3. Sorting Out the Backend of the Depth Chart Competition at Wide Receiver
Now that we’ve discussed the top of the Patriots wide receiver depth chart, a training camp battle is brewing between several Pats wideouts to secure the final few roster spots. If there’s a Brown trade, there could be seven receivers competing for five or six spots: Brown, Doubs, Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III. This could work itself out if Boutte is dealt in conjunction with the Brown trade. But if Boutte is in camp with the Patriots, the wide receiver room will be very crowded.
From this perspective, Hollins’s comfort level with Maye, coupled with his versatility and willingness to do the dirty work in the run game, makes him a valuable piece. Plus, as a third-round pick in the 2025 draft, it would be premature to give up on Williams. Therefore, the battle for the last roster spot could come down to Douglas and Chism. Although they both play slot receiver, Douglas wins more down the field, while Chism profiles as more of a quick-hitting underneath receiver. The battle between Chism and Douglas could tell us where the Patriots are trending with the slot role in their offense.
4. The RB3 Competition Between Terrell Jennings, Lan Larison, Jam Miller, etc.
The next notable position battle for the Patriots offense is the third running back spot behind core contributors Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. The Pats opted not to add a veteran back in free agency, so it’ll come down to a roster competition between Jennings, Larison, Miller, and undrafted rookie Myles Montgomery. Jennings is the only back in that group with NFL experience, playing 77 offensive snaps and 69 special teams snaps in his first two seasons.
Jennings’s pro experience might give him an early advantage, but I still have my beachfront property on Larison Island. The UC Davis product looked the part of a sub-package back as an underneath receiver out of the backfield, and he also showed well with seven carries for 35 rushing yards and a touchdown in limited preseason action last summer. The Pats then selected Miller in the seventh round and gave Montgomery a nice deal in undrafted free agency, so there’s some investment there as well.
One thing to keep in mind in this competition is kickoff return upside, as the Pats RB3 was used frequently as a returner last season, whether it was Jennings, Antonio Gibson, or D’Ernest Johnson. Whoever wins the job out of camp will likely return kickoffs, so showing well in that role could be the deciding factor.
5. First Look at Patriots OC Josh McDaniels’s New ‘Regular’ Package
At each checkpoint this offseason, head coach Mike Vrabel has spoken about wanting to be more consistent running the ball next season. Although the Pats were sixth in average rushing yards (126.8) and 14th in yards per rush (4.4), their situational running and rushing efficiency wasn’t great last season, with big runs inflating their season averages. New England finished 25th in rush EPA and power success rate, which measures efficiency on short-yardage and goal-line runs.
In free agency, the Patriots made a point to upgrade their run blocking and overall physicality on offense. Along with signing Vera-Tucker, they also added FB Reggie Gilliam and blocking tight end Julian Hill. The idea is to feature more two-back runs out of ‘regular’ or 21-personnel (2 WR, 1 TE, 1 FB, 1 RB). Last season, the Pats made do with converted TE Jack Westover at fullback, but their two-back runs were inconsistent. The hope is they’ll be a more dynamic two-back base offense with Gilliam as a lead blocker.
