The New England Patriots are coming off of their sixth Super Bowl title, and now, they will engage in something that generally means less to them than any other team in the NFL: preseason.
The Patriots will kick off their preseason against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night as they begin their quest to win their third championship in four years, and while these exhibition games typically mean nothing to New England, this is one year where they actually may be somewhat important.
The Pats have undergone somewhat of a makeover this offseason, particularly on offense, so it will be important for them to kind of get into a groove heading into the regular season.
So, here are three players to watch for the Patriots in their first preseason contest:
3. Damien Harris
Sony Michel may be the lead running back for New England, and he may have had a spectacular playoff run in which he scored six touchdowns this past season, but his job is not entirely safe.
The Patriots really seem to love rookie running back Damien Harris, whom they drafted in the third round back in April, and with Michel on the physically unable to perform list due to a knee issue, this may be Harris' time to shine.
New England's backfield is pretty crowded, as it includes James White and Rex Burkhead in addition to Michel, but Harris should be able to carve out a role for himself this year, and this first preseason game could be the start of something big for the first-year back.
Keep an eye on how Bill Belichick utilizes him on Thursday evening.
2. Matt LaCosse
The Pats lost Rob Gronkowski to retirement this offseason, which is a gigantic loss for their offense. They signed Ben Watson to try and mitigate the loss, but Watson was then suspended for the first four games of the regular season.
So, that doesn't leave the Patriots with many options, and it seems like Matt LaCosse is currently leading the pack.
LaCosse has been in the league since 2015 and has logged just 27 catches total between the New York Giants and Denver Broncos. Most of that production came this past year, when he caught 24 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown.
We have seen New England turn no-names into productive members of its system before, so maybe the Pats can do that once again with LaCosse, but he certainly has some big shoes to fill and will likely have to have an impressive preseason to nail down the No. 1 tight end role.
1. N'Keal Harry
For the first time since 1996, the Patriots used a first-round pick on a wide receiver this year, taking Arizona State's N'Keal Harry.
New England's receiving corps experienced a mass exodus this offseason, as not only did Gronkowski call it quits, but Cordarrelle Patterson and Chris Hogan both departed via free agency, and Josh Gordon is indefinitely suspended.
Basically, the Patriots had to draft a wide receiver, so they took Harry at the back end of the first round, and it was a good pick. Harry was very productive in college and is a very talented wide out, so he could be in for a special rookie campaign.
Of course, he has to win the trust of Tom Brady and Belichick first.
Brady likely won't play in the preseason opener, but don't think for a second that he won't be watching Harry like a hawk.
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