5 under the radar New England Patriots players for the 2023 season

Bryce Baringer

It seems obvious why a punter would be under the radar when considering players to look out for coming into a new season. Special teams players don't garner much attention or excitement from most people unless you're Bill Belichick. But considering the absolute disaster that was the punting unit last season, it's difficult not to be ecstatic about the arrival of Bryce Baringer.

After years of the Patriots having one of the most consistently talented special teams in the entire NFL, the last two seasons saw a drastic shift in their success. The once reliable parts of the team became one of the most problematic, and it seemed only to get worse as the season went on.

It looked like things were on the right track, though, as Jake Bailey signed a new contract just weeks before the 2022 season began. But he started the year off poorly and ended up being placed on injured reserve until he was later cut from the team in dramatic fashion.

In his place, Belichick tried to bring in veterans to replace Bailey but was unsuccessful. Whoever was in at punter became a liability and is very much responsible for some of the worst-case scenarios during an already disappointing season.

Come the draft, it made sense why the Patriots traded up for the best punter in the class, and Baringer proved to be worth it throughout training camp and preseason. He became known for nearly punting footballs into orbit, so he easily won the roster battle this summer.

Hopefully, he can keep that going in games that matter and put the Patriots in a better position by ensuring the opposing team starts as deep into their own territory as possible.