{"id":1229,"date":"2026-05-26T09:04:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T09:04:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1229"},"modified":"2026-05-26T09:04:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T09:04:25","slug":"here-are-four-positional-battles-worth-watching-as-the-patriots-begin-organized-team-activities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1229","title":{"rendered":"Here are four positional battles worth watching as the Patriots begin organized team activities"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<div>\n<p><span>On Wednesday, the Patriots will hold their first practice of organized team activities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1227\">Globe Top 20 girls\u2019 lacrosse poll: No. 1 has a new challenge in Division 1<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>Here are some positional battles to keep an eye on this spring . . . <\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<h3>Third running back<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><span>Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson will again lead the backfield, but the third spot in the rotation is up for grabs after the Patriots released Antonio Gibson. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The players to watch are Terrell Jennings, Lan Larison, seventh-round pick Jam Miller, and undrafted rookie Myles Montgomery. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Jennings stepped up in Gibson\u2019s absence at points last season, finishing with 23 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown, but the Patriots still relied largely on Stevenson and Henderson. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Larison, who spent his rookie season on injured reserve with a broken foot, is an intriguing candidate for his ability to contribute in the passing game. As a senior at UC Davis in 2024, Larison caught 62 passes for 847 yards and six touchdowns. Earlier in his college career, he also served as the primary kickoff returner, a role that would further bolster his case to make New England\u2019s 53-man roster. <\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><span>Get Starting Point<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span>A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><label>Enter Email<\/label><\/p>\n<div><button>Sign Up<\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Miller and Montgomery appear to be legitimate contenders to round out the running back group. Miller participated in all four units on special teams by the end of his freshman year at Alabama. Montgomery, meanwhile, has $272,500 in guaranteed money in his contract, the most among undrafted rookies in franchise history. <\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<h3>Linebacker <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Robert Spillane did not miss a snap in 12 games across the regular season and playoffs, establishing himself as a defensive leader. So, who will start alongside him? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Christian Elliss is the favorite as the lone returning player, as the Patriots let Jack Gibbens walk and released Jahlani Tavai, and traded Marte Mapu. But Elliss occasionally struggled to hold his ground last season, even getting benched for Gibbens in certain games. Perhaps newly signed K.J. Britt or sixth-round pick Namdi Obiazor can push him for the starting job. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Britt, who signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract, has primarily played special teams during his five-year NFL career. As a member of Buccaneers in 2024, he started 11 games and played a career-high 54.9 percent of the defense\u2019s snaps, recording 72 tackles. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1225\">Monday\u2019s MIAA tournament roundup: Gia Papa powers Dighton-Rehoboth girls\u2019 lacrosse to Division 3 win<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI\u2019m a football player,\u201d Britt said. \u201cI might not be the fastest, I might not be the strongest, but when it comes down to playing football, I can play football.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<h3>Wide receiver <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>As of now, the room will feature Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas, and Efton Chism. If the Patriots trade for A.J. Brown after June 1, however, it seems unlikely that all seven will make the 53-man roster. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Douglas and Chism could be battling for the final spot. Douglas, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, played just 26.3 percent of the offense\u2019s snaps last season. He finished with 31 receptions for 447 yards and three touchdowns. Perhaps the departure of Stefon Diggs opens up more opportunities for him in the slot. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Chism\u2019s offensive role was minimal, with just three receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. His value could come as a kickoff returner. Between Chism and Larison, that role could end up providing the edge for someone on the bubble. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If Boutte is included in the package for Brown, then it\u2019s much more feasible for the Patriots to keep both Douglas and Chism. Boutte, who is also entering the final year of his rookie deal, has been absent from the team\u2019s voluntary workouts thus far. <\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<h3>Swing tackle <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>The Patriots seem to have their starting offensive line set, with Morgan Moses at right tackle, Mike Onwenu at right guard, Jared Wilson at center, Alijah Vera-Tucker at left guard, and Will Campbell at left tackle. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Ben Brown is the next man up on the interior, so what about at tackle? After letting Vederian Lowe and Thayer Munford walk, the Patriots will not only have a new face there but also at jumbo tight end. First-round pick Caleb Lomu should be the top option, with Marcus Bryant, Dametrious Crownover, and James Hudson also in the mix. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>During rookie minicamp, Lomu lined up on the left side, where he spent most of his college career. It will be worth watching how he splits his time during OTAs. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1223\">MIAA girls\u2019 lacrosse tournament: Favorites, sleepers, and players to watch for Divisions 1-4<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Robert Spillane did not miss a snap in 12 games across the regular season and playoffs, establishing himself as a defensive leader. So, who will start alongside him at linebacker? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1228,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Here are four positional battles worth watching as the Patriots begin organized team activities - Boston Relocation Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=1229\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Here are four positional battles worth watching as the Patriots begin organized team activities - Boston Relocation Insider\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Robert Spillane did not miss a snap in 12 games across the regular season and playoffs, establishing himself as a defensive leader. 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