The Third Act.

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Potential Patriots targets for draft's day three
After a bevy of trades in the third round, New England is locked and loaded for a busy Saturday with two picks in the fourth round, four in the fifth round, two in the sixth round and a seventh round pick.

With some projected day two players still on the board, the Patriots can look to lock up some depth options as the draft winds down without having to get into a bidding war for anyone's services:

Pittsburgh QB Derrick Samuel
It wasn't that long ago that Samuel was a projected top pick in the draft but a disappointing senior season and his short stature for the position at just six-foot has him available in the fourth round.

Samuel is the kind of project and flyer that teams with franchise quarterbacks can afford to take a risk on which New England is.

Auburn LB Kevin Spellman
Another dropper due to measurables, Spellman is listed at five-foot-eleven and 229 pounds with less than ideal speed which makes him a tweener, stuck between being too small for linebacker, his natural position, and too slow to make a move to the secondary.

He most likely fits in as an off-back linebacker in sub packages which New England plays a ton of. Will it continue under Mike Tomlin? If so, Spellman could be an intriguing pick.

Virginia EDGE Devontae Allen
After not addressing the edge rusher position in the first few rounds, Allen is one of the better available options on day three.

His limited athleticism is a concern but now that he's made it out of the third round, it might be worth the risk.

Oregon IOL Otis Kitchens
Even with drafting Eric Alexander in the second round, New England needs to continue adding depth along their offensive line and Kitchens is a talented prospect with some intriguing physical traits that makes him a decent option in the fourth or fifth round.

Washington WR Otis Goings
New England signed DeVante Parker in the off-season to give Mac Jones a big body on the perimeter and Goings is exactly that at six-foot-five and 227 pounds with a forty time in the mid 4.4s.

Florida State WR Jerome Kilgore
If Josh McDaniels was still here, Kilgore would be the perfect Patriots slot receiver but with McDaniels gone and already a crowded room at receiver, Kilgore is an intriguing although not likely option on day three.

At five-foot-nine and 185 pounds, Kilgore is the kind of jitter bug that New England has always looked for to put in the slot with his quickness (6.8 in the 3-cone) and ability to get open in the short area.

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Patriots rekindle Rutgers ties with Webb selection in the fourth round
The New England Patriots have selected Rutgers defensive end Micah Web and Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Patterson with the 111th and 123rd pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Webb is a bit undersized at six-foot-one and 251 pounds with not a clear position at the next level. He played primarily a five-technique at Rutgers but due to his size, he'll likely need to be a stand up edge rusher in New England's base 3-4 scheme. He's athletic enough to do it but given that he hasn't done it before, there is a bit of a question mark.

Patterson is one of the more intriguing offensive tackles in this draft and was a one-year starter for the Sooners. There's not a lot of tape on Patterson but in his lone season as a starter, he flashed some intriguing qualities that could make him a potential starter in the league at right tackle.

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Patriots select two quarterbacks in busy fifth round
With four picks in the fifth round, it was a busy round for New England who drafted Maryland QB Thomas Miller and center Geoff Man, South Carolina receiver Miles Young and Pittsburgh quarterback Derrick Samuel with the 136th, 142nd, 149th and 155th overall picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.

A decent athlete with a good NFL arm, Miller will likely be the front runner to be Mac Jones' backup for years to come and he'll have his college center with him, Mann, who started the last two years with Miller.

Miller will need to battle it out with Samuel, who was once projected to be a first round pick before a disappointing senior season.

Young will try to make the 53-man roster with his return ability as he had eight return touchdowns during his career at South Carolina and was a two-time All-SEC selection at returner.

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Patriots close draft with trade, some depth pieces in offensive lineman Rahlik Mills and QB Andrew Anderson
New England wrapped up the 2024 NFL Draft by trading away the 175th overall pick to the New Orleans Saints for a future fifth round pick, drafting North Carolina offensive linemen Rahlik Mills with the 187th overall pick and selected USF quarterback Andrew Anderson with the final pick of the draft for New England.

