So lengthy, summer season.
The Patriots wrapped up coaching camp and the preseason this week feeling a bit hobbled, however lots higher.
Gamers will quickly report for 2 extra practices that lead as much as Tuesday’s 53-man roster deadline, however many of the entrance workplace’s selections about who will likely be lower, traded or saved have already been made. The hay, as they are saying, is within the barn.
Earlier than we look forward to the common season, right here’s one final look again on the Patriots’ first summer season below coach Mike Vrabel.
Behold, the Herald’s coaching camp awards for 2025:
MVP: RB TreVeyon Henderson
Shock!
The second-round rookie instantly established himself because the Patriots’ most harmful weapon, then slowly entered the dialog for greatest offensive participant. Henderson’s mixture of lengthy pace, immediate acceleration and smooth fingers will make him a focus of Josh McDaniels’ offense this season. From taking handoffs to splitting out extensive and working receiver routes, Henderson will see loads of touches.
And when he does, Henderson will likely be a risk to attain each time. He reportedly blew the Vikings away throughout two joint practices final week in Minnesota, the place he scored a 70-yard landing to cap a two-minute drill. With out him, the Patriots’ offense doesn’t make performs like that. With him, they’re extra explosive, versatile and harmful.
That’s an MVP.
Finest Offensive Participant: WR DeMario Douglas
If not Henderson, Douglas is the straightforward reply right here.
He noticed essentially the most targets in workforce drills, caught extra passes from Drake Maye than anybody else and expanded his route tree. The teaching workers appears intent on weaponizing him as greater than a high-volume slot receiver, sending him on deep crosses and vertical routes all through camp. Douglas additionally earned the workers’s belief by deepening his dedication this offseason to studying the playbook and spending extra time within the facility.
“Nice vitality, nice demeanor, very coachable. Certainly one of our offseason award winners,” Vrabel mentioned earlier this summer season. “So, he clearly labored extraordinarily arduous, was right here day by day, able to be taught, able to earn a job. I really like being round Pop. He’s obtained nice vitality and he’s obtained plenty of respect from everyone round right here.”
Whether or not all his offseason work interprets to Sundays stays to be seen, however for now, no one was higher in coaching camp than No. 3.
Finest Defensive Participant: OLB Ok’Lavon Chaisson
There’s a motive Chaisson earned a promotion from rotational cross rusher to full-time starter protection late in coaching camp. A number of, truly.
He completed with essentially the most sacks of any defender in workforce durations. He routinely triumphed in 1-on-1 cross rush drills. He fortified his run protection, and set a fierce edge in preseason. And most of all, Chaisson continued to enhance, whereas Keion White fizzled after his personal white-hot begin to camp and misplaced his job.
Chaisson even had exterior linebackers coach Mike Smith suggesting the workforce could have struck gold when it signed him to a one-year flier contract in free company.
“The factor about KC is he’s sensible. He’s a vet. He’s seen it. Loves the sport of soccer. The best way he works, the way in which he prepares, he’s certainly one of these guys that you simply speak about stuff, and he will get it fairly fast,” Smith mentioned. “A variety of these guys you get in free company on one-year offers, they usually’ve obtained one thing to show. I believe he’s obtained a chip on his shoulder, and he’s obtained one thing to show.
“Getting a house and being someplace is an enormous factor for him. He’s taking part in nicely.”
With Christian Gonzalez sidelined for the final three weeks, this was a straightforward name. Chaisson isn’t essentially the most gifted participant on the Patriots’ protection — and possibly not even their defensive entrance — however he was unquestionably the most efficient and constant. The previous first-round decide could now lastly be able to stay as much as his draft standing.
Finest Rookie: S Craig Woodson
Setting apart Henderson right here, Woodson earned this title by incomes a beginning job.
