Competition is heating up for roster spots in joint practices in Tennessee.
The New England Patriots and Titans will meet on Saturday for the second preseason game. While for fans this game might seem meaningless, it certainly means something for players who want to stay employed.
Here are the players to watch in Week 2 of the preseason.
Braxton Berrios
Jakobi Meyers has outplayed the University of Miami alum when it comes to reps at wide receiver. One option is for Berrios to carve out a niche elsewhere.
That elsewhere is on Special Teams. The second-year receiver showcased speed and nifty moves taking punt returns against the Detroit Lions last week. The punts were fielded cleanly and watching the game, you were never really concerned about whether he was going to muff the ball.
At 33, it would be preferable for Julian Edelman to retire from returning punts all together to increase his longevity. If Berrios can stay consistent with his performance returning the ball, this could be the saving grace for him to stay with the team beyond August.
Keep your eyes glued to the television for Berrios on returns Patriots fans.
The Punter Battle
Ironically, the second thing to watch is the battle between punters Jake Bailey and Ryan Allen.
Allen received the bulk of the work against the Lions and if you are a veteran taking a lot of reps in the first preseason game, that is not a good sign.
Bailey is winning the battle here because of his versatility on kickoffs as well as his less expensive contract.
If Allen wants to prove he is worth the $1,500,000 the team is paying for him, then he needs to have a rock solid camp from here on in.
Watch who takes the bulk of the reps here Patriots fans. Whoever is out there longer, is losing the battle.
The Tight Ends
When it comes to tight ends, the Patriots have been throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.
It seemed Matt LaCosse was their guy when it came to the last preseason game. Unfortunately for him, he suffered a sprained ankle and has not practiced since.
The team picked up Lance Kendricks, but he has been on and off the field and has donned a red non-contact jersey. Benjamin Watson took reps but is suspended the first four games.
Hoyer and Stidham will likely be throwing to sophomore tight end Ryan Izzo, Stephen Anderson, Andrew Beck and recently acquired tight end Eric Saubert. Truly the creme of the crop.
Regardless, it will be interesting to see who the team puts out there as all of these men will be fighting to stay on the roster. At least until Watson’s suspension is up.
Isaiah Wynn
The former first round selection is getting healthier and it shows.
As practices have gone on, the Georgia alum has taken more reps at the left tackle spot on the first team over Dan Skipper.
It will be interesting to see if Wynn will get any reps against the Titans as it is definitely necessary to shake the cob webs off. After all, he has not played a snap of real football since last year’s preseason so it will definitely be a great sign to see if he takes the field for at least a drive.
Jonathan Jones
Jonathan Jones showcased fantastic slot corner work last season, but at practices this week he has been playing a different position.
The Auburn alum has been fielding kickoffs. In case you missed his combine a couple of seasons ago, he is fast. Really fast.
Jones ran his first 40-yard dash in a blistering 4.28 seconds and his second at 4.33 seconds. His second and official time was good enough for one of the fastest times overall among prospects in 2016.
Which makes it even more exciting to hear that the team has been having him back deep for returns.
It will be intriguing to see who is out there in general as Brandon Bolden, Berrios, Gunner Olszewski, and Meyers have all taken their turns back deep.
