Five players to watch as the Patriots prepare to take on the New York Giants in their final preseason game tonight:
Dan Koppen, C: Koppen could be in a fight for his roster life. He seemingly is in a neck-and-neck race for a starting spot on the interior line with Dan Connolly, Donald Thomas, Nick McDonald, and Ryan Wendell. Connolly will likely start at either center or right guard, depending on who wins the other starting spot. Right now, I'd say Koppen has performed the best of the four competing for starting spots, followed by Donald Thomas, Ryan Wendell, and Nick McDonald. Koppen, however, has the least positional versatility of those four. If he can't win a starting spot, he could be on the chopping block.
Jeff Demps, RB: In just seven snaps against the Bucs, Jeff Demps managed to make quite a first impression. Regardless of how much Patriots starters play tonight, Demps should be ready for a serious increase in snaps. That in itself, is something worth watching.
Sebastian Vollmer, RT: I'm not exactly sure if Vollmer will make his preseason debut tonight, but it looks like a pretty likely option. No matter the case, the Patriots will need Vollmer to return to form by the start of the regular season. His replacement, Marcus Cannon, has struggled in his spot. If he does indeed play, I will be very intrigued to see where Vollmer's progress is at.
Two more players to watch on offense after the jump!
Ryan Mallett, QB: I was really pleasantly surprised by Mallett's performance against the Buccaneers last week. For the first time all preseason, he really looked comfortable, and didn't look like he was overthinking each play / throw. I'm looking forward to seeing whether or not Mallett can improve off of that performance, as he should get extended playing time once again tonight.
Jeremy Ebert, WR: Donte Stallworth? Cut. Jabar Gaffney? Cut. Chad Johnson? Cut. Anthony Gonzalez? Cut. Assuming the Patriots keep Deion Branch, they'll only have four "true" receivers heading into the regular season, as the roster currently stands. Could there be room for a fifth? Probably not, but if anyone is going to have a shot, it could be Ebert (even more of an outside chance for Holley). He's shown some flashes this preseason, but tonight could be his chance to put it all together.