Anderson is the third quarterback selected by New England in the draft, joining Maryland's Thomas Miller and Pittsburgh's Derrick Samuel. A veteran is likely to be added to the roster before training camp, making it a four-man race to win the backup job behind Mac Jones.

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Charleston Rambo, Malachi Moore among standouts at Patriots mini-camp
It's a crowded receiver's room but if this week was any indication, everyone is competing for second fiddle to third-year receiver Charleston Rambo.

Rambo, whose struggled with drops during his first two seasons in New England, caught everything thrown his way and was far and away the best player on offense during New England's mini-camp this past week.

He won a couple of competitive one-on-ones against Jaire Alexander, including a back-to-back reps where it seems that Alexander had called out Rambo. His impressive outing continued in the 7-on-7 settings as well with him catching a would-be touchdown behind the defense.

During those 7-on-7 periods, the receiver that was often opposite of Rambo was newcomer Devante Parker followed by Kendrick Bourne and then Parris Campbell. Bourne also played in the slot behind Jakobi Meyers who took most of the reps followed by Bourne and then it was relatively evenly split between Josh Johnson and Tutu Atwell. Parker had a couple of nice snags over J.C. Jackson in what was a back and forth battle throughout the week.

Another standout on offense was Darnell Washington who took most of the reps at tight end as Jonnu Smith appeared to be on a strict snap count and even had a day off on the last day. A physical freak, it's almost unfair going up against Washington in non-live contact settings as he's able to create space with his large frame with not much resistance from the defense.

In the same vein, it was tough to judge the offensive and defensive line but Von Miller was very active as was Quinnen Williams. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the week was rookie offensive tackle Tyler Patterson who looked like an NFL ready left tackle early in the week going up against Matthew Judon. Judon eventually got the better of him as the week went on but for Patterson, who will likely be the team's backup right tackle, it was a great start to his rookie offseason.

If Rambo was the offensive MVP, the defensive MVP was clear and away Malachi Moore who had two picks during the 7-on-7 periods as well as several pass breakups. The former Crimson Tide safety says he's over 200-pounds now after playing last season at 191 and he looks even more explosive than he was last season and seems more decisive when in coverage.

Even with Moore getting the better of Mac Jones a few time, it was a solid outing for the fourth-year quarterback whose contract is on the forefront of every Patriots conversation. Jones and new head coach Mike Tomlin batted down all questions in relation to Jones' contract but Robert Kraft has said previously that he's very confident that something will get done soon.

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Positional battles to watch ahead of New England Patriots training camp
The New England Patriots are starting a training camp for the first in over two decades without Bill Belichick and a brand new coaching staff in Mike Tomlin and Co.

Unlike most new head coaches, Tomlin is inheriting a playoff team that's established at quarterback but there are plenty of other positions that are up for grabs this training camp:

1. Who are the six at receiver?
   New England entered the offseason with an already crowded wide receiver's room and then added DeVante Parker and drafted Miles Young to bring the roster total to nine players at the position with likely only six roster spots to fill.
   
   If the team decides to carry two players at each respective receiver positions (Z, X and Y), here's how they are handicapped entering training camp based on prior production, salary cap implications and performance in the spring at OTAs and mini-camp:
   
   X Receiver: Charleston Rambo, Parris Campbell, Josh Johnson
   Z Receiver: Devante Parker, Kendrick Bourne
   Y (slot) Receiver: Jakobi Meyers, Tutu Atwell, Braxton Berrios, Miles Young
   
   As far as making the roster, it's going to take a big performance from Young to avoid being a practice squad player and Berrios will need to fight off Atwell and Johnson in the return game which is what solidified his roster spot the last few seasons. Assuming Young and Berrios are the first to go, whose the third man out? The dead money is similar for Atwell, Bourne and Johnson who are likely the next three up in terms of potentially not making the final 53. Bourne's versatility to play all three positions on offense at receiver likely gives him the slight edge and he's the team leader.
   
