Patriots Rumors: Malcolm Mitchell expected to be OTA participant
According to recent New England Patriots rumors, wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell should be able to participate in the upcoming OTA’s.
With the NFL Draft now behind us, New England Patriots rumors have been quiet in recent days. However, with organized team activities beginning soon, there are some Patriots rumors that are popping up.
With the roster pretty much set for now, there aren’t many rumors about new players coming abord. Instead, some of the rumors involve players that are already on the team and could be squeezed off the roster.
Last week it was revealed that running back Mike Gillislee will be fighting for a roster spot. The Patriots added running back Sony Michel in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, putting pressure on Gillislee.
While Gillislee’s roster spot is in jeopardy, one player who is expected to be safe is Malcolm Mitchell. However, Mitchell needs to prove that he is healthy. If recent Patriots rumors are to be believed, Mitchell is on the right track.
According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic Boston, Mitchell is expected to be on the field with the team in a few weeks when the Patriots OTA’s begin.
At this point, Malcolm Mitchell is expected to be on the field when the Patriots begin OTAs in a couple weeks. Missed the entire offseason program last year before obviously going down in training camp, then the preseason and losing all of 2017.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) May 11, 2018
This is a big step for Mitchell, who did not play at all during the 2017 season. Mitchell suffered a knee injury which forced him to miss all the offseason activities and training camp. There was hope that he could return later in the season, but that never materialized.
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Mitchell had a solid rookie season in 2016 and New England had high hopes for him in 2017. The former fourth-round pick caught 32 passes for 401 yards in his rookie season, adding four touchdowns as well.
Given his size, as he is listed at 6’1″, Mitchell would have brought something to the table that New England’s receiving corps is lacking. Last season, three of the Patriots three leading receivers at wide receiver stood under 6-feet tall. Chris Hogan was the only player that was over 6-feet, being listed at 6’1″.
This season, New England has more size at the position. Veterans Kenny Britt and Jordan Matthews are both on the roster. Cordarrelle Patterson was also acquired via trade, but his biggest impact is expected to come on special teams.
Getting Mitchell back into the fold this season will be nice, but he will have a long road ahead to carve out a role. Julian Edelman and Hogan are locked in as the starting receivers. Tight end Rob Gronkowski will also receive plenty of work.
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Mitchell will be competing with Phillip Dorsett, Britt, Matthews and Patterson for playing time in three and four-receiver sets. The Patriots are hoping that he shows some of the same potential that he showed during his rookie season in 2016 and that he can put his knee injury behind him.