Last Thursday, the New England Patriots' coaching staff returned to Gillette Stadium to start its preparation for the team's 2017 training camp. Four days later, on Monday, the first players arrived at the facility to report to camp: The team's rookie class, its quarterbacks and players who are coming off an injury were scheduled to go through general check in and medical examinations that day.
After a day off on Tuesday, the next wave of players is set to arrive in Foxboro: Later today, New England's veterans will finally report to training camp. For the team’s offseason acquisitions this means that they will get another taste – after OTAs and minicamp – of life with the reigning Super Bowl champions.
The veteran offseason acquisitions set to enter their first camp in New England are as follows:
RB Mike Gillislee
RB Rex Burkhead
WR Brandin Cooks
TE Dwayne Allen
TE James O’Shaughnessy
OC James Ferentz
DT Lawrence Guy
DE Kony Ealy
LB David Harris
CB Stephon Gilmore
With the exception of O’Shaugnessy and Ferentz, all players listed above can be considered locks to make the roster. Consequently, they are projected to see plenty of reps with the first-string teams on offense and defense – in particular Gillislee, Cooks and Gilmore, who are all three penciled in as starters at their respective positions entering camp.
The offseason acquisitions are not the only veterans on the team to enter their first training camp with the Patriots this year. 2016’s mid-season acquisitions have also not been part of the team’s camp last summer:
FB Glenn Gronkowski
TE Matt Lengel
OG Jamil Douglas
DT Darius Kilgo
LB Kyle Van Noy
LB Trevor Bates
CB Eric Rowe
While most of these players find themselves of the roster bubble heading into camp, Van Noy and Rowe are projected to play integral roles on defense this upcoming season. After all, that is what they did in 2016 and judged by their first few games in New England, they are candidates to make a second-year jump and become even bigger contributors this season.