With the New England Patriots beginning joint practices on Wednesday, we got to see some of the starters in live reps against opposing competition. For the most part, training camp battles only go so far, as the Patriots typically want to keep everyone healthy.
Against real opponents, the Patriots got a sneak peek at their new-look offense with Bill O’Brien, along with the new offensive line combinations under Adrian Klemm.
The Patriots ended their two joint practices with the Packers on a high note on Thursday. In this piece, we’re going to take a look at three players trending up and three players trending down in preseason Week 2 for New England.
Stock Up: Sidy Sow, OT
Sidy Sow has quietly creeped up the tackle depth chart after Conor McDermott and Riley Reiff’s battle stalled. Sow has been getting a lot of first team reps at right tackle with Reiff shifting to guard in Mike Onwenu’s absence.
Although Reiff looked good at right guard, Sow at right tackle is an interesting development. Couple that with a few solid joint practices and preseason games coming up, and Sow could ultimately win the job.
Sow also had really impressive reps against the best rookie EDGE rusher in the 2023 class, Will Anderson Jr. in the preseason opener against the Houston Texans. So there is some high level play on tape to be excited for.
Stock Down: Kevin Harris, RB
The Patriots’ decision to sign Ezekiel Elliott has more to do with Kevin Harris than you think. Pierre Strong Jr. is a different kind of back than Harris and has upside in the third-down role. Kevin Harris was poised to take over the Damien Harris role as the power running back No. 2 to spell Rhamondre Stevenson.
However, after a few weeks of camp and a preseason game, the Patriots ultimately didn’t love what they saw on tape and decided they needed to grab a veteran like Elliott to fill the No. 2 role. Kevin Harris is still young and has more to prove, but it is not looking good for the Year 2 back right now.
Stock Up: Shaun Wade, DB
Shaun Wade has always had the talent, but playing with confidence has been a struggle. You can see the hesitation in his game on tape, and he has seemingly shaken off some rust. Wade was a highly-touted draft prospect after a stellar 2019, but after struggling in the shortened season in 2020 at Ohio State, he fell to the fifth-round of the 2021 NFL draft to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Patriots swooped in and traded for Wade, sending a 2022 seventh-rounder and 2023 fifth-rounder to Baltimore. Wade has been on the Patriots’ practice squad ever since and has battled each camp, but ultimately falling short.
The talent is still there, and at 24 years old, Wade still has a shot at being an impact player. Wade played primarily in the slot in 2019 and struggled transitioning to the outside in 2020 and beyond. He has the size and athleticism and has competed with the likes of Jack Jones, Ameer Speed and Isaiah Bolden for that third rotational corner role.
Stock Down: Marcus Jones, CB
Marcus Jones has seemingly been in a sophomore slump after a breakout rookie campaign in 2022. Jones was an All-Pro punt returner in the same year that he scored a receiving touchdown and a pick-six.
He is certainly not at risk for losing a roster spot, but he is falling down the depth chart for 2023 as a corner. Jones has to improve in his physicality, but he is sticking with everyone he is assigned to. His height deters him from going up against the bigger receivers in the league.
Some believe he would have been the second corner drafted after Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner in 2022, if he was three inches taller. His raw coverage skills and smaller frame allow him to react quickly, and he should be primarily a slot corner. But nevertheless, the Patriots continue to experiment with him on the outside. That could be what’s causing his slump.
Stock Up: Ameer Speed, DB/ST
Ameer Speed has earned a roster spot in my opinion thus far. He has positional versatility at safety and outside corner, and he was a special teams ace in college. All three of those things have translated thus far, along with him being a valuable player to just have on the roster.
I actually see a lot of Jalen Mills in his game as a ceiling. He is versatile, intelligent and just as fast as his last name suggests.
Speed has quickly risen up my depth chart and has been pushing pure special teams guys like Jourdan Heilig and DaMarcus Mitchell off the roster. It’s nice to have good special-teamers, but they have to have potential in their primary positions. As much as Slater is a legend, not many players can get by in the modern NFL as a pure special teamer anymore.
Stock Down: Jonathan Jones, CB
Jonathan Jones has been a non-participant for seven straight practices now, with no sign of a return. However, he did get a positive update on Friday.
Now, the team could be working some veteran rest days into his workload to keep him fresh as the team’s best corner (unless Christian Gonzalez surpasses him).
He has had a great camp, but my stock is currently down on the player. Since teams do not have to report injuries at this stage, we have to hope it is nothing that will keep him out long-term.
