Sportsnaut
Roger Brown
Three position battles to monitor Saturday when the Patriots face the Minnesota Vikings in the second preseason game for each team:
Backup Quarterback
Drake Maye is entrenched as the starter, but New England fans would undoubtedly feel more comfortable if there were a capable backup on the roster. Josh Dobbs doesn’t appear to be that guy.
Dobbs wasn’t accurate when he threw the ball during last week’s 48-18 victory over Washington. He completed 5-of-12 attempts for 45 yards in that win.
Ben Wooldridge was 9-for-12 for 132 yards and a touchdown against the Commanders, but an undrafted rookie isn’t typically who you want as your No. 2 quarterback.
Backups are backups for a reason, but the Patriots need a QB who can consistently move the offense and give the team a chance to win if Maye misses time with a short-term injury. That player may not be on the current roster.
“Yeah, I mean, I think Josh is the backup right now,” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said. “Not that that couldn’t change. You know, Ben’s working hard, and we’ll see. We’re always trying to strengthen the roster each and every day, but Josh is in there. Josh just has to be more consistent.”
Wide Receiver
DeMario Douglas, Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, and Kyle Williams appear to be safe bets to make New England’s 53-man roster. That leaves room for one, maybe two more receivers from the following group: Efton Chism III, Javon Baker, Kendrick Bourne and Ja’Lynn Polk.
Bourne and Polk are injured and didn’t make the trip to Minnesota, so Chism and Baker would be wise to make the most of Saturday’s opportunity. Chism, an undrafted free agent, hauled in six receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown during New England’s first preseason game. Baker didn’t have a catch last week, but he has value on special teams and recorded two tackles against the Commanders as a gunner.
It will be interesting to see if the team elects to keep six or seven players at this position.
Placekicker
The Patriots looked like they had their kicker when they took Andy Borregales out of Miami (Fla.) in the sixth round of this year’s draft. He was the first kicker selected. Borregales was reportedly more consistent than Parker Romo in the spring and he still looked like their best option entering training camp.
Romo has been excellent this summer, however, which has made this one of the best competitions in camp. Romo made a 57-yard field goal in last week’s victory over Washington, and connected on 11 of 12 field goal attempts when he played in four games for the Vikings in 2024.
More must-reads:
