Patriots training camp preview: Bold predictions, breakout players and cut candidates to watch out for

It s time for football The Patriots return to the field Wednesday for their first training camp practice of the Mike Vrabel era Having overturned almost their entire coaching staff and greater part of their roster there is much to be learned But why wait Enjoy a long look-ahead and specific bold predictions for one of the bulk exciting Patriots training camps in modern memory Related Articles Mike Vrabel provides good news on Patriots key injured players Patriots leader reveals more details of throwing session with Drake Maye Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams returns after clinical scare Patriots WR Stefon Diggs ACL tear reportedly cleared for training camp Patriots mailbag The greater part under-the-radar sportsman to watch in training camp Top position battle Left guard The Patriots need to figure out who s going to play the majority of snaps at wide receiver and rookie Jared Wilson could push veteran Garrett Bradbury for the top center job but left guard still seems entirely unsettled We saw Cole Strange and Wes Schweitzer take top reps at left guard during the spring then Schweitzer retired Little-known veteran Tyrese Robinson also saw chosen top snaps at left guard and could be among the top competitors with Strange for the role Beyond Strange and Robinson Wilson Ben Brown Layden Robinson Sidy Sow Caedan Wallace and undrafted free agent Jack Conley also could be in the mix to play next to first-round pick left tackle Will Campbell It would be nice for the Patriots to figure out this position speedily in the summer They let their offensive line competition linger for too long last season under Jerod Mayo Kyed Wide receiver Getting Stefon Diggs back healthy was a great first step Now he requirements a running mate Wide receiver Stefon Diggs of the New England Patriots stretches during a June session in Foxboro Photo By Matt Stone Boston Herald The Patriots do not have an established No receiver even though DeMario Douglas led the organization in receiving yards as a rookie and catches last season Douglas figures to find a nice home in the slot playing within a Josh McDaniels offense that has historically featured that position But does he have the requisite feel and route-running skills to stick playing for a stickler coach like McDaniels If not Douglas third-round rookie Kyle Williams offers game-breaking speed on the outside while Kendrick Bourne and Mack Hollins provide solid yet unspectacular options for Drake Maye Will Kayshon Boutte follow that same path as a future No receiver or level up Then there s draft picks Ja Lynn Polk and Javon Baker who disappointed as rookies Can they bounce back It s time to find out Callahan Breakout athlete OLB K Lavon Chaisson A first-round pick who busted out recording four sacks in as a multitude of seasons playing for Jacksonville Chaisson enjoyed a one-year renaissance last year in Las Vegas He tallied four sacks in his last six games for the Raiders flashing the talent that made him a once highly touted prospect Since then Chaisson took a sparse reps with the top defense during OTAs Expect to see a lot more production from him this summer and this season Callahan LB Christian Elliss It was a bit of a surprise to see the Patriots match the Raiders two-year million offer sheet for Elliss to keep him around as a restricted free agent Elliss won t just be playing special teams on that contract Expect him to compete for the starting linebacker job next to Robert Spillane Elliss feels like he s a great fit in Vrabel and Terrell Williams defense They must feel the same Kyed Best storyline Return to order under Vrabel No was not particular fever dream for Patriots fans The Patriots really fired Bill Belichick and promoted Mayo to head coach only to fire him after games and a - record It s a year a multitude of Patriots fans would like to forget and the hiring of Vrabel should make that easier Vrabel knows how to be a head coach and everything that comes along with it from organizing practice keeping players under control and even handling the media It would have been intricate for the Patriots to drum up interest in the club this season if Mayo was still head coach With Vrabel on board there s a much bigger sense of excitement around Foxboro Kyed McDaniels-Maye partnership There s a circumstance to be made Josh McDaniels has never worked with a quarterback as talented as Drake Maye He s got a cannon for an arm can scramble execute designed runs and create big passing plays out of structure So how do they mesh And what does the Patriots offense look like with theoretically every type of play and concept available to them Quarterback Drake Maye talks with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels during an OTA session at Gillette Stadium Nancy Lane Boston Herald So far McDaniels has stressed playing on time and taking the first open receiver For a athlete who has spent much of the past two seasons extending plays to compensate for a lackluster supporting cast even at the vulnerability of turnovers or sacks Maye