yards and one touchdowns. Signs of Smith-Schuster’s decline were evident early, starting with his benching for the Pats’ two-minute drill at the end of their season opener, then when players like Thornton and Jalen Reagor started seeing snaps ahead of him.

Now that the Patriots have adopted The Packer Way, the coaching staff will prioritize playing time for young players over middle veterans. That leaves Smith-Schuster in a tight spot, barring a breakout spring and summer. If he doesn’t reach new heights in New England soon, he becomes a clear cut candidate, despite the $9.6 million in dead money the Patriots would incur on their cap sheet if they release him.

But if Wolf can instead find a trade partner, offloading Smith-Schuster would create roughly $7 million in cap room and inflict a dead cap hit of just $2.6 million, per Over the Cap.

OL Cole Strange

Another 2022 draft pick, Strange is coming off a knee injury that prematurely ended his 2023 season and may prevent him from being 100% come OTAs and mandatory minicamp. But whenever he does return, he’ll face significant competition for his starting job.

New England Patriots guard Cole Strange is carted off the field during the second quarter of a game at Gillette Stadium. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

Not to mention, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf should not be as attached to Strange as the Bill Belichick-Matt Groh-led front office was to their former first-round pick. In fact, Wolf may have drafted Strange’s replacement, Texas A&M guard Layden Robinson, in the fourth round last month. Robinson played right guard in college, but will likely cross-train and projects as a stronger run-blocker than Strange, even as a rookie.

And even if he doesn’t push for Strange’s job at left guard, free-agent addition Nick Leverett or 2023 draft picks Atonio Mafi and Jake Andrews might. Thus far, due to a combination of injury and inconsistent performance, Strange has fallen short of expectation as a former first-round pick. Similar to Thornton, it feels like a now-or-never season for Strange’s future as a steady starter in the league.

That said, Leverett, Mafi and Andrews are all possible release candidates come cutdown day, making this a position battle to watch in the months ahead.

LB Jahlani Tavai

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is hit by New England Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Tavai was arguably the Patriots’ second-best defender over the course of last season. He’s playing the best football of his career. He’s a clear system fit and positive locker-room presence.

So how does he make the list? Money.

Tavai is entering the final year of his deal and age-28 season, meaning his last chance to cash in as a free agent awaits next March. The Patriots also signed a potential replacement for Tavai in ex-Browns linebacker Sione Takitaki.

Unlike Tavai, who blossomed last year playing inside and outside, Takitaki is strictly an off-ball linebacker. But he’s also a player Wolf prized as Cleveland’s assistant GM in 2019, when the Browns drafted him in the third round.

Tavai also must contend with re-signed edge players Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings. Uche is on a one-year contract and highly motivated to prove himself before returning to free agency next spring. Tavai makes this list ahead of former captain and inside linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley because Bentley has one year left on his deal, though he also faces some pressure after a down 2023 from performance and leadership standpoints.

Jacoby Brissett shares early impression of Patriots rookie QB Drake Maye

S/LB Marte Mapu

Entering his second season, Mapu has set a high bar for himself.

“I just want to be back to what I’m used to being. That’s really it. I need to be having a presence on the field and be dominant,” he said this week.

Well, good luck.

It’s not that Mapu is incapable of hunting ball carriers or breaking up passes. He’s an instinctive player with clear talents and an unclear role. The Patriots already have two above-average box safeties, with Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers. Mapu is not suited to play as a single-high safety, meaning he’ll be eating from the same snaps trough as those two.

The Pats could opt to move Mapu at linebacker full-time, but traditionally have favored bigger, 240-plus-pound players at the position. That’s not him.

New England Patriots linebacker Marte Mapu celebrates his interception during the second quarter of a game last season at Gillette Stadium. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

So where does Mapu fit? And if he can’t prove himself early this season, where’s his path to playing time? Hard to say. The former third-round pick may need to light the way himself.

K Chad Ryland

The most obvious name on this list.

Ryland’s rookie campaign was an unmitigated disaster, save for his game-winning kick at Denver last Christmas Eve. He went 16-of-25 on field goal attempts and made just half of his tries beyond 40 yards. Ryland has direct competition in veteran journeyman Joey Slye, who signed late this offseason.

The leg strength isn’t a question, and neither is the work ethic, but Ryland’s future as an NFL kicker has never been cloudier.

Quote of the Week

“Oh they kicked our ass, didn’t they?” — Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett, remembering his loss to New England as the Browns’ quarterback in 2022

Source link