Either-or, Patriots Edition: Breaking Down Training Camp Roster Battles

Either-Or, Patriots Edition: Breaking down training camp roster battles originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

When the Patriots take the field this weekend to open training camp at Gillette Stadium, Drake Maye will be their starting quarterback. That’s a given.

A.J. Brown will be his No. 1 receiver, Hunter Henry is locked in as TE1, Milton Williams and Christian Barmore will hold down the middle of the defensive line, and Andy Borregales and Bryce Baringer will be off to the side, kicking footballs to their hearts’ content.

Some things are certain. Other areas on the roster, though, remain very much in question. Whether that’s due to an overcrowded position, underperformance, draft position or something else, it ought to make for some unique battles for both roster spots and starting spots on the eventual 53-man roster.

With that in mind, it’s worth taking an either-or snapshot in a few areas to try to determine how things might take shape over the next five weeks.

Kayshon Boutte or Mack Hollins

In a lot of people’s minds, Kayshon Boutte is as good as gone from the Patriots. As soon as a moderately decent trade offer comes along, the Patriots will send him on his way and give him a chance to earn either earn a big payday somewhere else where he can find more playing time or sign a nice contract extension with another team right out of the gate.

Those people may be right, but there’s a case to be made for Mack Hollins being the odd man out.

In an ideal world, the Patriots would just keep both players, as each presents a unique skill set that proved valuable to Maye last season.

Hollins played in 15 games last year, catching 46 passes for 550 yards and two touchdowns.

Boutte played in 14 games, catching 33 passes for 551 yards and six touchdowns.

Hollins suffered a lacerated spleen in December, keeping him out of action for the final two regular-season games and the first two postseason games. He gutted out two impressive playoff performances, catching two passes for 51 yards in the AFC Championship Game and catching four passes for 78 yards and a touchdown in the Super Bowl — providing one of very few offensive highlights in that loss.

Boutte suffered a hamstring injury that cost him two games in November and then suffered a concussion (on what was arguably the most egregious missed pass interference call in the history of the sport), keeping him out for one more game late in the year. He had two strong playoff games (four catches for 66 yards against the Chargers, three catches for 75 yards and a key touchdown against Derek Stingley Jr. and the Texans) and two quiet playoff games (one catch for six yards in Denver, one catch for 21 yards in the Super Bowl).

Hollins is best utilized running intermediate routes on the boundary and running crossers, where he can use his big frame to present a large catch radius for his quarterback. Boutte has a rare ability to not just get open on deep routes but to go up and get the ball.

Had the Patriots only acquired A.J. Brown or Romeo Doubs, there’d be little doubt that both Hollins and Boutte would remain on the roster. Yet there are only so many passes to go around, and it would appear the offense will have to be without one of these players come September.

The Verdict: I continue to feel like I’m on an island with this one, but I think Boutte can and should have a role on this team. He’s still just 24 years old, he has a clear connection with Maye, and he figures to still be on the rise. Hollins is going to turn 33 in September, has played for six teams since 2019, and hasn’t played for the same team in consecutive seasons since 2020 and 2021 with the Dolphins (when he caught 30 passes for 399 yards and five touchdowns in 33 games).

Much like they were with Stefon Diggs, the Patriots should feel pleased that they got so much out of Hollins last year while also feeling comfortable moving on in 2026.

Kyle Williams or DeMario Douglas

Let’s keep it in the wide receiver room, with this one looking like more of a depth chart/playing time battle. (Though, as ever in the NFL, don’t take “surprise cut” off the table.)

With Kyle Williams and DeMario Douglas, the arrow doesn’t currently appear to be pointing up for either.

A third-round pick last year, Williams joined the team with some decent expectations for production in his rookie year; he’d end up catching just 10 passes. He had 209 receiving yards, with more than 34 percent of those yards coming on one single reception in Tampa.

Meanwhile, Douglas took a major step back both in terms of usage and production. He played just 26 percent of New England’s offensive snaps (after playing 55 percent as a rookie in 2023 and 62 percent in 2024) as a rookie, and he caught just 31 passes for 447 yards and three touchdowns.

For Douglas, the production essentially came in one short burst. He had just seven catches for 30 yards (and one touchdown) through five games, but then caught 11 passes for 232 yards and two scores in his next four games. But then he had just 185 total receiving yards (with no touchdowns) in the final eight games of the year.

It must be noted that Douglas was drafted at the end of Bill Belichick’s tenure, and his limited usage in year one with Josh McDaniels indicated he might not be as good of a fit with the offense as many people envisioned he would be.

The Verdict: Barring a very disappointing training camp from Kyle Williams, it should be assumed that the Patriots will give him every chance possible to carve out a role with the team. While it wouldn’t be unprecedented for a team to simply move on from a whiff on a third-round pick one year later, such a move would obviously be a last resort. So, Williams is sure to have a leg up in this competition, and Douglas could be deemed expendable.