could need time to kick the habit But if McDaniels can instill the same discipline that made Tom Brady great and maximized Mac Jones talents as a rookie in Maye should soar like we all expect him to in Year Callahan Biggest weakness Offensive line Another year and it s the same old story Despite pushing for the best available free agents the Patriots settled for -year-old Morgan Moses who seems to be doubling as a culture-setter in addition to their new starting right tackle Two spots down they inked a new center Garrett Bradbury who got cut in Minnesota after ranking among the worst pass-protectors at his position last season per Pro Football Focus And then there s rookie left tackle Will Campbell who faces a steep climb to excellence let alone replacement-level play given the history of rookie offensive linemen in the NFL is basically a portrait of struggle So as much as they tried to fix their worst position now three years running the Pats still have plenty of question marks And if this season sinks like the last minimal before it the offensive line will be the answer why Callahan Wide receiver The wide receiver position at least looks better this season for the Patriots after signing Diggs and Hollins but there s so much still unknown about the position Diggs is and coming off of an ACL tear Douglas didn t progress as expected last season Bourne s return from his own ACL surgery was rocky Boutte has been the subject of contract rumors Kyle Williams and Efton Chism are rookies Hollins has never been a consistent starter and Ja Lynn Polk and Javon Baker aren t even guaranteed to make the roster Kyed Best rookie LT Will Campbell Don t expect perfection from Campbell but the unit has at least shown the belief that the LSU product can hold down the fort at left tackle Throughout the spring no other athlete was spotted seeing first-team reps at left tackle Campbell is expected to be the Week starter And it s certainly achievable that Campbell will have selected growing pains But no other rookie is expected to play as heavily as Campbell and he should be a sizable improvement from who the Patriots were trotting out at left tackle in Kyed RB TreVeyon Henderson Mark it down Much like Rhamondre Stevenson proved to be the Patriots best back as a rookie in when he eventually supplanted then starter Damien Harris Henderson should do the same to him Back then Stevenson was more explosive than Harris and a better pass-catcher which Henderson should be in time this year Not to mention he s already regarded as an excellent pass protector the toughest skill for rookie backs to master in the NFL He s got the talent All Henderson requirements is time Callahan Surprise cut candidate OLB Anfernee Jennings Jennings started all games he played for the Patriots last season and of the year before But if we ve learned anything so far in the Vrabel era it s that current Patriots are not promised a future in his regime Considering Jennings was relegated to scout-team work for parts of the spring and is less of a scheme fit than his position mates the thinking here is he finds a new unit in Callahan WR Ja Lynn Polk Nearly anyone who wasn t drafted or given a contract this offseason could make this list but Polk a second-round pick certainly qualifies New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk takes part in drills during NFL football practice Friday Oct in Harrow England AP Photo Steve Luciano Wide receiver is a weak spot for the Patriots but there s a numbers issue here if it s assumed that Diggs Douglas Hollins and Williams will be on the club in Week If that s the circumstance then there are only two or three spots for Polk Baker Chism Bourne Boutte and others Polk has to come out strong in training camp to earn a spot on the -man roster Kyed Related Articles Mike Vrabel provides good news on Patriots key injured players Patriots leader reveals more details of throwing session with Drake Maye Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams returns after therapeutic scare Patriots WR Stefon Diggs ACL tear reportedly cleared for training camp Patriots mailbag The majority under-the-radar player to watch in training camp Bold prediction Drake Maye legitimately makes the Pro Bowl Maye was a Pro Bowler last season but only because so multiple quarterbacks dropped out This year he s one of the top three vote-getters This wouldn t be so bold if he was playing the NFC where the competition is a lot lighter In the AFC he s competing with Josh Allen Lamar Jackson Joe Burrow C J Stroud Bo Nix Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert But if Maye can improve his accuracy forge a connection with Diggs and continue to produce at a high rate with his rushing ability then voters will have no choice but to honor the second-year pro Kyed Stefon Diggs pops for a -yard season The ACL tear All but fixed The chemistry with Maye Coming soon So with games ahead of him and minimal competition from his fellow receivers Diggs should inhale targets this season He may not return to Pro Bowl-caliber play but Diggs will certainly be the Patriots top target and their first -yard receiver since Callahan