Great news: The NFL season finally starts this week.
The Patriots kick off their season on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET against Tom Brady’s Raiders, though the GOAT won’t be back in Foxboro to watch the game.
With less than a week to go before the season begins, Patriots fans have a lot of questions about their team.
We answer them in our weekly mailbag.
@scootgoestweet: What is the general vibe around the team regarding Rhamondre? Henderson is getting all of the hype but they will still need Rhamondre for a lot of carries and to hold onto the football. Is the new staff high on him or is he on his way out?
I look at it as a positive sign that the new Patriots regime spent the offseason moving on from so many long-tenured players or burying them on the depth chart. Meanwhile, Stevenson is not only still on the team, but he spent all summer as the top-unit running back.
Kendrick Bourne, David Andrews, Davon Godchaux, Deatrich Wise, Jonathan Jones, Jabrill Peppers, Joe Cardona and Ja’Whaun Bentley are gone, and all summer it looked like Kyle Dugger and Anfernee Jennings were on shaky ground. But Stevenson remains.
My take: TreVeyon Henderson was always better at Ohio State in a timeshare, so it behooves the Patriots to use another running back, whether that’s Stevenson or Antonio Gibson, in a committee approach.
I think Stevenson will be the “lead” back unless injuries or fumbling issues creep up.
@keef_cheap: Why is BB not starting at center? Bradberry has been getting pushed back all summer
Bill Belichick? Just kidding. I know you’re talking about Ben Brown.
The Patriots’ staff likes Garrett Bradbury, and I think there’s value in having a veteran center in front of a young quarterback like Drake Maye. But that doesn’t mean Bradbury can’t lose his job. It’s why the Patriots gave Brown and Jared Wilson opportunities at center this season.
To simplify matters, Bradbury is a better run blocker, and Brown is a better pass blocker. If Bradbury’s pass protection issues become untenable, then perhaps we will see Brown.
@FettyNoHesi: Will Chism get playing time this season?
Efton Chism was so good this summer, I would personally like to see him take the field, but let’s not pretend like he doesn’t have ground to make up. Chism was behind Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams on the depth chart this summer. In team drills, Maye never completed a pass to Chism.
But obviously, Chism showed enough in training camp and the preseason to make the 53-man roster. It might take an injury or sputtering offensive production for Chism to get on the field.
Now’s a good time to say that I might have pretty high expectations for the Patriots’ wide receiver group in general this year. We’ll see how Diggs plays this season, but Douglas, Boutte and Hollins all looked really good in training camp. Boutte especially seemed to take a leap this summer.
@Futonlife1: Starting safeties
Peppers is gone, and Dugger spent the last few weeks as a backup. So, I would expect the starting safeties to be Jaylinn Hawkins and rookie Craig Woodson.
It seems the Patriots prefer speedier, rangier safeties than bigger, thumping strong safety types like Peppers and Dugger.
Hawkins clearly has big fans among the Patrots’ new regime. He’s a team leader, and it seems like he’s fully bought in with head coach Mike Vrabel.
Hawkins showed leadership qualities last season, as well. After an embarrassing Week 17 loss to the Chargers, Hawkins sat talking with younger safeties Dell Pettus and Marte Mapu for over an hour after the game at his locker.
@Kylerulez21: Do you see them moving on from Dobbs in favor of Cutlets? Could be after Tommy learns the plays in a few weeks
I don’t believe that’s the plan. I think the Patriots saw the value in adding a third quarterback to the 53-man roster, since the new third QB rule allows a passer to dress without counting against the gameday roster.
Dobbs has a major head start on DeVito with the offense, though it does help that DeVito is coming from a similar system with Brian Daboll.
Here’s where DeVito (319 plays) and Dobbs (613 plays) rank in some key advanced stats over the last two seasons among 47 QBs with at least 300 plays:
DeVito
EPA/play: 46th
Success rate: 47th
Completion percentage over expected: 34th
Dobbs
EPA/play: 36th
Success rate: 35th
Completion percentage over expected: 35th
It’s worth noting that Dobbs has played in better offenses in that span of time.
