Youth movement? Players to watch in Patriots-Panthers preseason opener

Youth movement? Players to watch in Patriots-Panthers preseason opener originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

FOXBORO — Ahead of Thursday night’s preseason opener, let’s lay out some of the more intriguing Patriots players to keep an eye on against the Panthers at Gillette Stadium.

Rookie QBs

The Patriots likely know what they have in their two veteran signal-callers Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe, which makes keeping eyes on the rookies an obvious choice. But there are two questions in particular that I’m most interested in when it comes to expectations for Drake Maye and Joe Milton.

With Maye, how long will he play?

Head coach Jerod Mayo will have to pay close attention to how Maye is being protected and make a determination as to how much the rookie first-rounder is going to work. Preventing “sacks” in camp practices has been a problem, particularly for the reserve offensive linemen on the roster, and therefore it might not be a good idea to roll with the future face of the franchise for an extended period of time if they can’t hold up.

For Milton, the question is this: Will he have the opportunity to flash his impressive physical gifts?

He hasn’t had many chances to air it out in practices lately. His arm strength is apparent, though, as is his athleticism when he breaks the pocket to run. He has split third-team reps with Zappe for much of training camp, but if he’s given an extended stretch of playing time Thursday, he should be able to cook up a splash play or two. And maybe even a backflip.

Ja’Lynn Polk, wide receiver

The rookie second-round pick has looked like a savvy vet at times in camp. He’s been perhaps the team’s most steady receiver in camp in terms of his availability and his performance. He makes the plays he should make, and he’s flashed some high-level receiving chops as well with a couple of down-the-field catches, a contested 50-50 reception in the end zone, and a diving catch on third down in recent camp workouts.

He may not play long if…

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Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-08-07 18:41:43

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