New England Patriots preseason Week 1: Stock up, stock down
The first game of the New England Patriots 2015 preseason is in the books. Now, let’s see how some Patriots players’ stock fluctuated.
Up: DE Trey Flowers
In the first quarter, Flowers made his presence known, making an impressive sack on Aaron Rodgers. Before that, the promising rookie did a great job setting the edge on a running play, with culminated in no gain for the Packers on the play. The Arkansas product did go down with an injury, however, so stay tuned.
Down: WR Josh Boyce
I counted five instances in which Jimmy Garoppolo wasn’t able to connect with Boyce. Once Boyce was replaced by undrafted rookie Chris Harper, Garoppolo went on a completions streak. Coincidence? I think not. A few of those incompletions were Jimmy G’s fault, but Boyce flat-out dropped two passes and just wasn’t competing as well as the Patriots want.
Up: CB Malcolm Butler
Before being rested, Butler had an outstanding outing. He made an impressive pass break-up while suffocating Davante Adams in the end zone. If you had to choose a No. 1 corner for the Patriots right now, Butler would be the guy.
Down: CB Logan Ryan
The Patriots’ other returning corner wasn’t nearly as impressive. Ryan was toasted on a 26-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, and it wasn’t even close. The longest-tenured cornerback on the Patriots’ roster is far from the most trustworthy.
Up: RB Jonas Gray
Gray’s big touchdown run indicated that he lost a few pounds over the offseason and added some speed. He didn’t slow down whatsoever until he crossed the goal line.
Down: G Jordan Devey
Devey’s stock goes down because he committed a holding call and was involved in snaps that ended in Jimmy G getting sacked. It’d be surprising to see him on the final 53-man roster.
Up: RB James White
White looked every bit the part of the pass-receiving running back, nabbing four passes for 52 yards in the first three quarters. He looked slippery in the open fielding, shaking would-be tacklers on several occasions.