Kevin Harris Could Be Breakout Candidate In Second Season

New England Patriots running back Kevin Harris, a sixth-round pick in 2022, only had 18 rushing attempts in his rookie season last year, with 13 carries coming in Weeks 14 and 15 when the team's backfield was depleted due to injuries. The 225-pound back is a powerful runner capable of finishing runs and breaking tackles […]

Pierre Strong Jr. Could Be Rhamondre Stevenson's Complement

New England Patriots running back Pierre Strong Jr. has been on the James White track from the get-go, and Strong is far from the first Patriots draft pick to "redshirt" at the position as a rookie. His breakaway speed and short-area agility lend themselves to a role as a receiving back in the Patriots offense, […]

DeVante Parker Could Become A Cap Casualty

New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker had two of the best catches during mandatory minicamp this offseason, but he could become a salary cap casualty if the team ends up signing free-agent receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Parker has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract, and the Patriots would save more than $6.2 million against […]

Trent Brown Has Disappointing Offseason

New England Patriots offensive tackle Trent Brown, who is coming off a disappointing 2022, skipped organized team activities, missed the start of mandatory minicamp and was relegated to a side field for conditioning. He didn't take a single rep with the offense during spring practices, which isn't the spring you would have liked to see […]

Conor McDermott Could Start At Right Tackle

The New England Patriots signed both offensive tackles Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson this offseason and offered them more money than Conor McDermott, a sign that McDermott would be buried on the depth chart this year. However, McDermott quietly continues to play well and earned a promotion when Reiff was demoted to the second string […]

Marte Mapu Has Looked The Part

New England Patriots rookie defensive back Marte Mapu (pectoral) wasn't cleared for full contact during offseason workouts after suffering a torn pectoral in March, but it didn't stop him from flying around on defense in the spring. Mapu always seemed to be around the football and impressed the coaches enough to earn playing time at […]

Demario Douglas Impresses During Offseason Workouts

There was a lot of focus on New England Patriots sixth-round rookie wide receiver Kayshon Boutte after the draft, but Demario Douglas was the more impressive player during offseason workouts. His size at 5-foot-8 could be a long-term issue, but his agility and creativity out of the slot seem to make him a natural fit […]

Christian Gonzalez Lines Up As First-Team Corner

New England Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez, the No. 17 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, was lining up as a first-unit left cornerback during offseason practices and caught the eye of his teammates. "He's very athletic. It's pretty effortless the way he does everything -- the way he moves in and out of […]

2023 NFL Fantasy Football WR Power Rankings: All 32 Starting Wide Receiver Duos

The wide receiver position has never been more important in the NFL, as the modern wide-open passing offenses have placed extra importance on high-level pass-catchers. Teams can rarely get away with having mediocre wide receiver rooms and in many cases, a team needs at least two good-to-great players at the position to rank among the […]

Patriots Have Made Offer To DeAndre Hopkins

Free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins now has contract offers from both the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans, according to ESPN's Dianna Russini. Hopkins is considering the deals while also hoping that more suitors will emerge before the start of training camp at the end of July. The 31-year-old five-time Pro Bowler is clearly in […]

Mike Gesicki Could Be A Great Fit In New England

Patriots.com's Evan Lazar writes that New England Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki was great to watch during spring workouts. He is a natural pass-catcher and a fluid mover despite his size at 6-foot-6, 245 pounds. Gesicki can run the seam, win foot races across the field, has a large catch radius, and surprised Lazar with […]

Kayshon Boutte Needs To Get Healthy

New England Patriots rookie wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (undisclosed) missed some time during offseason practices with an undisclosed injury, and he's still trying to get his burst back after suffering a significant ankle injury in college. Boutte showed some juice in positional drills this offseason, but it didn't exactly translate to team periods. The sixth-round […]

Kendrick Bourne Looks Bought In

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne looks bigger and more bought into what the team is doing this offseason. His energy and chemistry with quarterback Mac Jones has also been great this offseason, with Jones hitting Bourne in stride on in-breaking routes for catch-and-run opportunities in practices. There was speculation earlier in the offseason […]

Tyquan Thornton Misses Practice Time With Injury

New England Patriots second-year wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (undisclosed) had one strong practice in the offseason and then sat out the rest of the spring due to an undisclosed soft-tissue injury, according to ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss. Thornton is the only real field-stretcher on the roster, so the team needs him to stay healthy or […]

Bailey Zappe The Clear Backup In New England

With New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones looking much more comfortable running the offense this offseason after last year's disappointment, second-year backup Bailey Zappe was clearly in the backup role during offseason practices. He rarely worked with the starting offensive line. However, Zappe may have the upper hand on Jones with his ability to hit […]

