1 – It’s going to be the summer of the quarterback in New England, not just for the Patriots’ hopeful revitalization of their own young passer but also in terms of the three teams Bill Belichick’s squad will face in joint practice and preseason action.
Certainly Mac Jones’ work under new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien will be a focal point for all things Patriots. Seeing if the former No. 15 overall pick can put his dysfunctional, Matt Patricia-led sophomore season in the rearview mirror will be the biggest storyline in New England.
But the official announcement of the 2023 schedule not only brought details to the regular season campaign, but also locked in an interesting preseason schedule that includes opponents with equally intriguing quarterback situations. Houston took C.J. Stroud at No. 2 overall on draft night, Green Bay finally shed Aaron Rodgers to give former first-round pick Jordan Love his year-four shot and Tennessee added Will Levis to a depth chart that already includes Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis.
Beyond just preseason game action between the Patriots and these three opponents with notable QB situations, there have been reports that New England could hold joint practices with both the Packers and the Titans. That means a young Patriots secondary potentially led by top pick Christian Gonzalez will get its chance to prove itself against a number of would-be starting quarterbacks over the course of the summer. And given that none of these teams have set-in-stone, proven passers there should be plenty of competitive reps to go around for all involved.
With all the competition (Titans), rookie star-power (Texans and Titans), high expectations (Packers) mixed in with New England’s own reality that has Jones trying to get back to his Pro Bowl rookie self with Bailey Zappe nipping away behind him on the depth chart, Patriot Nation will get a first-row seat for some of the top quarterback stories this preseason.
Plenty of NFL QB-watching eyes will be focused on action in New England this summer, both for Jones’ expected rebirth and for the guys he’ll be facing off against in August preseason and joint-practice action.
2 – Malik Cunningham, the quarterback out of Louisville, joined Appalachian State linebacker Jourdan Heilig and Louisiana tight end Johnny Lumpkin, in the trio of undrafted rookies New England officially announced the signing of on May 12. The Patriots have had at least one undrafted rookie make the opening day roster in each of the last 19 seasons, tied with Denver for the longest streak in the NFL. If that streak is to continue, one of those three (or a potential later UDFA addition) will have to crack into the 53-man lineup on a very competitive roster across the board.
3 – Cunningham is not only the most interesting of the undrafted rookies, but one of the most intriguing rookies in New England overall. The Patriots guaranteed the athletic Cardinals passer $200,000 to sign with the team after the draft, seemingly making him the most likely of the undrafted players to have a shot at the roster. Cunningham tied a school record with 50 rushing touchdowns as a quarterback, yes in the same uniform that Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy in. But will the 6-1, 190-pounder compete as a quarterback in New England? He’s made it clear he’s open to a position change. Could he be a slash type player, ala Kordell Stewart early in his Steelers career? Is a Julian Edelman-like switch to wide receiver in the cards? Regardless of the details, Cunningham is one of the top players to keep an eye on this summer and his athleticism and playmaking ability should draw plenty of preseason excitement, regardless of the position he’ll be playing.
4 – Speaking of speed and athleticism, the amount of both that Patriots have heading toward OTA action and training camp competition has clearly grown in recent years. That’s no accident. Though New England director of player personnel Matt Groh has sort of mocked his own much-cited quote of teams needing to draft fast players if they want to get faster, he’s walked that talk over his two drafts as key voice in the Patriots war room. While their long term talent and contributions are obviously still up for debate, the additions of Tyquan Thornton, Marcus Jones, Jack Jones, Pierre Strong Jr., Gonzalez, Marte Mapu, Kayshon Boutte, Demario Douglas, Ameer Speed, Isaiah Bolden, Cunningham and others over the last year have greatly increased the overall speed and athleticism on the New England roster. That will be a key factor not only in the training camp competition this summer but the makeup of the team in all three phases heading into a critical 2023 season.
5 – One of the more athletic versatile players on the New England defense over the last couple years has been safety Kyle Dugger, and the former second-round pick has proven himself just as versatile in the class room. After graduating from D-II Lenoir-Rhyne with a degree in engineering physics, the school announced this week that Dugger added a second degree in psychology to his impressive resume. Not too shabby for a developing Pro Bowl-caliber football talent who’s scheduled to hit free agency after this season.
6 – Though not among the team’s official signings, former Virginia lacrosse player Dox Aitken was reportedly among those in attendance at New England’s rookie minicamp over the weekend for a football tryout. A former All-American for the Cavaliers, the 6-2, 210-pound midfielder has been playing professional lacrosse for the Atlas Lacrosse Club in the PLL. Belichick obviously has an affinity for lacrosse and the story of Chris Hogan’s transition from Penn State lacrosse player to eventual key contributor at receiver for the Patriots has been well told. New England’s other ties to the sport of lacrosse include Patriots cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino, who as a two-time All-American long stick midfielder for Johns Hopkins, and the team’s director of player operations Chris Mattes, who was an All-American faceoff specialist at Rutgers before working as an assistant coach in the sport for a Maryland team that won a national championship. If there is one place in the NFL where a lacrosse player may find a home, Aitken is in the right spot.
7 – With rookie minicamp concluding and veterans advancing through the voluntary offseason program, the first of the Patriots’ organized team activities is now little more than a week away. New England’s first OTA is scheduled for May 22 on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium. The team will hold OTA sessions on May 22, 23, 25, 30 and 31 as well as June 2, 5, 6, 8 and 9. The team will hold a mandatory minicamp June 12-14. The first session of OTAs that will be open to the media is scheduled for May 25 – as well as June 2, 8 and the entirety of the three-day minicamp -- a first chance for reporters to get a look at the competition that’s beginning to unfold on the roster, even if it’s just in a non-padded, non-contact environment.