Belichick Reveals Patriots' Plan vs. Texans?

Bill Belichick played up to his trademark coy tendencies when asked about the New England Patriots' starters taking the field on Thursday night.

The more things change in the realm of the New England Patriots, the more they stay the same.

Set to embark upon the 24th season adorning Foxborough's top headset, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is keeping his cards even closer to the chest. Even the preseason isn't safe from Belichickian secrecy, which continues to reign as the team embarks on a summer trio against the Houston Texans on Thursday night (7 p.m. ET, WBZ). 

"Yeah, I don't know," Belichick said, per WBZ, when asked about starters, namely primary quarterback Mac Jones, facing the Texans. Even in his eternally stoic demeanor, however, Belichick let loose a subtle hint of the potential road ahead.

"We're still working on (the depth chart)," he added. "But the players who are least experienced will get the most playing time, I can tell you that."

Belichick's words hint at a plethora of playing time for the Patriots' rookie class, which includes a dozen draft picks, including the nine chosen on the third and final day of last spring's selections, many of whom face an uphill battle in terms of making the roster. Others, such as early selections Christian Gonzalez and Marte Mapu, could be making the case to earn starting snaps. 

Behind Jones is second-year man Bailey Zappe, who made two starts as a rookie. New England also added fifth-year veteran Trace McSorley from the Arizona Cardinals.

Resting starters entirely during the preseason, leaving the relative dirty work to joint practices, has become a growing trend in the modern NFL. But if the preseason still has a purpose, it's made for teams like the Patriots, who are searching for a sense of offensive identity and consistency, especially after Jones' tumultuous winter and spring. New England is also looking for places where their plethora of picks can make an impact either in the short or long term.

Does Belichick's coyness extend to potential hybrid Malik Cunningham, who has taken snaps under New England center? Old habits die hard, of course, and Belichick reverted to full secrecy when asked about the most expensive undrafted free agent in franchise history

"Yeah, we'll see," Belichick said of Cunningham's potential entry into the passing box score. "We'll see how it looks in practice, maybe we'll use it some in the game. I don't know."

Thursday's visitors from Houston have already announced that C.J. Stroud, the second overall pick from last spring's draft, will start under center.

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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