3 Players Who Have Gone Missing at Patriots Training Camp

2. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Wide Receiver

The situation with wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is going to be worth monitoring all throughout the preseason. If we start seeing the Patriots throwing him out there late in the third and fourth quarter of preseason games, we're going to know exactly where he stands with this coaching staff.

A big-money free agent pickup in 2023, Smith-Schuster hasn't delivered on his end as a playmaker at receiver for the Patriots, and the team is undoubtedly frustrated about it.

You're obviously not going to catch them all, but this kind of play sort of encompasses the issue with Smith-Schuster. How much do the Patriots really want this guy around for the development of Drake Maye when there are a variety of other players at receiver stepping up?

Especially with Kendrick Bourne not out there on the practice field, you would expect a veteran like Smith-Schuster to be bringing that veteran presence to the receiver room.

Fortunately for the Patriots, a receiver room that was severely lacking talent a year ago at this time might actually have a bunch of legit playmakers now. We're going to have to see it in real games, but rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker look like gems from this draft class, and DeMario Douglas is building off of his tremendous rookie year.

Among the veterans actually out there making plays for the Patriots are KJ Osborn and Jalen Reagor. It seems like it's only a matter of time before the Patriots do exactly what everyone has been expecting all offseason -- move on from JuJu Smith-Schuster.

From that point, it's going to be interesting to see if any other team takes a shot.