   Beyond making the roster, who starts? Rambo is likely the only guaranteed starter with Parker and Bourne in a relatively even battle at Z receiver. The big question mark is how much did the gap lessen last season between Meyers and the pack at slot? It wasn't that long that Meyers was far and away New England's best receiver yet alone best option in the slot but last year, Atwell and Berrios put up productive numbers when given the opportunity while Meyers was inconsistent since returning from his injury.
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2. Starting center
   Robert Hainsey was surprisingly good last season, fielding the best PFF grade among New England's offensive line. He enters training camp as the leader with second round pick Eric Alexander nipping at his heels along with fifth round pick Geoff Mann.
   
   Second-year player Matt Jones played primarily at guard during mini-camp, a sign that the experiment at center is likely over for the former third round pick and the team putting Alexander at center instead is a clear indication that Hainsey's starting role is in question.
   
   Don't sleep on Mann either who could make it interesting.
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3. What does the rotation at EDGE look like?
   Von Miller was among the standouts during mini camp and he'll likely be a critical member of New England's rotation at edge. The question now is does it also include Ronnie Perkins and Micah Webb?
   
   Matthew Judon and DeAngelo Malone's spot in the rotation are all but guaranteed given Judon's $15m cap hit and Malone's production from last season. Perkins had an up and down campaign but finished the year strong. It wasn't strong enough to stop New England from signing Miller and drafting Webb, who might be the ultimate wild card in this situation.
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4. Can Trez Marshall and Gio Whitfield be every down players?
   The future at linebacker is clear with the drafting of Trez Marshall in the second round last spring and in this year's draft, New England traded up to select Gio Whitfield.
   
   Both players are on the finesse side of things compared to the likes of Ja'Whaun Bentley but with Dont'a Hightower's retirement, New England might be opting to go with a different style of linebacker in the pairing of Marshall with Whitfield.
   
   Bentley had another good season last year but he'll need to hold off Whitfield along with returning special teamers Shaq Quarterman and Lakia Henry in addition to free agent signee Jaylon Smith.
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5. Who starts at nickel?
   Roger McCreary had a standout rookie season and while he was far from a disaster as a sophomore, it wasn't the same production as New England's passing defense finished last in the NFL.
   
   The Patriots added Jonathan Jones in free agency, bringing him back to likely compete with McCreary for that nickel spot that's so crucial in today's NFL. At 30, it'll be interesting to see if Jones has lost a step because if he hasn't, Jones was one of the better nickel corners in the NFL during his time with New England.
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6. QB2
   New England enters training camp without signing a veteran backup quarterback, leaving the position open between rookies Thomas Miller, Derrick Samuel and Andrew Anderson.
   
   Miller's raw physical tools are intriguing while Samuel has the better pedigree of the two leaving Anderson as the third man in the race. It'll be interesting to see how New England handles their snap counts at both training camps and in games as Mac Jones will likely do most of the heavy lifting in practice, making the games that much more critical for the three rookies with likely only one roster spot available.

[Soapy]

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NE | 7 | 3 | 14 | 10 || 34
PHI | 0 | 35 | 0 | 14 || 49
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Philly's defense pounces on rookie QB Miller as Gainwell has career night
Philadelphia native Derrick Samuel thought he was going to be a first round pick a year ago before struggles during his senior season at Pittsburgh saw him fall to the fifth round.

In his first NFL game, Samuel almost led the comeback against his hometown team but Kenneth Gainwell had different plans, ripping off a 62-yard run to seal Philadelphia's 49-34 win over the Patriots on Thursday.

Samuel tried to dig New England out of a 35-10 hole in the second half that it found itself in after fellow rookie quarterback Thomas Miller threw three interceptions in his three drives in the second quarter. Samuel completed 15 of 23 passes for 210 yards with two touchdowns and a late interception.

Miller had replaced Mac Jones who played just two drives, going 4 of 6 for 37 yards and leading a touchdown drive before handing it off to Miller with a 7-0 lead. The second team defense and Miller squandered it away in the second half as Gainwell scored three touchdowns and Kyle Trask scored four on his way to a perfect passer rating.

