5 Patriots Playing for Their Job in Preseason Week 1

The New England Patriots' preseason begins against the Carolina Panthers. As they prepare for battle, these five Pats players will find themselves playing for their jobs on Thursday.

QB Bailey Zappe is playing for his job in Week 1 of the preseason. / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

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4. Shaun Wade, CB

Drafted 160th overall in 2021, fourth-year cornerback Shaun Wade is entering a crucial time of his career. With his contract set to expire at the end of the 2024 season, the former Ohio State Buckeye must do everything he can to remain in the Patriots' plans going forward.

Wade, 25, hasn't exactly made a noteworthy impact in his first three years in the league. He's suited up for just 20 games (6 starts) so far and has only produced 23 solo tackles and one defended pass. He even finished the 2023 season with a 59.1 coverage grade on Pro Football Focus, further illustrating how much room he has for improvement.

While Wade started in six games last season, that doesn't mean he's guaranteed to see a similar workload going forward. Let's forget for a minute that Marcus Jones, Christian Gonzalez, and Jonathan Jones are already at the top of the CB depth chart. Wade must also deal with 2024 sixth-rounder Marcellas Dial Jr., who's been solid at practice, as well as return veterans Alex Austin and Marco Wilson.

Outside of Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette, the Panthers don't have any major offensive threats. In other words, there isn't much of an excuse for Wade not to play well on Thursday. If — for whatever reason — he struggles to perform, he could slide further down HC Mayo's pecking order.

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