New England Patriots final depth chart prediction, pre-training camp
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
K: Stephen Gostkowski
P: Ryan Allen
LS: Joe Cardona
ST: Matthew Slater
Let’s start with Gostkowski, who is now the highest-scoring player in Patriots history. Adam Vinatieri may be the most clutch kicker in Patriots history, but Gostkowski is the most accurate and decorated.
This past season, Gostkowski became the first player in NFL history to lead the league in scoring for three consecutive years. If you’re beginning to think about fantasy football right now, you should think about drafting Gost as your kicker.
As for Allen, the Patriots just recently extended him for another three years. He averaged in the top ten for punt yardage this past season, and he is one of the more athletic punters in the NFL. If it’s a bad snap, no worries; Ryan will catch it and get the punt off quickly.
Cardona was recently the subject of our kick-off countdown series, and we have high hopes for him in 2015. His snaps are incredibly fast, which should improve the Patriots’ field position game noticeably. The quicker the ball is in Ryan’s hands, the quicker the coverage team will be able to stymie the return.
Lastly, there’s Slater, a Patriot if there ever was one. Don’t expect him to relinquish his role as the Patriots’ premier special teams talent anytime soon.