The 24-year-old Cal product changed Kyle Dugger within the beginning lineup by demonstrating as a lot versatility as any participant in place room. Woodson carried out nicely sufficient as a single-high defender, man-to-man defender and communicator within the again finish. Like Chaisson, his snaps with the beginning protection have been sparse at first.
However by the tip, he grew to become a staple of Vrabel’s protection.
“He retains, I believe, getting higher,” Vrabel mentioned. “I believe he retains studying, every day, a number of the completely different methods that possibly he didn’t use as a lot at Cal. I’ve seen him sort out. I believe the particular groups stuff was good. I believe throwing himself in there into the fireplace on a number of the particular groups stuff was good to see. So, (we’ll) proceed to see the place he’s at simply from his physicality, and sort of go from there.”
Most improved: DL Khyris Tonga
Keep in mind the identify.
Tonga, a fifth-year journeyman lengthy thought to be nothing greater than a run-stuffer, may begin a handful of video games this season. He emerged as one of many Patriots’ most dependable defenders, a lot so he’s taken the sphere alongside star defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore within the beginning protection. All that beef ought to enhance the Patriots’ run protection, nevertheless it’s Tonga’s newly tapped pass-rushing potential that prompted his award right here.
Tonga completed within the prime 5 for many would-be sacks recorded in workforce durations, and repeatedly dealt with beginning offensive linemen – together with heart Garrett Bradbury and left guard Jared Wilson – in particular person cross rush drills. As long as he’s subsequent to Barmore and Williams on the sphere, Tonga ought to see loads of extra 1-on-1 alternatives and simply clear his single-season profession excessive of two QB hits and a half-sack.
“’For me to come back in and be subsequent to Milton and Barmore makes my job a lot simpler,” Tonga mentioned earlier this month. “(Opposing offenses) obtained to select their alternative between Barmore and Milton (to double workforce) and I’m good with that.”
Greatest disappointment: S Kyle Dugger
One other clear-cut alternative.
Dugger slipped down the depth chart this summer season, from surefire starter to occasional second-teamer to a totally entrenched member of the Patriots’ scout workforce. The 29-year-old appears to have misplaced his explosion after taking part in on a excessive ankle sprain for 3 months final season. Dugger spent all spring and early components of the summer season recovering, then arrived as a full participant at coaching camp.
It’s not simply the bodily traits, however Dugger additionally appears to be struggling discovering a house within the Patriots’ new defensive scheme. That is what Vrabel needed to say greater than per week in the past about what Dugger should do to take again his first-team reps: “I believe simply ensuring that he’s the place he must be and understanding the protection ideas and all the things we do. Maintain working and preserve progressing.”
Two and a half weeks in the past, Dugger admitted he’s taken slowly to the brand new protection, which has tasked him with studying new methods and fulfilling assignments that weren’t as frequent below Invoice Belichick after which Jerod Mayo.
“Clearly, there’s some variations within the system,” Dugger mentioned on Aug. 6. “In order that’s going to be there. There’s all the time stuff to work on. However there are some new issues, if I’m being trustworthy, that I’ve to get used to and learn to do. In order that’s positively there with the brand new system.
“We’ve simply obtained to do our job the identical. We’ve obtained to lock it up and be tight. Be on the identical web page. So it actually doesn’t matter or change that a lot. We’ve obtained to ensure we’re all up, and we’re purported to be doing our job to assist them out.”
Quote of the Week
“Watching him popping out, as a result of he was a man that no one was taking a look at, should you have a look at his athletic capacity, it’s off the charts. He’s an enormous rusher. He strikes nice in area. He’s not scared to go put his face proper down the center should you noticed him in recreation. However he’s obtained this very uncommon capacity of selecting up issues rapidly and searching like he’s carried out it from Day 1. It’s simply exceptional. That’s one other (participant) that has an especially shiny future. Most likely top-of-the-line (undrafted) free agent pickups that I’ve ever seen.” — Patriots exterior linebackers coach Mike Smith on undrafted rookie Elijah Ponder