DeVito had a 51.3 PFF grade and 52.2 PFF passing grade in 2024 and a 62.0 PFF grade and 64.4 PFF passing grade in 2023. Dobbs had a 56.7 PFF grade and 61.1 PFF passing grade in 2024 and 65.9 PFF grade and 59.9 PFF passing grade in 2024.
DeVito had 80.4 and 81.6 PFF and PFF passing grades, respectively, this preseason. Dobb’s PFF and PFF passing grades were 61.3 and 59.2, respectively, this preseason.
This is all to say that Dobbs has played better over the last two years, but it is relatively close, and there could be a way that DeVito could catch up.
From watching Dobbs this summer and throughout his career, he appears to be a relatively streaky player who you may not know what you’re getting from on a day-to-day, week-to-week or year-to-year basis.
@VanillaVick10: Hi doug, love you doug. All I want to hear is your predictions for mayes stats this season. A ceiling and a floor. As an extremely optimistic fan, I see the ceiling at 4200 pass yards 800 rush 33 pass tds and 7 rush tds
You might be setting expectations too high with those numbers.
How about 3,600 passing yards, 500 rushing yards, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions?
@toro1566: Do you think Bill intentionally sabotaged the roster in his final few years?
No, I don’t. But it’s pretty hard to justify his first two 2022 picks, especially. Cole Strange was a projected third-round pick, and Tyquan Thornton was a projected fifth-round pick. And they went in the first and second round.
The Patriots took 10 players that year. Four are currently out of the league, three are on practice squads, including Strange. Just three are on 53-man rosters, and only Marcus Jones remains on the Patriots.
That being said, Belichick’s 2023 draft might wind up being one of his better ones. Christian Gonzalez is one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks, and Keion White, Marte Mapu, Kayshon Boutte, Bryce Baringer and DeMario Douglas remain on the Patriots. Jake Andrews looks like he’s going to be the Texans’ starting center, and Chad Ryland is the Cardinals’ kicker.
@TonyViola3: Do you think Marcus Jones plays some on offense this year?
Jones did say that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels knows he can play offense.
So, that’s an improvement from last year, when Alex Van Pelt found that out midway through last season.
@Cmerc5: Looking at the current roster, what do you think the biggest need is?
On offense, it would be offensive line depth in general. Ben Brown, Marcus Bryant, Vederian Lowe and Caedan Wallace are the top reserves.
And on defense, I would say inside linebacker. It’s Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss, Jack Gibbens and Mapu, a converted safety. They have Mark Robinson on the practice squad and Jahlani Tavai eligible to return from injured reserve. Outside of Spillane, it’s a pretty inexperienced group.
@cmahnjr: Is this really a serious 53 man roster? I was optimistic but seeing the depth chart this feels like another rebuilding year. Tell me why I’m wrong? Please. lol.
You might be wrong based on the Patriots’ schedule. They have the third-easiest strength of schedule.
But this is a rebuilding roster. The new regime frankly didn’t have a lot to work with, and the roster had a weak base. So, they improved where they could, but a lot will depend on the 2025 draft class.
@SoxPatsCsplswin: What would it take for Kyle dugger to see significant playing time this year?
An injury or poor performance from Hawkins or Woodson, which isn’t out of the question. I think there could be a role for Dugger as a box safety in certain situations, but time will tell.
@jpas351: Were you surprised that the team did not add any tackle depth to the practice squad?
I know it happened after this question, but the Patriots did sign former Raiders starting offensive tackle Thayer Munford. He had a good season in 2023 as a run blocker.
@Mr_Snax: Will the Pats come close to spending to the cap this season
No. But they’ve talked about being on a two-year plan with the cap. The Patriots actually currently have negative cap space for 2026, but they’ll be back in the black after carrying over this year’s cap space. There’s also an easy $35 million to shed from next year’s cap.
@BenjaminnSmithh: What are your thoughts on the new rivalry uniforms?
I think they look good. I don’t necessarily love alternate uniforms that don’t use a team’s primary logo colors, though. It’s popular in the NBA and MLB, so it was only a matter of time before the NFL did it, as well. It’s just a little bit strange turning on a game and not immediately knowing what team is playing. I think that will happen a lot when the Patriots are wearing storm blue.
I also have a lot of nostalgia for the Bledsoe blues and wish they would return as a throwback or alternate. It’s time.