The Patriots began training camp this week with some interesting roster decisions to be made, which will inevitably dictate how their season unfolds. The most damning choices appear to be for the offense, as 12 wide receivers are currently signed and a handful of rookies have already impressed at other positions this spring.
That creates an even more intriguing scenario for Mike Vrabel and the new regime to encounter, with some players potentially stealing a roster spot from those who might have otherwise been locks before this year's free agency and draft.
It's a problem that they haven't had the fortune of dealing with for many years, especially since Tom Brady left five years ago. The fact that they will actually have competition on offense means they have a lot of talent to sift through, even if that means some good players will have to fall through the cracks.
There are a handful of players who could force veterans out of a job this year, with these four just being the most notable based on their OTA and minicamp performances.
The Patriots have a few sneaky candidates to steal a spot on the 2025 roster during training camp
FB Brock Lampe
There might not be a competition at fullback on the current roster, but that means UDFA Brock Lampe has a clear path to carve out a role for himself in an offense that has historically utilized the position under Josh McDaniels. Given that there will be an emphasis on the backfield and the offensive line, Lampe could be utilized more extensively in New England than in years past, especially since his position supports both crucial areas.
On top of that, his college production, although incredibly limited, shows he could be a secret weapon for Maye to use in short down situations or even at the goal line, something McDaniels has traditionally loved to use with fullbacks, as seen with James Develin and Jakob Johnson.
So, although he might not dominate the stat sheet, he could be incredibly useful for what the Patriots are hoping to accomplish with their offense in 2025 and beyond, making it easy to predict Lampe stealing a spot on the roster this year.
RB Lan Larison
Among the most discussed players of OTAs was UDFA running back Lan Larison. He quickly became a favorite to make the 2025 roster, with the potential of booting veteran Antonio Gibson down the depth chart or off the team entirely.
That remains a possibility, given that training camp is looming and Vrabel's clear intention is to weaponize the offense to the best of his ability. If Larison can build upon what he showed during the spring, there's good reason to believe the UC Davis alum can make the roster cut next month.
Larison recorded 284 carries for 1,465 yards and 17 touchdowns during his final college season, adding 62 receptions for 847 yards and six receiving touchdowns to his resume. That's the kind of production the Patriots offense could seriously benefit from and completely round out their revamped running back room led by Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie TreVeyon Henderson.
T Yasir Durant
The offensive line was arguably the biggest weakness of the Patriots' 2024 roster, making Vrabel and Co. prioritize adding the caliber of talent needed this offseason. They started that by adding some noteworthy players in free agency, like veteran right tackle Morgan Moses, and selecting left tackle Will Campbell in the first round of this year's draft.
Things hit shaky ground with the release of David Andrews, forcing them to look for a new starting center and creating even more competition for the guard positions, which is likely why a player like Yasir Durant was brought in for a second stint after a season away from the NFL.
He spent the 2024 season with the DC Defenders, and by year's end, he earned a spot on the All-UFL Team. That's quite a jump from the Durant we saw in New England in 2022, and if he can build upon his performance from last year, he could be a sneaky good addition to the offensive line this fall and potentially steal a spot on the roster.
WR Efton Chism III
There was surely no anticipation that the Patriots would be going into training camp this year with the most prominent roster competition being their receiving corps. With 12 players set to battle it out for six or seven spots, it will undoubtedly be the most intriguing story to watch unfold, especially when a player like Efton Chism III dominated headlines throughout the spring.
His performance, which has already been compared to the likes of Patriots greats Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman, caught the attention of analysts and fans alike, as he was able to take advantage of some key absences at practice. With Stefon Diggs and Ja'Lynn Polk both recovering from injuries, Chism was able to step in and show what he could do with whatever quarterback and was quickly put on everyone's radar.
Those opportunities might be few and far between once training camp starts, but there's good reason to believe that Chism has earned a good chance to become an intricate part of the Patriots offensive plan the rest of the offseason.
He could build upon the already great impression he made this spring and make the team's job of trimming the roster down to 53 much more difficult, and could ultimately make them hesitant to comfortably place him on the practice squad, as other teams around the league have taken notice of him already.