Stock Up
1. DeVante Parker caught three passes in a span of four plays to help setup the first quarter touchdown. He seemed to have a good connection with Mac Jones as he caught three of Mac's four completions on the day.

It was of note that Parker started the game and when the starters left, he didn't come back in, a sign that he is indeed the starter opposite Charleston Rambo so far into camp.

2. He got beat up in coverage a few times but it was a good outing for Giovanni Whitfield who led the game with ten tackles, including four for loss.

He'll need to tighten up his coverage discipline but when allowed to play downhill, Whitfield is a sight to behold and fun to watch as he wrecks everything in his path.

3. The entire third team offense was a sight for sore eyes between Kenny McIntosh who rushed for 47 yards and a touchdown, Samuel's performance, Braxton Berrios who caught two passes for 38 yards, including a touchdown.

The star of the third team offense, however, was Miles Young who caught six passes for 81 yards. He needs to continue this output if he wants to make the team as a longshot sixth receiver but tonight was a good start.

4. Rookie EDGE Micah Webb had a good night with three tackles and two tackles for loss along with a sack. The entire defense, primarily the backups, need to do a better job of containing the run as a whole but when Webb was out there, he helped tighten that up.

Stock Down
1. On the very first drive, inside linebacker Trez Marshall left the game with a thumb injury. It didn't appear to be severe but he was joined by IDL Deatrich Wise Jr, IDL Jonathan Hankins and offensive linemen Nick Ford and Eric Alexander.

Wise, Marshall and Hankins are likely out for the rest of the camp based on the tenor of Mike Tomlin's comments after the game but are expected to be ready for the regular season.

2. The defense struggled with keeping Jalen Hurts in the pocket who rushed for 41 yards and even Kyle Trask was able to get to the boundary, stretch the defense and make some throws down the field.

They also struggled with Gainwell who rushed for 148 yards on mainly outside runs. It was primarily the backups that had an issue so not too much of a concern but definitely something to tighten up.

3. By far the worst performance of the night, Miller went 4 of 10 for 60 yards and three interceptions. He never looked comfortable and seemed rush on every play. His third interception wasn't entirely his fault as Tyler Patterson got beat on the play which led to the hurried throw but overall, a tough day for Miller and Patterson.

Patterson had a really good week in camp so his performance was especially disappointing.

4. New England's coaching staff is really high on Jaiden Lars-Woodbey but he didn't have a good start to the preseason, neither did Shaun Wade or Jonathan Jones.

Lars-Woodbey whiffed on a tackle that led to one of Gainwell's long touchdown. If he plays this season, it'll be as a box safety and those kind of plays on your resume don't bode well for playing time when you're already knocked down a peg due to your limitations in coverage.

Jones had a few gaffs in zone coverage that led to big plays and then got out manned for a touchdown in the endzone which is expected at his size.

Wade struggled in coverage as a whole and gave up a few third down catches. It was a relatively quiet day for Roger McCreary who only allowed one catch.

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Recapping New England's third week of training camp ahead of second preseason game
The New England Patriots signed UDFA defensive tackles Kalen Young and Sterling Burris along with UDFA running back Alex Pitts to begin their third week of training camp with interior defensive linemen Deatrich Wise Jr. and Jonathan Hankins ruled out for the rest of the preseason with shoulder injuries.

New England also held out Trez Marshall for most of practice this week as he wore a red, non-contact jersey while going through limited drills. With Marshall limited, it was a big week for first round pick Gio Whitfield who replaced Marshall in the starting lineup and probably had the best week among the inside linebackers.

Quinnen Williams was also a standout along with safety Jaden Lars-Woodbey who needed a big week after struggling in the game against Philadelphia. Fellow safeties Jordan Poyer and Malachi Moore also had a good week.

On offense, it continued to be the Darnell Washington who scored three touchdowns throughout the week in live, 11 on 11 periods. Eric Alexander also had some impressive one-on-one wins in practice as he got some additional reps with Nick Ford sidelined for the second half of the week with a high ankle sprain. Ford will likely miss the game this week against Detroit, giving Alexander a chance to get some extended playing time at both center and guard with the second team unit.

