New England Patriots: 6 players to watch tonight

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2. Ryan Groy

The Patriots handed the Chicago Bears their fifth-round pick from this spring’s draft, linebacker Matthew Wells, in return for Groy. The move was motivated out of roster competition.

Pretty much immediately after he came to the Patriots, Groy was stirring it up in practice. Here’s Kyed’s account of the event:

"Rookie defensive tackle Malcom Brown and guard Ryan Groy were involved in a fight Saturday morning during Patriots training camp after a play during 11-on-11 drills. Punches were thrown, and Brown’s helmet came off during the altercation. Brown took a lap before leaving the field."

The league office might not be too hot on players fighting in training camp, but I like what I’m seeing out of Groy. The Patriots could use a bully on the offensive line.

It will be interesting to see if Groy carries that aggression onto the playing field tonight. He’ll be matched-up against the same Saints’ defensive linemen he’s been playing against all week.

Now that Jordan Devey is out of town, there’s one less guard in the rotation for Groy to worry about. Don’t be surprised if the former Bear makes the final roster with a good showing in the remaining preseason games and training camp practices.

An interesting side note: Groy is now reunited with his old Wisconsin teammate, James White.

Next: 1. Trey Flowers