gresh and fauria: How many Patriots roster spots are up for grabs?
The Patriots began their preseason on Thursday evening in Foxborough against a familiar AFC foe in the Houston Texans.
Not only was it the debut of Bill O’Brien’s offense, but it also marked the true beginning of the careers of several promising young rookies in C.J. Stroud, Christian Gonzalez, and Will Anderson Jr.
Though the score hardly matters in the preseason, The Texans took this one by a score of 20-9. Here are seven immediate thoughts from the Patriots loss:
7 - Tyquan Thornton is fighting for regular season playing time, and he may have earned it.
The Patriots wide receiver room has been the talk of training camp over the past week after rookie pass catcher Demario “Pop” Douglas took reps with New England’s first team over Tyquan Thornton.
Thornton clearly took that to heart, and played well on Thursday night. Despite just two catches for 31 yards, the 2021 second-round pick had the highlight of the night with a full-extension grab on a cover two-hole shot from Bailey Zappe. Here’s the clip:
The former Baylor Bear still has a ways to go, but Thursday was a promising step in the right direction.
6 - Jalen Mills belongs at safety.
The Patriots signed Jalen Mills to a four-year, $24 million contract prior to the 2021 season after a career year with the Eagles at safety. When he arrived in Foxborough, however, they switched him to cornerback.
After two solid seasons on the boundary, New England released Mills this offseason before eventually re-signing him again. This time, however, they're playing him at safety.
The move looks to have already paid off as on the Texans' first drive on Thursday, Mills read C.J. Stroud like a book from the free safety position and picked off the rookie for a 12-yard interception return. He’s a natural in the backend, and will help fill the void Devin McCourty left in retirement.
5 - The John Metchie III story is awesome.
The Texans selected John Metchie III with the 44th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he missed his entire rookie season after tearing his ACL in the SEC Championship game with Alabama and then being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia last summer.
Now that Metchie III is healthy, he was able to play in his first football game since 2021 on Thursday and also served as a captain for Houston. An incredible story for the talented pass catcher.
4 - The Texans have something in Tank Dell.
Wide receiver Tank Dell, who Houston selected with the 69th pick in this year’s draft, shined on Thursday night for the Texans offense.
Not only did the 5-foot-8 pass catcher toast cornerback Jack Jones on a stop route on one of the team’s first drives (Stroud didn’t see him), but he also hauled in five catches for 65 yards and a touchdown in his NFL debut. Dell will be making impact plays real soon for Houston.
3 - New England needs a veteran running back.
The Patriots went into Thursday night with Rhamondre Stevenson, Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong Jr., Kevin Harris, and JJ Taylor in the running back room.
They left Thursday night needing more.
Stevenson will go into the regular season as New England’s lead back, but with Ty Montgomery banged up and the trio of Strong Jr., Harris, and Taylor all putting up duds against Houston, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the team sign a veteran as early as Monday. The Patriots need more behind Stevenson, and they’ll want more bodies heading into Green Bay for joint practices this coming week.
2 - Keion White is a monster. Keep him healthy.
Some how, some way, New England’s second-round pick Keion White completely flew under my radar as a player to watch prior to the game. After about one play, I was forced to take a look.
The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket was in the Texans backfield all night, finishing the game with three tackles and a QB hit and looking more like a five-year veteran than a rookie. Sideline him for the rest of the preseason and keep him healthy. We’ve seen enough.
1 - The line will continue to be the offense’s downfall.
The Patriots offensive line had an abysmal showing on Thursday night. Not only did they only allow their running backs to rush for just 35 yards on 18 carries, but they also allowed three sacks and four QB hits on 21 dropbacks.
When healthy, their unit can likely be serviceable. However until then, it’s impossible to expect anything out of the Patriots offense with this type of showing up front.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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