Offensive tackles Trent Brown and Tyler Patterson were also among the top performers.

Handicapping the race at receiver
It was a relatively quiet week for Rambo after coming off a zero target outing against Philadelphia. The defense definitely won the second week of camp but Jakobi Meyers had some moments while everyone else, including DeVante Parker and Miles Young, were unable to keep the momentum going from their impressive outing against the Eagles.

Parker continues to be the primary starter opposite of Rambo although Bourne continues to split time between the first and second team. Meyers has started to take up the bulk of the reps from slot with the first team unit though as Tutu Atwell and Josh Johnson have been unable to get any sort of momentum going.

McCreary nipping as Jones' heels for the starting nickel role
It's a full blown competition for the nickel spot after Jonathan Jones had a less than stellar showing against the Eagles. The reps are pretty close to 50/50 at practice when it comes to whose lining up with the first defense.

Jones had a pretty good week, as did McCreary, but it's evident that McCreary is starting to close the gap on who will be named the starter week one in a competition that will likely extend throughout the season.

Roster Bubble Watch: The Race to 53
With the additions on the roster, New England is now up to 67 players on their roster and need to cut to 53 within the next three weeks. If the starters do indeed play the entire first half this week and most of the game next week, as is customary, this is likely the last opportunity for these bubble players to make their case. Here are the players most likely in the bubble heading into the game against Detroit:

QB: Thomas Miller (trending down), Derrick Samuel (trending up), Andrew Anderson (trending down)

New England likely only keeps one of them and with Miller's performance last week, he has a big hole to climb out of. Whoever starts the second half will be very telling since whoever that is will likely be the team's backup come the regular season.

HB: John Rhys Plumlee (trending down), Alex Pitts (unclear)

The fact that New England felt the need to sign Pitts is not a good sign for Plumlee who just didn't look explosive at all against Philadelphia. Damien Harris got some veteran days this week which could extend into him not playing this week, giving Plumlee and Pitts a chance to make their case.

WR: Braxton Berrios (trending up), Tutu Atwell (trending down), Josh Johnson (trending down), Miles Young (trending up)

Atwell and Johnson unfortunately were part of the unit that Miller ran last week and for three drives, it was all interceptions. Nevertheless, they didn't make the most of their opportunities while Berrios and Young did. This will be a pivotal week in deciding how the wide receiver's room shakes out as there's likely one roster spot among them available.

OL: G/T John Ojukwu (trending up), G Rahlik Mills (trending down), C Geoff Mann (trending up)

Ojukwu's versatility might keep him safe as he's able to play both guard and tackle while Mills, honestly, hasn't made much of an impression since mini camp. He's an okay backup level/practice squad interior offensive lineman with nothing intriguing about his upside. Mann on the other hands looks like a potential developmental center behind Robert Hainsey and Eric Alexander. The only question is how many OL will New England look to carry? If the number is above 10, Mann is for sure among that top ten but if it's below that number, Mann could be on the chopping block since he's a pure center.

IDL: Robert Nkemdiche (trending up), Kalen Young (unclear), Sterling Burris (unclear)

It's going to be an uphill battle for Young and Burris to make the roster this late into camp but they'll have plenty of snaps to make an impression with Akiem Hicks likely being limited for the rest of the preseason as New England manages the 34-year old.

ILB: Jaylon Smith (trending down), Shaquille Quarterman (trending up), Lakia Henry (trending down)

Smith didn't necessarily have a bad game but Quarterman was a lot more active in the same amount of snaps and showed that he can be a solid inside linebacker in New England's base defense. The question for Quarterman is how does he handle being out in space and in coverage which he fared decently against Philadelphia.

Similar to the offensive line, it's unclear how many inside linebackers New England will carry on the roster. Four is the standard but they've done five before and if that's the case, Smith and Quarterman are likely safe. If not, both players could be fighting for their roster spot this week and next.

CB: Shaun Wade (trending down)

Wade needs an impressive performance this week and next to force New England to carry five corners on the roster instead of just four.

