6 players with the most to prove in the Patriots’ preseason opener
New England's preseason opener against the Saints should provide these players a chance to make an impression.
COMMENTARY
Patriots players have 19 days until the 90-man roster is trimmed to 50 players. There is still plenty of work to do.
In training camp, they have been battling for starting jobs and roster spots. But they’ve yet to go full contact with live tackling. The Patriots’ coaches will get a chance to see how the players handle full-speed, high-effort football during New England’s preseason matchup with the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.
Here are six Patriots players with a lot to prove in this opening preseason game:
Cyrus Jones
The rookie cornerback got first-team reps in the slot against the Saints during team drills on Tuesday. But Jones has been inconsistent in coverage, and has seemingly been outplayed by Justin Coleman, who started two games for the Patriots last year. Jones could also make an impact on special teams as a returner, but has muffed number of punts during practices. Starting on Thursday night, Jones must prove to the Patriots that he’s reliable and trustworthy on both defense and special teams.
“I’m just trying to eliminate the drops and muffs altogether, and totally just get rid of that out of my game,” Jones told reporters Monday. “I think that’s the biggest part of punt returning is possessing the ball. … Once you do that you can use your athletic ability, but before you do that you can’t do anything.”
Tyler Gaffney
Gaffney has gotten a heavy workload during training camp, working with the first-, second-, and third-team offenses. Still, the effectiveness of running backs can be difficult to evaluate in training camp as players aren’t allowed to tackle. Preseason games, however, can give a real look at what they can do. Gaffney earned a reputation at Stanford for being a hard-nosed runner, and could be a backup power back behind LeGarrette Blount. But Gaffney, a former MLB prospect, has also gotten an opportunity to catch the ball with the Patriots. The Patriots could experiment with him on every down to see how he handles running between the tackles, catching the football, protecting the passer and even goal-line situations.
Aaron Dobson
At the start of training camp, the fourth-year receiver was excellent in 1-on-1 drills and stood out in team drills. If he wants to translate that early buzz into a roster spot, he’ll likely have to beat out veterans Nate Washington, Keshawn Martin and Chris Harper. Catching passes from Jimmy Garoppolo and perhaps Jacoby Brissett on Thursday is a good way to start. He needs to escape the preseason schedule without drops and with a clean bill of health.
Geneo Grissom
Grissom, a 2015 third-round selection, needs to prove he can contribute on defense. He has been a solid special teams player, as was demonstrated by his big hit on V’Angelo Bentley during a kickoff return in a scrimmage on Friday. But with Rob Ninkovich getting injured and Chandler Jones getting traded, there’s ample opportunity for a defensive end like Grissom to shine.
Whoever plays at right guard
Josh Kline, Shaq Mason, and Ted Karras have all received reps at right guard in training camp. It’s the position on the Patriots’ offensive line with the least clarity. Joe Thuney appears to have locked up the left guard spot next to left tackle Nate Solder. Sebastian Vollmer should take over at right tackle when he’s fully healthy. Bryan Stork will likely start at center. With no tackling or live pass rush in practice, Kline, Mason, and Karras will get their first real tests of the summer against the Saints Thursday.
Alan Branch
The defensive lineman missed voluntary workouts this offseason, and started training camp on the PUP list. He has since returned to practice. A year removed from failing a conditioning test, Branch must prove that he’s in shape and ready to contribute to the Patriots’ defense. Their defensive tackle position will be deep, and the Patriots may opt to use a rotation like they did last year. That rotation could include Branch, Malcom Brown, Terrance Knighton, Markus Kuhn, Vincent Valentine and Frank Kearse. Branch’s battle for regular-season snaps will continue during Thursday night’s game.
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