New England Patriots: 3 players to watch at training camp

Training camp is underway and New England Patriots fans are eager to see their favorite players in action. Here are some players you should keep your eye on.

Football is back! Well sort of. Training camp is underway and teams are lacing up their cleats and are back on the gridiron. After a disappointing end to last season, the New England Patriots are looking to excite fans.

The Patriots have a good chunk of new players, who will have to get used to life as a Patriot. There are also some players that will have to adjust to new roles with Julian Edelman being suspended for the first month of the season.

So without further ado here are the three players you should watch at training camp.

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1. Sony Michel

Sony Michel has a chance to make an impact in his first season in the NFL. The Patriots drafted him in the first round, and could make him the starter for week 1.

Last year at Georgia, Michel had a great season. He had 156 carries for 1,227 yards and 16 touchdowns. Michel has breakaway speed and is also a threat coming out of the backfield.

The Patriots haven’t had the best luck at running back. Ever since LeGarrette Blount left for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Patriots have been looking for a replacement.

Last season the Patriots had a committee approach with Mike Gillislee, James White, Dion Lewis, and Rex Burkhead all getting serious playing time.

Gillislee struggled last season and Lewis is no longer with the team. That leaves the door wide open for Michel to make an impact right away.

If you are down in Foxboro pay attention to the packages Michel is used in. Will the Patriots focus on making him a run-first back or will we see Michel coming out of the backfield as well? Also, you will get to see some blazing speed.

If Michel gets an opportunity, he could take the NFL by storm.

2. Keion Crossen

Keion Crossen made a name for himself at OTA’s. It seemed like nobody could get a pass by him.

Crossen played for a small FCS school. At Western Carolina, he had 165 tackles, 19 pass deflections, and 3 interceptions.

So far Crossen has continued to impress at training camp. He broke up some passes and continued to shut down wide receivers.

The Patriots secondary was horrible the last time we saw them. Some may blame Malcolm Butler not being on the field, but they needed to perform better.

The Patriots brought in some quality secondary players such as Jason McCourty, J.C. Jackson, and Crossen. Hopefully these guys can strengthen the secondary and make life hard for opposing quarterbacks.

Crossen may not shoot up the depth chart, but he should get some chances. After a great showing at OTA’s it will be interesting to see if Crossen can continue to impress Patriots coaches.

He may force himself onto the playing field.

3. Phillip Dorsett

Phillip Dorsett’s career hasn’t gotten off to a hot start. In his best season he had 33 catches for 528 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Dorsett has amazing speed and may play a big role for the Patriots this season. With Julian Edelman suspended for the first month of the season, the Patriots will need a wide receiver to step up. Dorsett may be that guy.

Already at training camp, it seems that the Patriots may be giving Dorsett a bigger role.

The Patriots also have Braxton Berrios, but Dorsett already has chemistry with Tom Brady. This may finally be the year Dorsett shows what he is capable of.

This will be an interesting season for the Patriots. After a Super Bowl loss, fans will be expecting a different result this season.

It seems every year there is a new star player that makes a name for himself on the Patriots. Who will it be this year?