S: Jaiden Lars-Woodbey (trending down), Leon O'Neal Jr. (trending down)

Neither had a good showing last week, especially Lars-Woodbey whose missed tackle led to a touchdown. They'll get another chance this week and their special teams value could keep them on the roster but they'll need a much better outing.

[Soapy]

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DET | 0 | 21 | 0 | 10 || 31
NE | 0 | 10 | 8 | 10 || 28
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Patriots comeback attempt falls short as rookie Felder leads Lions to win
For the second week in a row, New England Patriots rookie quarterback Derrick Samuel was charged with leading a comeback effort in the second half and once more, he almost did but the defense didn't come through.

Samuel rallied New England to tie the game with 1:13 left in the game but Dwight Felder's 59-yard catch helped set up the game winning field goal to give Detroit the 31-28 win over New England on Friday night.

It was a tough middle innings for Mac Jones who threw back to back interceptions in the span of one minute, one of them which was returned for a touchdown and the other led to Van Jefferson's five-yard touchdown from Tyler Van Dyke.

Jones then ended his night with the best drive of the night, completing back to back passes of 19 yards to Parris Campbell and Darnell Washington before going back to Washington two more times for gains of 25 and the 16-yard touchdown. Jones completed 17 of his 29 passes for 223 yards after playing the entire first half.

Down 21-10, Samuel would lead three scoring drives, including a touchdown of his own on the ground. His lone interception came on the final play of the game when he threw it up for grabs in a desperate attempt.

Stock Up
1. Charleston Rambo only caught two passes but he looked his explosive self, averaging 19 yards per reception while DeVante Parker also added 35 receiving yards.

The first team unit compliments each other very well at receiver with Jakobi Meyers handling the underneath stuff (4 catches, 22 yards) while Rambo is an over the top threat with Parker doing a little bit of everything.

2. Christian Barmore and Quinnen Williams made their presence felt tonight despite Akiem Hicks, their nose tackle, having the night off.

They had a couple quarterback hurries and when they were in the game, Detroit's running game was non-existent. They both looked poised to have a monster year with Barmore seeking a long term extension.

3. Good luck keeping Gio Whitfield off the field much this season if he keeps playing at this rate.

The rookie linebacker led the team once more with three tackles for loss and tightened up some of his coverage gaffs in the preseason opener. While Ja'Whaun Bentley and Shaq Quarterman also had good games, Whitfield brings a different level of juice when he's on the field.

4. After starting the game with some tough runs and not being able to get anything going on the outside, Kenny McIntosh finished the night averaging 5.2 yards per carry and led the team with 58 rushing yards with Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson having the night off.

5. If Jonnu Smith isn't careful, it might not be his starting job anymore.

Smith didn't play tonight as part of his load management while Darnell Washington lit up the stat sheet with 7 receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown.

6. It's Curtis Samuel's backup job to lose at this point as he continues to impress.

Stock Down
1. In the second quarter, Parris Campbell replaced Jakobi Meyers in the slot and it wasn't always pretty.

Campbell dropped a would-be touchdown and didn't really do much from the slot. It doesn't help his cause that when Meyers left, the offense slowed down and it led to back to back interceptions from Mac Jones.

It's not entirely fair to put the blame on Campbell, whose primarily been an outside receiver, but Meyers' absence was felt while Campbell's impact wasn't.

2. It wasn't a good night for a couple of corners in Jaire Alexander, Jonathan Jones and Shaun Wade.

Alexander is back in the No. 23 jersey after wearing No. 1 last season (No. 23 was worn by Kyle Dugger who left in free agency) but it wasn't a good debut as he gave up a couple of underneath stuff along with a big play along the sideline.

For the second straight week, Jones allowed a touchdown while Wade dropped an interception and then gave up a few big plays, including the 59-yarder to Felder.

3. He ended his night right but Jones' back to back interceptions were very similar to a lot of his interceptions last season where he tried to force it across the middle and the defender was able to make a play on it.

