5 Important Patriots To Keep An Eye On During Preseason
BOSTON (CBS) -- It doesn't count, but football is finally back in New England.
The Patriots kick off their preseason slate Thursday night at Gillette Stadium, and while some preseason games are as exciting as watching Bill Belichick clip his fingernails, that doesn't mean we won't be watching.
People love football, and people will watch football even if it doesn't mean anything come January and, more importantly, February. But the preseason is where teams lay the groundwork and players can win (or lose) roster spots.
So as we prepare for the actual 2015 season, there are still plenty of players to keep an eye on throughout the four-game slate of games that don't count.
Jimmy Garoppolo
You may or may not have heard all the hoopla about the PSI of the footballs the Patriots used in the first half of the AFC Championship game, a saga that may end up costing Tom Brady a few games this season (though after Wednesday's day in Federal court, there's a decent chance Brady is on the field Week 1 against Pittsburgh). Should Brady have to serve some time, it would mean second-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will get his first career start September 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Garoppolo has received mixed reviews so far in camp, but he's been pretty good whenever taking the field for the Patriots in games that counted (though "meaningful minutes" is a term we'll use loosely). In six appearances as a rookie, Jimmy completed 19 of his 27 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, caught by Rob Gronkowski in that miserable Monday Night Football game in Kansas City.
We got our most extensive look at Garoppolo in last year's preseason, when he went 46-for-79 for 618 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Now that he has a full year of NFL experience and another training camp in his back pocket, we'll see how much he's improved, knowing there's a chance he'll be playing very meaningful minutes next month.
Malcolm Butler
The Super Bowl hero is now New England's No. 1 corner, and from all accounts at camp, is playing like a No. 1 corner. Now he needs to carry that over when he isn't covering his teammates.
No position on the Patriots depth chart underwent more change over the offseason than corner, and the pressure will be on Butler to step up and fill the void left by Darrelle Revis's departure. That's not saying he needs to become Darrelle Revis for the Patriots to win games, but he's going to have to play like their best corner in order for that unit to have any success.
Brandon Bolden
Really, Travaris Cadet is the running back you want to watch, but unfortunately he is currently sidelined with a leg injury. He seems like the ideal candidate to fill the void left by Shane Vereen's departure, and all early accounts from camp were he was impressive out of the backfield as a pass-catcher.
But with Cadet on the mend, that opens another opportunity for Brandon Bolden, who mostly contributed last season on special teams. He's said over the last week that he wants to increase his role in the offense and has worked hard on becoming a better pass-catcher. That work has reportedly carried over onto the practice field, and on Thursday night and throughout the preseason, we'll get to see what Bolden can do against someone else's defense.
In that same light, keep an eye on second-year running back James White, who could also help in filling the Vereen void.
Malcom Brown
The rookie has some big shoes to fill with Vince Wilfork now in Houston. But at 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds Brown has some pretty big shoes of his own.
Brown missed a couple of days of practice over the weekend, returning on Monday, so it's unclear how much (if at all) he'll play on Thursday. But he's a player to monitor during the four-game preseason slate, as he could become an important part of the defensive line rotation this season.
Any Offensive Lineman
Ryan Wendell is on the PUP list. Nate Solder left practice on Monday and isn't expected to play Thursday night. Sebastian Vollmer, Bryan Stork and Marcus Cannon are also dealing with injuries, and are not expected to suit up against the Packers.
You can kind of see why Tom Brady isn't going to be playing either. Good luck, Jimmy.
So who is going to be protecting Garoppolo and Ryan Lindley on Thursday night? That's a darn good question. Currently, it looks like second-year lineman Chris Barker will be protecting Garoppolo's blind side Thursday night. Rookie Shaq Mason and recently acquired center Ryan Groy will probably be making most of the snaps, leaving Josh Kline, Jordan Devey, Cameron Fleming and rookie Tre' Flowers to fill out the rest of the offensive line.
We know how important the line is, and how important it is to have versatile players making up the depth chart, so with so many question marks in regards to injuries, look for plenty of experimenting with New England's front five over the next month.
Tune in to Thursday's preseason opener on 98.5 The Sports Hub and WBZ-TV — the flagship stations of the New England Patriots! Pregame coverage on 98.5 FM begins at 3:30pm, and on WBZ-TV at 7pm with Patriots GameDay!
