6 rings: Patriots vs Packers Joint Practices Day 1 with Taylor Kyles
The Patriots are in the middle of a busy week.
They started off with two practices in Foxborough on Sunday and Monday, signed running back Ezekiel Elliott to a one-year contract, and then flew to Green Bay for two practices with the Packers.
The first one on Wednesday, according to several boots-on-the-ground reports, started strong for the Patriots offense but then fell off significantly down the stretch. Quarterback Mac Jones says they "can't judge it until [they] watch the film," which they'll do prior to Thursday’s practice.
While they do that, we'll dive into another mailbag!
Remember: to stay involved, make sure to keep an eye out for the mailbag thread on Twitter @mikekadlick and @WEEI. Don't have Twitter? Email me at michael.kadlick@audacy.com to submit any Patriots-related questions you may have.
Here we go!
Q: Will Rhamondre Stevenson play a lot?
A: The question once the Patriots added Ezekiel Elliott quickly became how he fits into their offense.
I went more in-depth on this in Tuesday’s edition of Camp Conversations on WEEI.com, but the moral of the story is that Stevenson is still RB1. Elliott simply becomes a reliable spell back behind him.
Stevenson had a career year in 2022, rushing for 1,040 yards and adding 421 yards on 69 catches through the air. After taking over as the bell cow following injuries to Ty Montgomery and Damien Harris, the addition of Elliott this season will get him a much-needed break, which the team likely planned on giving him anyway.
Now, however, the back behind him is just better than what they had. Stevenson’s earned his role, and it should remain relatively unchanged with Zeke entering the room.
Q: With the addition of Ezekiel Elliott, is there room for JJ Taylor or Ty Montgomery?
A: As for the rest of the room, roles are changing. Pierre Strong Jr, who the Patriots selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, will likely now become their third back behind Stevenson and Elliott. I'd be shocked if he didn't make the roster, but his position in this offense is vastly different than it was on Monday morning.
As for everyone else, (Kevin Harris, JJ Taylor, and Ty Montgomery), their days on New England's roster could be numbered.
Harris and Taylor have failed to separate themselves as game changing backs so far throughout their careers and while Montgomery has been successful when he's on the field with the Patriots, those instances have been few and far between.
New England will likely roster four backs. Who those four backs are? I'll let you know on Sunday morning in Roster Projection 2.0 following the Packers game.
Q: How does Ezekiel Elliott compare to Damien Harris?
A: I spoke about this with Taylor Kyles from CLNS Media on the 6 Rings and Football Things podcast on Wednesday. What Zeke can bring to the Patriots is basically what Harris brought: a hard runner who can handle drives and switch off with your lead back in Stevenson to give a breather.
The difference is, Zeke stays healthy. That's why he's worthy of a contract up to $6 million whereas Harris signed for just $1 million in Buffalo.
It’s an improvement due to availability alone, and Elliott also brings elite pass-blocking ability and high-end receiving skills to the mix.
Q: Why didn't the Patriots sign Dalvin Cook instead?
A: The other comparison is Dalvin Cook, who signed with the Jets about two hours after Elliott agreed to terms with the Patriots.
The difference here is that Elliott's contract holds a base salary of just $1.55 million base salary, a $600,000 signing bonus, and a maximum value of $6 million which he would only get if he plays at least 70% of New England’s offensive snaps and surpasses 1,475 yards from scrimmage.
Meanwhile, Cook's deal with New York is worth up to $8.6 million - and while the full details have yet to come out regarding the contract, Zeke at at least $2.6 million less than Cook is a steal for the Patriots.
Why? Because Elliott is comfortable taking a back seat to a rising star in Stevenson. He just did so with Pollard in Dallas. Cook, meanwhile, has yet to have to step back in his career and likely still sees himself as the lead of an offense. He may have a rude awakening when enters a backfield-by-committee with the Jets that already includes Breece Hall and Michael Carter.
Q: Does Riley Reiff repping at guard mean the Patriots may move Mike Onwenu to tackle?
A: The Patriots moved Riley Reiff to right guard and rookie Sidy Sow to right tackle this week. To answer the question, I don't think it means an Onwenu transition to tackle is imminent.
I think they're trying to find a place for Reiff. After essentially being benched at right tackle during the first week of training camp, he was moved to the left side as Trent Brown nursed an undisclosed injury. Now that Brown's back, they're re-working the right side again to a) give Sow time, b) find a contingency plan for Mike Onwenu, and c) justify the $5 million they're paying Reiff in 2023.
Q: When healthy, what is the Patriots best offensive line?
A: The Patriots best rostered offensive line looks as follows:
LT: Trent Brown
LG: Cole Strange
C: David Andrews
RG: Mike Onwenu
RT: Riley Reiff
The problem is, we've yet to see this configuration during camp. Brown, Strange, Andrews, and Onwenu have all either dealt with or are still dealing with injuries, and Reiff has moved around to three different positions over three weeks.
It's a problem, and the entire offense is going to struggle until they figure out a solution.
Q: How much of an improvement can we expect quarterback Mac Jones to make in year three?
A: Compared to last year? A pretty hefty one. The Patriots can only go up after the disaster of an offense they tried to put together in 2022, and Mac Jones will be a beneficiary of the changes around him.
Compared to his rookie year, however, I wouldn't expect a massive improvement. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. In his first season with the Patriots, Jones commanded the offense for a majority of the campaign, understood what his coaches wanted out of him, and was able to lead the charge to the postseason. That's what is expected of him in 2023, and I think he'll succeed in that.
Q: What upcoming free agents will the Patriots re-sign?
A: The Patriots have a surplus of upcoming free agents in 2024. The list is highlighted by Kendrick Bourne, Trent Brown, Kyle Dugger, Hunter Henry, Mike Onwenu, and Josh Uche.
If I had to guess, they bring back Bourne, Dugger, and Henry, and let everybody else walk.
Q: What's more likely: Pats carrying two kickers or six wide receivers?
A: Six receivers.
I don't see the point in carrying both Nick Folk and Chad Ryland on the roster. You drafted Ryland in the fourth round in April for a reason, and that was to be your franchise kicker. There's no sense in having Folk breathing down his neck the entire year.
As for receiver, so long as they keep up the pace, the room could very well look like Kendrick Bourne, Kayshon Boutte, Demario Douglas, Devante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Tyquan Thornton.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
Related