The new offense under Marcus Brady is a lot more vertical than Josh McDaniels who Jones will need to improve his ability to make throws down the field, which is when he gets in trouble.

4. John Rhys Plumlee had a really tough game, averaging 2.3 yards per carry with two drops before being benched in favor of new signee Alex Pitts.

Pitts' final numbers weren't impressive (7 carries, 19 yards, 2.7 ypc) but he was a lot better out of the backfield catching passes with three receptions for 20 yards and he also picked up two fourth down conversions.

5. The injury count keeps rising with Laken Tomlinson being the latest projected starter to not finish the game. It remains to be seen how serious his injury is.

[Soapy]

Patriots get ready for final preseason game as roster cuts loom
The New England Patriots 2023 training camp wrapped up on Thursday with the final practice in the books before the preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks.

It was another good week for the defense with Jaire Alexander snagging an interception off Andrew Anderson as well as a couple of pass breakups when going up against the first team offense. Alexander had a less than stellar outing last week against Detroit but given the caliber of player Alexander is, it was no surprise to see him have a big bounce back week.

Malachi Moore continues to make strides as one of New England's better players on defense, forming good chemistry with Jordan Poyer on the backend as the communication seems much improved from last season.

It was a relatively busy week for Mac Jones who took most of the reps followed by Anderson and then Thomas Miller and Derrick Samuel were evenly split. Miller hasn't played since his three interceptions against Philadelphia in the opener and Anderson hasn't played all preseason. All signs point to potentially Anderson, not Samuel, being the one to spell for Jones in the final preseason game.

Jones also got some extra work in after practice with receiver Jakobi Meyers and tight ends Jonnu Smith, Darnell Washington and Nick Boyle.

It's likely going to be a big week for bottom six receivers
Based on snap counts in game and reps at practice, it's pretty clear that the top three receivers on the roster are Charleston Rambo, DeVante Parker and Jakobi Meyers, leaving three roster spots open for Kendrick Bourne, Parris Campbell, Braxton Berrios, Tutu Atwell, Josh Johnson and Miles Young.

Young starred in the opener but had a quiet second outing while Atwell, Bourne and Campbell have all had quiet preseasons. Johnson and Berrios each have a touchdown apiece but neither have separated themselves from the rest of the pack.

With the opener around the corner, the top three receivers are likely to eat up the snap counts in the preseason finale, leaving limited opportunities for the other six to make their impact felt. Only Young from the group is practice eligible and for all of the others, New England will have to take on some dead money to release them.

Jonnu Smith expected to play in the preseason finale while Isaiah Wynn, Trent Brown likely out
New England dodged a bullet when Laken Tomlinson was a full participant this week after the veteran went out with an injury last week against Detroit. All signs point to Tomlinson playing in the finale while Isaiah Wynn and Trent Brown have had a similar schedule this week in terms of participation as Jonnu Smith has had in previous weeks where he didn't play in the game.

Smith has been more active this week and could potentially play for the first time all preseason. The 29-year old entered camp as New England's clear TE1 following Hunter Henry's free agency departure but Darnell Washington has been impressive and potentially challenging for that spot.

Roster Bubble Watch: The Race to 53
New England will need to cut fourteen players after the game against Seattle, here are the predictions barring any major changes (ie injury, breakout performance) in the preseason finale: QBs Thomas Miller, Andrew Anderson; RBs John Rhys Plumlee, Alex Pitts; WRs Tutu Atwell, Braxton Berrios, Miles Young; OLs John Ojukwu, Rahlik Mills; IDL Sterling Burris; ILBs Shaquille Quarterman and Lakia Henry; CB Shaun Wade; S Leon O'Neal Jr.

Of those fourteen, those most on the bubble of potentially also making the roster are all of the receivers, Quarterman and O'Neal Jr. due to their special teams value. Additional players not listed that are also on the bubble are safety Jaiden Lars-Woodbey, WR Parris Campbell, tight end Harrison Bryant, defensive tackle Kalen Young, offensive linemen Nick Ford and Geoff Mann.