{"id":68748,"date":"2019-07-20T16:10:46","date_gmt":"2019-07-20T20:10:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=68748"},"modified":"2021-06-02T20:58:29","modified_gmt":"2021-06-03T00:58:29","slug":"new-england-patriots-undrafted-free-agents-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/07\/20\/new-england-patriots-undrafted-free-agents-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Undrafted Free Agents Who Could Crack New England Patriots Roster"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For 15 seasons now, an undrafted free agent has cracked the <a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/patriots\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New England Patriots<\/a> roster. There\u2019s no reason to believe this season will be any different. Currently, the Patriots have ten undrafted free agents on the team. With training camp around the corner, let\u2019s look at those who have the best shot of making the team.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>New England Patriots Undrafted Free Agents Entering Training Camp<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>Andrew Beck, TE<\/h3>\n<p>Andrew Beck is the obvious choice to make the roster. He was given the highest guaranteed money of any undrafted free agent this season. As a tight end, Beck likely has the easiest path to making the roster as well. While <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WatsBe00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ben Watson<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/L\/LaCoMa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matt LaCosse<\/a><\/strong> are locks, neither of them is a specialized blocker. In this regard, Beck\u2019s biggest competition is <strong>Ryan Izzo<\/strong>. On top of that, Beck took snaps at fullback during OTAs, showing some versatility.<\/p>\n<p>This is unfortunately where the positives end for Beck. His film is uninspiring. There are plays on which he\u2019s knocked onto his back by power rushes. Certainly, the Patriots coaching staff sees something in him. But the Patriots value good players more than position, and Andrew Beck is arguably less talented than many of his peers. Unless he really steps up in training camp, he has not shown yet that he\u2019s ready to play in the NFL.<\/p>\n<h3>Malik Gant, SS<\/h3>\n<p>Malik Gant is a thumper. He has great tackling technique and form, which is something the Patriots value highly. Gant is amazing in the box. He has excellent play recognition:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Malik Gant spots the fake <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Os31oVMBP6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/Os31oVMBP6<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sunny Kapadia (@SunnyKapadia4) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SunnyKapadia4\/status\/1151676207727091713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 18, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>And he is ridiculous against the run:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Malik Gant has so many plays like this <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/RWl8rDR8QF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/RWl8rDR8QF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sunny Kapadia (@SunnyKapadia4) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SunnyKapadia4\/status\/1151676378900770822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 18, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Time after time, he lines up fairly deep and runs in to ultimately stop the play behind the line of scrimmage. He gives the Patriots the option to run a safety blitz.<\/p>\n<p>Gant was a walk-on in 2017 and earned a scholarship in 2018. He plays with a chip on his shoulder, which is something the Patriots channel better than perhaps any team in the league. As the NFL moves towards smaller, faster receiver sets, the Patriots seem to be willing to expand and devote more resources to their secondary.<\/p>\n<p>Some of these factors work against Malik Gant making the roster, however. While it\u2019s good for Gant that the Patriots are expanding their secondary, it also gives him a lot of players to compete against. The Patriots have 12 defensive backs, including two special teamers, who have a high chance of making the team. Three of them play strong safety, the same position as Gant. Gant has a lot of potential for the future. The Patriots may look to develop him into <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/C\/ChunPa99.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Patrick Chung<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s heir if he can improve in coverage. For now, however, it will be difficult for Gant to make the final 53.<\/p>\n<h3>Nick Brossette, RB<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, despite a ton of competition at the position, another running back could actually make this roster, because he has a skill set that this roster still lacks. It\u2019s been a little while since the Patriots sported a real power running back. Not only can Brossette run well between the tackles, but he can also break off for explosive runs while doing so. Take this play against Florida, for example:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Nick Brossette against Florida <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/uOBIzm4DHw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/uOBIzm4DHw<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sunny Kapadia (@SunnyKapadia4) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SunnyKapadia4\/status\/1151676964341780480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 18, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Two plays later, he did one better:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">And only two plays later <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hf9ikXdq6t\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/hf9ikXdq6t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sunny Kapadia (@SunnyKapadia4) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SunnyKapadia4\/status\/1151677096894377985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 18, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>If there was one thing the Patriots struggled with last season, it was red zone efficiency. Brossette shows the ability to drag a whole pile of players into the end zone here:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Nick Brossette carries the pile <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/DSMhuIMBGE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/DSMhuIMBGE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sunny Kapadia (@SunnyKapadia4) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SunnyKapadia4\/status\/1151677296358699009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 18, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In 2018, Brossette was a team captain, running for over 1000 yards, and ranked seventh\u00a0in rushing yards in the SEC, the toughest conference in the FBS. Two of his top three performances were against teams ranked eighth\u00a0in the FBS at the time: Miami and UCF. Brossette has shown he can play well against good competition.<\/p>\n<p>Nick Brossette is, however, unproven. He only started a single season at LSU. He definitely has a lot to learn about playing the position at a high level. The Patriots\u2019 playbook isn\u2019t easy to learn either, especially for someone relatively inexperienced. And he does have a lot of competition to beat out. Still, it will be interesting to see if Brossette can play to his potential on a NFL team.