Patriots Players on the Training Camp Bubble

Since we’re not going to get to see who might stand out in the preseason this year, they are going to have to make decisions as to who might get cut before the preseason in a different way. No fans are really going to see how rookies stand out, or how veterans perform. We’re just going to have to live by our usual motto: In Bill We Trust.

Brian Hoyer

The Pats brought Hoyer in to be a coach in pads in the offseason, and that’s about as far as his role goes. If they feel that Cam Newton is able to pick up the playbook quickly, and Stidham being in his second year has that extra experience under his belt, then Hoyer becomes expendable. If Cam struggles to pick up concepts, and Stid still has some yips, then Hoyer will be a valuable asset to coach or fill in. It’s unfortunate, but he isn’t going to outperform anyone for his job, he just needs others to need him around.

Rex Burkhead

Burkhead feels like he’s been on the chopping block for a couple years now, but always squeaks his way on the roster. He hasn’t been able to consistently stay healthy the last 2 seasons, and seems to disappear at times. They just brought in Lamar Miller who can be a dual threat out of the backfield. They could also start to incorporate Damien Harris into the offense this season. The one thing that may save Rex is his willingness to play special teams and do it well, especially with no Brandon Bolden this season.

Mohamed Sanu

Some people think Sanu is due to be a big part of this offense in 2020. Based on last year, I think he could definitely lose his roster spot. He looked like he lost a step, and failed to create separation all season against 2nd and 3rd CBs, and also dropped a lot of passes. He wasn’t the red zone threat the Pats expected, which was a huge area of concern. The Pats have brought in a lot of young talent at the receiver position, and they always have 1 or 2 guys that surprise you and steal a roster spot, and it will most likely be at the expense of Sanu.

Deatrich Wise

Last year was Wise’s chance to step it up, and he did the opposite. He constantly makes mistakes, overpursues and lost a lot of playing time. He’s been great for a spark every so often when he makes a play in the backfield, but that’s usually followed by 4 more plays of him getting washed down the line and negated from the play. They brought in more pass rushers, and they could easily overshadow Wise in camp. They drafted 2 guys, and brought in others that could replace him in a heartbeat.

-Jake Kobierski (@TheRealKobe83)