Five things to look out for as Patriots’ camp opens

It seems like it has been an exceptionally long offseason for the Patriots. We had the long overdue dismissal of Matt Patricia as the offensive coordinator. We had the Patriots deciding not to re-sign their most effective wide receiver the last three seasons in Jakobi Myers. We had the speculation about the Patriots being interested in Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson. We had a surprising draft in which the Patriots ignored their glaring needs at wide receiver and offensive tackle to draft defense in the first three rounds of the draft. We had the Patriots passing on DeAndre Hopkins. We have an all-Pro running back in Dalvin Cook just sitting there while we work out veteran washed up players like Leonard Fournette and Darrell Henderson.

All the offseason roster building seems to be over until teams start making cuts, and now it is time to see what the Patriots have on the field. Training camp opens for real this week and these are the top five things I will be looking for:

1) Trent Brown. Right tackle was a disaster last year with Isaiah Wynn et al. Left tackle wasn’t much better with veteran Brown being called for holding penalties, false starting, or just letting defenders blow by him. But Brown can be better. Much better. We have seen flashes of what a motivated Brown can be like. He can be dominant. There was a game early last season in Green Bay when Brown was on the field, flexing, after each play urging the coaching staff to keep running the ball as he was pancaking defenders left and right.

But Brown is a head case. He is also a weight concern. Brown reported to mini-camp out of shape and wasn’t able to participate in drills. He has been unhappy at being paid as a right tackle as opposed to the much more lucrative left tackle position which he has been playing.

The Patriots’ biggest concern on the offensive line remains right tackle, but if Brown plays like he did for the majority of last season, we are looking at issues at both tackles. The Patriots drafted three interior linemen. They are hoping to convert Sidey Sow to a tackle, but that would be viewed as a project at this point. They also signed or re-signed a slew of tackles (Riley Reiff, Calvin Anderson, Conor McDermott, James Ferentz), none of whom are very good.

The Patriots need Brown to anchor the offensive line and protect Mac Jones’ blind side. Say what you will about the Patriots not strengthening their skill positions, if the offensive line can’t protect Jones, we are looking at games of 12-16 screen plays like we did last year.

2) Who will emerge as Mac Jones’ go-to guy? The only receiver Jones had any kind of chemistry with last year was Jakobi Myers. Myers is no longer here. When it is 3rd-and-4, who will Jones lock on to? The obvious answer is Myers’ replacement and the Patriots’ biggest offseason acquisition, JuJu Smith-Schuster. But Schuster has been hampered with a knee injury which caused him to miss minicamp and he admitted in an interview that he is yet to catch a pass from Jones. Schuster has also been quoted as saying the Patriots’ offense is complicated. Those are not very reassuring comments coming from Schuster.

This is where not signing Hopkins hurts the Patriots, and Mac Jones. Hopkins would have been that reliable go-to guy on third down or in the red zone. While Hopkins struggles to separate, he has great hands and is adept at catching contested balls.

But let’s keep it to the players that will be suiting up for the Patriots, right, Bill Belichick? I think the guy that will emerge as Jones’ favorite target with be tight end, Mike Gesicki. Gesicki was a very under the radar signing by the Patriots, but has seen his stock rise quickly among fans and media. The Patriots struggled over the middle of the field, and the catch-first tight end should provide a quick-hit target for Jones. Along with Hunter Henry, who is also a catch-first tight end, the Patriots now have some interior weapons to alternate between.

Among wide receivers, it all comes down to who is healthy. As stated above, Schuster is already hurt. DeVante Parker struggled to stay on the field last year, but made some nice contested catches and showed skillful footwork on sideline catches. Tyquan Thornton’s skinny frame will always be an injury concern every time he gets fallen upon by a 250-pound linebacker.

I continue to like Kendrick Bourne as the play maker of this group. One of the more frustrating aspects of last season was Bourne being essentially benched for the entire season for getting involved in a pre-season fight at a joint practice. Bourne has shown chemistry with Jones in the limited time he saw on the field last season. He has continued to work hard, with reports that he has put on fifteen pounds of muscle this offseason. He seems to be doing all the right things, but once you are in Belichick’s doghouse…

3) Marte Mapu. The man, the myth, the legend. While Gesicki’s star has risen, it is nothing compared to that of rookie Marte Mapu. The third round pick is opening eyes this summer with his position flexibility, speed, and awareness. While Mapu may project as Kyle Dugger’s eventual replacement at strong safety, for now he may be better suited for playing the role of Jahlani Tavai. That would be a huge upgrade if Mapu continues to evolve into the super hero the media is making him out to be.

4) Kicker. The Patriots have been blessed for almost three decades of never having to worry about their kicker. They had Adam Vinatieri, Stephen Gostkowski, and, surprisingly, Nick Folk to rely on for a guaranteed three points if the team every got to within the 30-yard line. Now the Patriots are handing their kicking duties over to fourth round pick, Chad Ryland. Ryland has a rocket leg, but accuracy is key to place kicking in the NFL. It seems like every kicker in the NFL can make field goals from 55 yards out now. It is those kickers that can do it during clutch times, sometimes in the elements, that transports teams to championships. The Patriots may continue to struggle to score points this year, and the pressure will be on Ryland to make every kick.

5) Backup running back. Rhamondre Stevenson is a stud. Kudos to Belichick on nailing that draft pick. However, Stevenson cannot be carrying the ball 20 times per game and catching it 5 or 6 times per game every game over the course of a 17-game season, not counting the potential playoffs. While the running back spot has been devalued in the NFL, it is still widely accepted that teams need two running backs able to split the workload amongst them.

The Patriots had that last season with Damien Harris, and Stevenson still wore down at the end of the season.  That is why Dalvin Cook makes all the sense in the world. Cook would give the Patriots that 1A running back they need. Cook can catch the ball out of the backfield and would be an ideal check down for Jones if his offensive line collapses.

Which is not to say I don’t like Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris, and Ty Montgomery. It is just that Cook combines all three of those running backs into one. Strong and Harris are young, speedy, and powerful running backs while Montgomery is a converted wide receiver.

But let's keep it to the guys on the field. Strong and Harris showed flashes last year, but is Belichick ready to call plays for them 15-20 times per game. And what if Stevenson goes down? Are either of those two capable of stepping into starters' shoes? By Belichick bringing in Fournette and Henderson, I think that shows Belichick's level of confidence in the two.

That ends my list, but not my thoughts. If you are observant, and I know you are, you will notice something, or someone, missing from this list. His name is Mac Jones. That is because I am confident that Jones will be better than last year, and maybe even better than his rookie season. Despite being rated as a 74 in Madden this year, I view Jones more like an 85. He will never be elite. He is limited by his arm strength and his athleticism. But I think he is very serviceable and that he can lead a team to a championship if surrounded by the right pieces. To me, Jones is a constant, much like a JUGS machine.

He is absolutely a refection of the players (and coaches) around him. He will not elevate anyone if the offense is bad, and he will not hurt the offense if they are good.