There’s one last, lonely Sunday without Patriots football and the game day roster is finally taking shape, (an amorphous shape, sure, but a shape). As the season opener against the Raiders creeps up on Foxboro, here are five folks within this team that could make or break the season:
Drake Maye
The “duh’s” are on this? Deafening. But it must be said, the team will largely go as Maye does. It’s about more than eliminating his rookie turnover habit. Will he be fully in command at the line of scrimmage, about to get the ball out on time while on the same page as his pass catchers? Will his accuracy be on-point in the face of Maxx Crosby on September 7th, or will pressure force him to resort to the fight-or-flight mode that got him through last season? Lastly, will he be healthy enough to play all 17 regular season games? That final point is not a knock against Maye’s playing style, but rather, whether the offensive line will be able to protect him when he drops back. On that note…
Will Campbell
The No. 4 overall pick barely got a breather through training camp and preseason when the starters played. It’s clear Campbell is Plan A at left tackle, and there’s not much of a Plan B to consider, (Vederian Lowe being the only option, and his availability has already been an issue). Campbell’s biggest issue right now is getting up to NFL play speed and he can only get there through experience. So, it’s sink or swim for both him, and potentially, rookie Jared Wilson playing next to him on Maye’s blind side.
“I’ve seen a lot of growth from Day 1,” veteran guard Mike Onwenu told WEEI at his locker Thursday, when asked about both Campbell and rookie left guard Jared Wilson. “At the end of the day, they’re both really good football players and they’ve played well, individually. The left side has been doing better and better.”
Josh McDaniels
At first glance, McDaniels as offensive coordinator in Foxboro should be the ultimate known quality, and not just based on the fantastic resume he built with Tom Brady. He also ran offenses with Matt Cassel, Cam Newton, and, perhaps most relatably to the current quarterback situation, Mac Jones. But McDaniels hasn’t operated under Mike Vrabel before, and the unknown there makes this situation a little more intriguing. Whether as head coach or offensive coordinator, McDaniels’ teams without Bill Belichick at the helm have finished 20th, 19th, 32nd, 12th, and 23rd in points scored as a team in their respective seasons. His St. Louis Rams’ point differential in 2011, when he was offensive coordinator there, was a league-worst 32nd. Ultimately, this writer believes McDaniels will at least get the offensive production numbers out of the bottom quartile of the league this season and bolster Maye’s development - but it remains to be seen.
Robert Spillane
It’s early, but Spillane has shown himself to be one of the most solid and dependable parts of Vrabel’s defense. He should be a run-stopper and has ball hawk reflexes, (Maye learned that the hard way through one late summer practice in shells). He totaled 306 tackles in two years with the Raiders and didn’t miss a game. He is the foundation of the linebacker unit and exemplifies what Vrabel preaches in how he handles his business. If the rest of the linebackers follow his example, that unit will be solid.
Christian Gonzalez
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez is the lone Patriot to make most preseason player “watch” lists, because when he’s healthy? He’s excellent.
In pass coverage last year, Gonzalez’s allowed completion percentage (55.7%) was lower the that of Kansas City Chief Trent McDuffie (60%) and New York Jet Sauce Gardner (56.9%). However, he suffered a hamstring injury the first day the pads came on in training camp, over a month ago, and he hasn’t practiced with the team since. New England added a nice counterpart when they signed Carlton Davis III to play opposite Gonzalez, but they need him available and feeling well to boast the lockdown secondary they had to envision in free agency.