3 Players Who Have Gone Missing at Patriots Training Camp
Training camp for the New England Patriots -- and the 31 other teams around the NFL -- is all about finding the right 53-man roster to move forward with in the regular season. A team like the Patriots is rebuilding (offensively, at least) and they're going to have to be brutal about making cuts when the time comes in September.
Sometimes training camp and preseason games can make it difficult to make roster cuts, and sometimes, they can be made even easier when players don't "show up".
There are a number of players on the Patriots' roster who have not done their part to earn roster spots so far in training camp. Everyone's still waiting for these guys to really do something of note.
3 Patriots Who Have Been No-Shows Early in Training Camp
1. Joey Slye, Kicker
The Patriots' kicking competition might be over before the preseason games even get going. The Patriots are probably hoping -- internally, at least -- that former fourth-round pick Chad Ryland wins the kicking competition over veteran Joey Slye because, well, they invested a fourth-round pick in him.
It does seem as though that's the way it's going, at least according to Pats Pulpit:
"Ryland extends lead: New England ended practice yet again with live field goals — including one kick each for Chad Ryland and Joey Slye in a hurry-up situation to conclude a two-minute drill. Working between 32-and-52 yards, Ryland made all five of his attempts while Slye connected on 4-of-5 — his lone miss just pushed wide right from 48 yards out.
- Brian Hines, Pats Pulpit
To update the training camp tally: Ryland is now 17-of-18 with Slye trailing at 14-of-18."
This is one "no-show" the Patriots might be okay with, at least with the idea that Ryland does his part to actually win the job after making just 60 percent of his field goal attempts last season.