My 18th camp is a short drive from home. My visit to Foxboro, recapped here …
1) The defense has a chance to be really, really good. Most of the key veterans from a solid 2022 unit return. Linebacker Ja’Whuan Bentley, whom the Patriots just paid, has had a really nice summer. The roster is deep on the defensive line and in the secondary. Between Matthew Judon, Josh Uche, Deatrich Wise and rookie Keion White, the edge-rush group might be as good as it’s been in a long time. New England’s optimistic that it hit on each of its first three draft picks (more on them in a minute), and all three of those guys are on defense. And there’s a quality layer of pieces at the bottom of the roster, with a few young vets, like DT Daniel Ekuale, turning some heads. So, yes, expectations should be high that Bill Belichick has a group that goes from good last year to capable of challenging high-end offenses this year—which would be great news in a division with Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers and the Miami track team in it.
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