The New England Patriots wrapped up their training camp practices yesterday afternoon with their second joint practice with the New York Giants. Just one more preseason game, also against the Giants on Sunday night, stands between the Patriots and the start of the regular season.
Training camp is always an exciting part of the NFL calendar, as it gives fans their first real chance to see what their favorite team will look like for the upcoming season. Seeing how positional battles pan out, which underdogs make the team, and if any veterans get unexpectedly cut, are just a few of the exciting annual storylines of an NFL training camp.
It should be no surprise then that all three of those storylines and more were present at New England’s training camp this summer. Position battles filled the roster from top to bottom, some underdogs ended up winning their battles, and some veterans were shown the exit door. You can only put so much into training camp performances, but the Patriots looked like a much different team from last year’s 7-9 squad.
Despite that, it’s always fun to take a look back and see who stood out during the practices and preseason action. While it may not seem like much, the evaluations players receive during this time are vital to whether or not they make the final roster. Let’s take a look at the top three performers from training camp for the New England Patriots.
New England Patriots top performer No. 3: Jakobi Meyers
It was clear after last season that New England needed to revamp their offensive skill positions, and they certainly did over the offseason. Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Jonnu Smith, and Hunter Henry are just a couple new faces that will be catching passes for the Pats this upcoming season. Forgotten amid the influx on new talent was last year’s breakout performer at wide receiver, Jakobi Meyers.
Meyers ended up as the Patriots top wide receiver last season more due to need rather than to skill, but he certainly proved that he has what it takes to be an NFL caliber receiver last season. He hauled in 59 passes for 729 yards, despite the fact that defenses were able to key in on him with the lack of options around him.
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It was an impressive outing from the former college quarterback, and it looks like he’s taken the next step forward in his development during training camp. Meyers quickly became the go-to option for both Cam Newton and Mac Jones, and he emerged as a standout performer on most days despite the numerous pass catching options he found himself alongside.
It showed more than ever in New England’s second preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, where Meyers has three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. This all came in just one quarter of action while logging snaps with the first team offense. It admittedly came against Philadelphia’s defensive reserves, but it proves Meyers is ready to take the next step forward.
Fans didn’t really know what to expect from Meyers, especially considering how many new players New England brought in over the offseason. It’s clear that Meyers will be one of the top wideouts on the roster, if not the go-to option. It looks like Meyers incredible story of college quarterback turned NFL wide receiver is about to write it’s next chapter this upcoming season, and fans should be excited to see what’s in store.
New England Patriots top performer No. 2: Rhamondre Stevenson/J.J. Taylor
Much has been made about New England’s passing attack, and more specifically who will be leading it, come Week 1. But that shouldn’t take away from the fact the New England’s ground game has dominated throughout training camp and the two preseason contests so far. A big part of that has because of breakout performances by Rhamondre Stevenson and J.J. Taylor.
Both Stevenson and Taylor had been making their cases to make the roster this training camp, and it appears they finally won their battle when fellow running back Sony Michel was dealt to the Los Angeles Rams Wednesday morning. Nobody was sure what to expect from either of these players during training camp, but they both played so well they basically forced New England to move on from Michel.
Stevenson announced himself early on, as he broke off a spectacular 91 yard touchdown against the Washington Football Team in the first preseason contest that was an immediate highlight for the Pats. He followed up a two touchdown performance in the opener with two more touchdowns against the Eagles, and despite just being drafted a few months ago, he may be the Pats goal line back when the games actually matter.
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Taylor had a bit of a slow start before ramping things up midway through, and it quickly became clear the Patriots couldn’t afford to lose the dual-threat back. With a playstyle similar to that of former Patriots running back Dion Lewis, Taylor gashed the Eagles for 111 total yards on just 15 touches, while also picking up a touchdown. He continued to make his mark in the practices, and Michel was traded shortly after.
Not only did these two earn their way onto the roster, they did it in one of the deepest positions on the roster. Michel was no slouch himself, and looked like he could have been set to have a big year had he stayed in New England. But the Patriots couldn’t risk cutting either two of these guys and hoping they found their way onto the practice squad, which made moving Michel a necessity.
Even by just beating out Michel for a roster spot, these two proved they are the real deal. But to piggyback on that, they were phenomenal in the game action as well. Stevenson and Taylor were two key cogs in the Pats running game in training camp, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see some spot appearences from them during the regular season as well.
New England Patriots top performer No. 1: Josh Uche
Josh Uche faced uncertainty after missing a good chunk of his rookie season with injuries. That uncertainty was increased when New England revamped their defense, and added guys like Matthew Judon and Kyle Van Noy to the fold. It was fair to wonder whether or not there was going to be a role for the second year linebacker this season.
Uche proceeded to dominate the rest of the offseason proceedings, and he’s made a case to be a starter in New England’s deep front seven. In one of the more competitive spots on the roster, Uche lapped the rest of the pack and turned the competition into a laugher. There was never a question he was going to make the roster after the Pats minicamp earlier this summer, and he’s only built on that throughout training camp.
It seemed like Uche’s progress was set to be deterred after he left the second preseason game against the Eagles with an injury. But Uche found his way back to the practice field, and he was arguably the most explosive defensive player on either team during joint practices with the Giants this week.
Whether he was racking up sacks, tackles for a loss, or drawing numerous holding penalties because opposing o-linemen couldn’t stop him, Uche’s impact was hard to miss. It’s telling that with all the new faces on defense, Uche was often one of the players who stood out the most.
Uche has been labeled as one of the Patriots potential breakout candidates all offseason long, and it seems like he actually might live up to that billing. While other players succeeded in finding their way onto the roster, Uche did that and more considering he’s in contention for a starting spot now.
There’s a good chance he won’t win that, but it doesn’t matter; Josh Uche is going to be an impact player for the Patriots defense either way. If he isn’t a starter during Week 1, there’s a good chance he will be later on. For that reason, it’s clear Uche the Pats top performer during training camp.