<\/p>\n<h3>Jakobi Meyers, WR<\/h3>\n<p>At this point, Jakobi Meyers seems to be <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/06\/24\/jakobi-meyers-might-be-new-england-patriots-next-great-udfa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">leading the race<\/a> to become this year\u2019s undrafted free agent who makes it onto the Patriots roster. He\u2019s already seen reps with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BradTo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tom Brady<\/a><\/strong>. The Patriots are moving towards bigger receivers. At 6\u20192\u201d 203 lbs, Meyers fits the mold. On top of that, Meyers does a lot of work in the slot. New England should be looking for a second slot option outside of Edelman. Meyers has great hands. He\u2019s also good in contested catch situations.<\/p>\n<p>As with <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/03\/02\/nkeal-harry-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>N\u2019Keal Harry<\/strong><\/a>, Meyers has gotten into a lot of contested-catch situations because he struggles to gain separation. However, unlike Harry, Meyers struggles to gain yards after the catch. Although over 1000 yards receiving on the season is great, Meyers only played against two ranked teams in 2018. Among them, he was a non-factor against Texas A&amp;M. Meyers only picked up 19 yards on the day and more often than not wasn\u2019t the first or even second read.<\/p>\n<p>Meyers has competition all over the roster. While his playstyle may help him carve out a niche role as \u201cbig slot\u201d receiver, it means that essentially every wide receiver is competition for him. <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/07\/16\/braxton-berrios-danny-amendola-new-england-patriots\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Braxton Berrios<\/strong><\/a> seems to be winning the race when it comes to second slot option, and N\u2019Keal Harry and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/H\/HarrMa05.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Maurice Harris<\/a><\/strong> seem to be leading as the bigger options. Not to mention, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/T\/ThomDe03.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Demaryius Thomas<\/a><\/strong> might eventually make the roster as well. Meyers will have to prove he can be just as consistent and reliable in the NFL as he was in college.<\/p>\n<h3>Ryan Davis, WR<\/h3>\n<p>While he may not be the favorite undrafted free agent to make the roster, Ryan Davis might have the highest ceiling of any player on this list. He\u2019s only 5\u20199\u201d and 185 lbs, but size hasn\u2019t stopped a number of Patriots greats, like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/E\/EdelJu00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Julian Edelman<\/a><\/strong>, from making the roster in the past. In fact, until just this offseason, this was the kind of player we <em>expected<\/em> the Patriots to utilize at wide receiver.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan Davis is another player who succeeded in the SEC. He played with Jarrett Stidham at Auburn and has therefore developed chemistry with him already. Davis does well on screens and crossing routes and excels in the \u201cgadget\u201d role that <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/P\/PattCo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cordarrelle Patterson<\/a><\/strong> occupied last season. Davis seems like he might be a better receiver than Patterson, however, if not as good in the open field. Take this athletic catch, for instance:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This catch by Ryan Davis <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UU7e7e7Goo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/UU7e7e7Goo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sunny Kapadia (@SunnyKapadia4) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SunnyKapadia4\/status\/1151675585854418945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 18, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Ryan Davis has shown explosiveness after the catch as well. He has the potential to succeed in space at the NFL level. This play is from 2017 against the number 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ryan Davis TD against number 1 ranked Georgia <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/S55XQ5Dap8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/S55XQ5Dap8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sunny Kapadia (@SunnyKapadia4) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SunnyKapadia4\/status\/1151675810107023360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 18, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>He moved the chains several times against Alabama that season as well. And if beating out college defenses isn\u2019t good enough, Ryan Davis was able to put the moves on a good NFL defensive back in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/F\/FitzMi00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Minkah Fitzpatrick<\/a><\/strong> 1-on-1 in space before the latter had made it to the next level:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"et\" dir=\"ltr\">Ryan Davis 1 on 1 against Minkah Fitzpatrick <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gkMNX3Bfxc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/gkMNX3Bfxc<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sunny Kapadia (@SunnyKapadia4) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SunnyKapadia4\/status\/1151676035802554368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 18, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Davis is yet another option to return punts this season. Because the Patriots have no established punt or kick returner for the season to come, Davis might be able to secure a spot on the roster if he proves himself effective as only a return man.<\/p>\n<p>There is of course enough bad with the good that kept Davis from getting drafted. Granted that he played in a tough conference, Davis\u2019 total yardage was limited at 815 total yards in 2017 and only 558 in 2018. The drop off between the two seasons probably didn\u2019t bode well for his stock either. Davis will need to regain his 2017 form and more if he wants to make the roster. Moreover, his route tree is fairly limited. Even though he can easily line up outside, potentially as the Z receiver, he may be pegged into a slot role due to his size. If so, Braxton Berrios will provide stiff competition. Lastly, the Patriots are moving towards bigger receivers, and those receivers will take up most of the receiver spots not already taken by Edelman or <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/D\/DorsPh00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Phillip Dorsett<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Ryan Davis has a lot of potential, but he will have to live up to all of it if he wants to be this year\u2019s undrafted free agent who makes the Patriots\u2019 roster.<\/p>\n<p>Main photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"0KRjoJ2cSMhJpDEEz4JUPg\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1065052308\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'0KRjoJ2cSMhJpDEEz4JUPg',sig:'dikN7zFEnCsttGDkEPMFN7lYhwsN2YcH0QrNzcKTgcQ=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1065052308',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For 15 seasons, at least one of the Patriots undrafted free agents has cracked the roster. There\u2019s no reason to believe this season will be any different.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3044,"featured_media":68810,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54,5],"tags":[61,38,40],"class_list":["post-68748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorials","category-patriots","tag-football","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-nfl"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3044"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}