Will Campbell or Caleb Lomu

For all of the potential positional battles that can play out across the roster, there’s only one that involves a No. 4 overall pick who watched his team draft a player at the same position in the first round one year later.

That player, of course, is Will Campbell.

Despite a dreadful end to his rookie campaign, Campbell was given a clear message of support from head coach Mike Vrabel just days after the Super Bowl loss.

“Will’s 22 years old. He’s our left tackle. He’ll get better. He’ll get stronger,” Vrabel said. “We’re not moving Will to guard, or center, or tight end, or anywhere else.”

That’s solid support. But the team trading up to take Lomu at No. 28 overall cannot be overlooked or dismissed.

The Verdict: This particular “battle” is unlikely to take place during camp, as Lomu is certain to get plenty of run at right tackle when Morgan Moses enjoys some veteran rest during his 13th NFL training camp. So expect Campbell to remain the starting left tackle through the summer. However, with every rep Lomu takes on the left side — in practice, in preseason games, and in joint practices — he’ll do so knowing everyone watching will be mentally logging those snaps as a reference for whenever Campbell faces some inevitable bumps in his sophomore season. Provided Moses (and Campbell) stay healthy, this figures to be a storyline that can live throughout the year.

Rhamondre Stevenson or TreVeyon Henderson

In some ways, TreVeyon Henderson lived up to his draft status (second round, No. 38 overall, taken when several second-round-caliber wide receivers were still available). The bottom-line numbers of 911 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, 221 receiving yards and another touchdown through the air would indicate he was a massive hit, actually.

But closer inspection shows that Henderson’s rookie production was really boom or bust on a weekly basis. He ran for 53 or more yards nine times, and he ran for 32 or fewer yards eight times. All of that while struggling mightily in pass protection responsibilities and failing to carve out a consistent presence in the passing game. Both of those shortfalls were certainly unexpected.

As a result, the team leaned heavily on Rhamondre Stevenson, despite his fumbling issues early in the year. Stevenson started 13 games (to Henderson’s four) and ran effectively (4.6 yards per carry), albeit with 50 fewer attempts than the rookie. Stevenson proved to be more productive in the passing game (32 receptions, 345 yards, 2 TDs), which would also qualify as a surprise.

Come playoff time, Henderson was basically an afterthought, getting 30 carries (to Stevenson’s 58) and gaining just 76 yards (to Stevenson’s 217). One significant number: In the only true road game of the playoffs in a loud environment in Denver, Stevenson played 93.8 percent of the offensive snaps. Henderson took the field for just four plays.

The question now becomes whether Henderson is to take the leap to become the clear-cut No. 1 back on this team. The offense will still need to divide usage and opportunities to try to ensure the health of both of the top backs, but Henderson will have to prove he’s improved in those needed areas before he leapfrogs the six-year veteran.

The verdict: This requires a bit of projection, but considering Henderson flashed enough speed and skill as a rookie, and considering the team brought in a real fullback in Reggie Gilliam, it’s fair to expect a leap for Henderson in year two. His confidence appeared to have been his biggest hindrance late in the year, which should be something he and the coaching staff can improve in Year 2. There’s reason to believe he ends up getting the lion’s share of snaps and touches out of the backfield for New England in 2026.

Dre’Mont Jones or Gabe Jacas

The Patriots have a problem on the edge. This has been covered. It’s in the newspapers.

Part of that has to do with Harold Landry’s uncertain health, as the 30-year-old battled a knee injury for most of last year and is starting camp on the PUP list. The other part has to do with the other side, where a whole lot of unknown awaits.

Dre’Mont Jones was the front office’s solution to replace K’Lavon Chaisson … though it might have been a premature move.

The Patriots agreed to terms with Jones during the legal tampering window, likely under the impression that Chaisson was due to land a hefty deal in free agency after his 7.5-sack season (with three more in the playoffs). Instead, Chaisson ended up getting just a one-year deal with $10.3 million guaranteed. (The Patriots gave Jones an $11 million signing bonus and $23.1 million guaranteed in a three-year deal.)

A bigger body, Jones is a former interior D-lineman who dropped some pounds to play on the edge, and though he set a career high with seven sacks last season, it takes some creativity to envision that kind of production carrying over into New England.

It requires a whole lot more imagination, though, to project rookie Gabe Jacas’ impact on the team, considering he remains unsigned and appears to have a rocky foundation with the Patriots from jump street. Jacas had eight sacks as a junior and Illinois before recording 11 sacks last year, and New England really wanted him, trading a fourth- and a sixth-round pick (in addition to their original second-rounder) to move up eight spots to draft him in April.

The Verdict: Had Jacas gone through spring workouts and been ready to hit the ground running when camp begins, it would be easy to say he could quickly climb the depth chart and earn a lot of playing time. Alas, none of that is the case, so expect the reliable (if unspectacular) Jones to be locked in as the leader in snaps at EDGE.