Before the end of the 2025 season, it didn't appear as though there would be many players on the Patriots' roster who would be in the hot seat for their starting positions in the spring. Although a handful needed to improve their performance, they weren't at risk of losing their role on the team.
That remains the case, for the most part, with the current roster, with perhaps the exception of one special teamer who has been one of the most reliable pieces on the team since he was drafted in 2023.
Unfortunately, he wasn't as consistent last season, and it became a real problem down the stretch when the Patriots were matched up against their toughest opponents on the road to the Super Bowl, and that likely explains the team's decision to have another punter in for a tryout on Tuesday.
Special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer revealed that former Arkansas punter Devin Bale would be present for minicamp for a tryout, officially putting Bryce Baringer on notice for the upcoming season.
The Patriots are hosting Arkansas UDFA P Devin Bale for a tryout today.
— Jack Aylmer (@Jack_Aylmer) June 9, 2026
Punted 34 times for 1,552 yards in ‘25. Recorded a long of 62 yards, averaged 45.6 yards per punt, and placed 13 punts inside the 20 last season. Also had 66 kickoffs for 4,152 yards and 47 touchbacks. pic.twitter.com/imC7gUlEhd
It would be fair to assume that the Patriots' coaching staff isn't overly thrilled with how Baringer performed in the latter half of last season, and Bale is there to either compete for the starting role or, at the very least, apply pressure to Baringer to step up his game.
Bryce Baringer gets a sign that his position on the Patriots' roster is far from safe
Because special teams is one of the most important units in all of football, it's crucial for the Patriots to have a reliable punter to put their defense in a good position on game day rather than set them up for trouble.
That was a problem with Baringer last season, a shocking development since he had been mostly stellar in his first few seasons.
Now that this team looks like it could compete for a Super Bowl again this fall, it is prioritizing improvements in some of its weakest areas, with the punter looking like one of them. Maybe bringing in an undrafted free agent isn't an instant problem solver, but it could help motivate Baringer to regain his confidence and perform better as soon as possible.
It could also lead them to a potentially talented punter who could replace Baringer if need be; we won't really know until we hear more about Bale's tryout or if he is signed to the team.
Regardless, the Patriots are sending a clear message with this move that Baringer can't afford to ignore, or he might be playing elsewhere in the 2026 season.
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