Pats Pulpit
Here is who caught our eye, for better or worse, throughout the spring.
The New England Patriots officially put an end to their offseason program this week, which featured five open practices to the media.
Here’s who stood out for better, or worse, throughout those sessions and the spring as a whole.
CB Christian Gonzalez: New England’s top cornerback opened the spring with a pair of interceptions, including a top-tier play to fall off a flat route and haul in an over the shoulder pick down field. In the final practice of minicamp, Gonzalez then recorded a smooth one-handed interception down the field.
While there were no highlight plays in the three sessions in between, Gonzalez looked to be in midseason form as he spent most of his time in the hip pocket of New England’s wide receivers. The 22-year-old, who also appeared to add some good weight this offseason, looks ready to build off his All-Pro season.
WR DeMario Douglas: Shortly after the Patriots first minicamp practice, Pop Douglas struggled to hold in his excitement when talking about Josh McDaniels’ offense — which has a well-documented history of slot receivers finding success. Douglas, who has spent time watching cutups of Julian Edelman, Wes Welker, etc., looked at home in that role this spring. His quickness is apparent as McDaniels was able to create mismatches over the middle of the field while his connection with Drake Maye remained strong.
WR Efton Chism III: Speaking of New England’s past slot receivers, Chism fits the mold with his quick-twitch movements and route running ability. The UDFA tallied 15 receptions across the five open practices which caught the eye of his quarterback: “Chis had like 50 catches is OTAs,” Maye said. Chism ended the spring sharing the field with Maye at times which puts him in position to earn a 53-man roster spot in training camp.
DE Keion White: After sharing his frustration down the stretch last season, White looks at home along the edge in a more aggressive defensive front. He was disruptive in the non-padded sessions and has enjoyed working with outside linebacker coach Mike Smith, who has an extensive history of working with bigger rushers like White. The 26-year-old could be on the verge of a breakout in year three.
DL Christian Barmore: First off, it was a win that Barmore, who was given the “green light” by the medical staff, to be on the field this spring after dealing with blood clots last year. But the defensive tackle was full-go and looked to be in great shape during the spring — highlighted by him chasing several plays down field. Barmore also had his disruptive moments as a rusher as he, White, Milton Williams, and Harold Landry have the potential to form a formidable four-down front.
K Andres Borregales: Consistency was the buzz word coming from New England after selecting Borregales in the sixth-round of the draft. That was on display throughout the spring as the rookie went...