Mac Jones' Command As A Field General Has Improved

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones' confidence running the offense is returning after a disappointing sophomore year in 2022. Patriots.com's Evan Lazar writes that Jones' command as a field general at the line of scrimmage is light years ahead of where it was last year. He's already making pre-snap adjustments to protections and routes with […]

Target Hogs Who Could See Reduced Volume In 2023 Fantasy Football

A target hog is crucial to any fantasy football team whether playing in a standard or PPR league. In PPR, target hogs equal extra points. In standard leagues, they present more opportunities. However, the movement of players and coaches from year to year poses a problem. How can the target hogs from last year be […]

Wide Receiver Risers and Fallers for Fantasy Football - Analyzing Under-the-Radar Signings

NFL free agency has mostly ended, though players will continue to trickle onto new teams as the summer rolls along. The wide receiver position saw some big names on the move this offseason. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Adam Thielen, Odell Beckham Jr., and Allen Lazard all found new homes. But those guys have been discussed plenty already. […]

RotoBaller Staff Early Superflex Mock Draft Review for 2023 Fantasy Football

We are officially less than two months away from preseason football, which, to fantasy football players, means we are just weeks away from draft season. Surely, we will all be keeping up with training camp hype videos and adjusting our rankings accordingly, but the best and most practical way to ensure preparation for fantasy football […]

Kayshon Boutte Might Not Make 53-Man Roster

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte is not a lock to make the team's final 53-man roster, according to The Athletic's Chad Graff. Graff wrote on Tuesday that Boutte was outplayed by sixth-round rookie receiver Demario Douglas in spring practices and could be on the outside looking in when final roster cuts are made […]

Is Mac Jones Or Bailey Zappe The Patriots Week 1 Starter? Fantasy Football Outlook

The New England Patriots were blessed with the greatest quarterback of all time for nearly two decades. Tom Brady was a gift from the football gods for fans in New England for such a long time, but now that he's gone, they don't know how to feel about any of his replacements. The truth of […]

Fact or Fiction? Testing Zero RB Draft Strategy Using "Teams In A Vacuum" Concept

There are basic rules to fantasy football drafting -- “Draft a running back first,” “Don’t draft a quarterback until after the third round,” “Balance your roster,” “Only draft players from your favorite team because those guys are winners,” etc. But what if you are a contrarian? What if you embrace the randomness of fantasy football […]

Jack Jones Arrested On Weapons Charges

New England Patriots second-year cornerback Jack Jones was arrested on Friday after two firearms were found in his travel luggage at Boston's Logan Airport, according to Massachusetts State Police. He will be arraigned next week in East Boston District Court, and his bail was set at $50,000. The 25-year-old was officially charged with two counts […]

Will The Patriots Release Kendrick Bourne? Fantasy Football Outlook

The New England Patriots are in a difficult situation as they prepare for the upcoming 2023 NFL season. The competition within the AFC was tough enough in 2022, and entering 2023, it has only become tougher. Top-echelon teams like the Bills, Chiefs, and Dolphins all got stronger, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, […]

DeAndre Hopkins Meets With Patriots, In No Rush To Sign

Free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins visited with the New England Patriots on Thursday, and barring an unexpected turn, both sides are expected to take some time to assess their next steps, according to a source familiar with the visit. The 31-year-old is in no rush to sign and has considered waiting until closer to training […]

Fantasy Football Veteran RBs Set to Lose Touches in 2023

NFL free agency and the draft have reshaped position groups across the league. One of those groups that has really been shaken up is the running back position. And with those shake-ups comes the inevitable: with new players entering the league and old players changing teams, some guys are going to end up seeing their […]

Ty Montgomery Competing For Backup Role

New England Patriots running back Ty Montgomery, who emerged as a replacement for receiving back James White in the team's backfield last summer, will be competing for a depth role behind Rhamondre Stevenson with Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris this summer. Montgomery missed the final 16 games of his first season in New England […]

Optimism Patriots Can Land DeAndre Hopkins

Free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is planning to visit the New England Patriots on Thursday, and there's optimism the two sides can find a way to reach an agreement, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. It's unclear how much it will take to sign Hopkins, but the Patriots do have around $14.2 […]

Mac Jones Developing Chemistry With Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki

The most encouraging development of minicamp practice on Tuesday was New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones' chemistry with tight ends Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki. Jones completed 10 of 13 passes to Henry and nine of 10 to Gesicki. Jones was connecting with his tight ends on a variety of routes at all three levels, […]

Mac Jones Faring Better In Bill O'Brien's Offense

The early impact that New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien has had on the offense and quarterback Mac Jones in offseason workouts has been noticeable. According to several people close to the situation, O'Brien has been implementing pieces of his system from Alabama more than recycling Patriots playbooks of years past. Jones thrived in […]