Four Patriots Players With Make-or-Break Training Camps Ahead

The New England Patriots have some key position battles to watch for camp.

Jun 10, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (11) walks to the practice fields for minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The period of NFL training camps are always an exciting time around the leaguue. After a long offseason, players finally hit the field once again to prepare for the campaign ahead. The New England Patriots will get back to action officially on July 24th, marking a massive time for some guys on the roster to make notable impressions.

Part of the significance of training camp is to allow teams to shake out who's built to make their final 53-man roster through slimming down of around 90 players. The Patriots have a few notable names on the roster fighting to earn that spot on the depth chart themselves before week one, and these soon-to-come camps could play a big factor in their Foxboro future.

With that, here are five players to keep an eye on as the Patriots begin training camp next week.

---

Jun 10, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe (4) throws a pass at minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Bailey Zappe, QB

Zappe may have finished last season as the starter in New England, but the quarterback room on this squad looks massively different after the motions of the offseason. Drake Maye was ultimately the selection for the Patriots in the first round of this year's draft, Jacoby Brissett has entered the fold as a reliable veteran, and the front office also took a flier on Joe Milton with their day-three draft pick.

That's a tough room to compete with, and it's not often you see teams carry four quarterbacks into a season. New England already made the decision to part ways with one of last year's starting QBs, Mac Jones, and Zappe could be next on the list.

A nice production in training camp could change things. Zappe has an opportunity to land a QB3 role on the depth chart, and the very best-case scenario, win out the job to start week one, though the odds on that outcome are slim.

---

Jul 26, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (11) signs autographs for fans at training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Tyquan Thornton, WR

It's been an up-and-down start to Tyquan Thornton's NFL career during his first two seasons. His first season ended with just nine starts and 247 receiving yards, while his second had even lower numbers with just three starts, 13 catches, and 91 yards.

The disappointing results have been paired with some misfortunate and consistent injury troubles for the 2022 second-round pick, but as we enter his third year in this WR room, the pressure builds surrounding him in and what's next in Foxboro.

New England has an abundance of wide receivers sitting on their depth chart, which could result in some talented pass catchers being on their way out. Thorton has an opportunity to turn the page into becoming a focal point in this wide-open offense, but it all starts with a positive and productive camp.

---

Aug 19, 2023; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (11) pulls down a touchdown reception against New England Patriots cornerback Shaun Wade (26) during their preseason football game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Tork Mason-USA TODAY Sports / USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Shaun Wade, CB

Shawn Wade has stuck as a depth piece at corner for the Patriots since arriving in 2021, yet hadn't secured a significant role in the defense until the start of last season. Nevertheless, the Patriots' secondary surrounding him continues to make some strides forward, making this training camp a significant one for Wade.

Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones will be fully healthy after being ruled out for the year last season, Jonathan Jones will remain a top corner on this defense, Alex Austin showed out with some solid performances towards the end of last year, and you can't forget the Patriots' lone dart throw on the defensive side of the ball in this year's draft with Marcellas Dial Jr.

It's far from impossible for Wade to stake his claim with some staying power in this cornerback room, but there's clear competition ahead of him. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound DB still has some upside he can provide to this Patriots defense, but he'll need to show out in the coming weeks on the practice field to prove that.

---

Dec 24, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; New England Patriots place kicker Chad Ryland (37) and punter Bryce Baringer (17) celebrate the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Chad Ryland, K

It was a rough first season for Chad Ryland last year across the board. He fell at the bottom of the NFL for field goal percentage at a lowly 64.0% and has some competition to face going into this year's training camp as New England opted to bring in veteran Joey Slye.

It's normal for rookies to have a fair share of mistakes in their first year, but there were times during Ryland's nine field goal misses that had fans scratching their heads as to why the Patriots spent a fourth-round pick on him. Still, a standout sophomore year could remain in the cards.

He has a chance to right the ship in training camp and into pre-season, though it won't be a walk in the park with an experienced kicker like Slye in the fold. New England's kicker battle will be among the top stories to watch as the Patriots move through the early motions of the season.

---

Follow New England Patriots On SI over on our Facebook and Twitter/X to stay up to date on all Patriots news and rumors!