The New England Patriots' preseason-opening win over the Carolina Panthers wasn't the greatest showing of football as the third- and fourth-stringers played the majority of the game. However, there are some players who helped their case to make the 53-man roster following the 17-3 victory. Let's take a look at four players who helped their stock on Thursday night.
QB Joe Milton
Entering the Patriots preseason opener, there was a sense that Joe Milton had usurped Bailey Zappe as the No. 3 quarterback on the Patriots' depth chart. He had taken more snaps than Zappe in practice as of late while the veteran quarterback had days where he didn't see the field at all during team reps.
So, it was a bit of a surprise that Zappe saw the field before Milton on Thursday. Zappe played the majority of the first half and the opening moments of the third quarter, but he wasn't spectacular. He completed 12 of 20 passes for 108 yards, only leading the Patriots to seven points in his extended action.
That left the door ajar for Milton to further cement himself as the No. 3 quarterback on the Patriots' depth chart. He did just that.
Milton completed four of his six passes for 54 yards on Thursday. He led the Patriots to two scoring drives in the two possessions (excluding the end of the game kneel downs) he played in. One of those scoring drives was a touchdown pass from Milton. He threw a dart to JaQuae Jackson for a 38-yard touchdown.
That might not have been the play of the night for Milton, either. Late in the third quarter, Milton turned a dead play into a 12-yard gain by buying time and baiting the defense with his legs.
Sure, running around in the backfield like that might be ill-advised when you're not playing third- and fourth-strings. But it shows the upside that Milton can bring as a third-string quarterback. You're often not going to get a guy who can do a whole lot talent-wise with your third-string quarterback. So, Milton's ability to improvise seems to give him an edge over Zappe in the battle for the third-string quarterback role.
WR Kayshon Boutte
The top of the Patriots' depth chart at wide receiver is likely settled, with Ja'Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, DeMario Douglas, and Kendrick Bourne each likely to have the largest roles among the group.
But there are still some decisions to be made about the depth pieces at the position. If Thursday's game has a role in those decisions, Kayshon Boutte might have the pole position to get the fifth wide receiver spot on the roster.
Boutte was the Patriots' best receiver against the Panthers, recording on three receptions on six targets for 53 yards. His most impressive reception was an outstretched grab on a high pass from Zappe that went for a 28-yard gain and set the Patriots up for their first touchdown of the game.
That reception shows some of the potential that Boutte has and why some thought he could've been a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft when he entered his final season at LSU. It's probably unfair to have those expectations of Boutte now, but he showed he might be worthy of a roster spot on Thursday.
DL Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and LB Christian Elliss
The Patriots' front seven took advantage of going up against the Panthers' backups on Thursday. Jeremiah Pharms and Christian Elliss did the most damage in that group.
Pharms recorded a sack and drew a holding building as one of the Patriots' top interior rushers on Thursday. He finished with four total tackles.
Meanwhile, Elliss had a big eight-yard sack late in the first half and made a pair of strong downfield tackles. The linebacker had five total tackles on Thursday.
While Pharms and Elliss aren't household names, the Patriots might need their depth in the front seven to show up this season considering the situations with Christian Barmore and Matthew Judon. So, Thursday was a positive development in that regard.
Follow Us
Subscribe