Patriots rookie in the doghouse could finally see action in Week 2 game

Leading into the 2024 NFL Draft, there was a lot of excitement surrounding the Patriots' potential selections, especially since they had some coveted positions in the first few rounds. It was clear they were going to take a quarterback with their first-round pick, and the assumption was that a wide receiver would be next on the priority list.

That's exactly the route the new regime took by selecting Washington's Ja'Lynn Polk in the second round and followed that up by taking UCF's Javon Baker two rounds later.

It was a much-needed double dip at a weak position on the team, and although they weren't at the top of the class, they were explosive players with a lot of potential to make an impact in an NFL offense. Pairing Baker and Polk with Drake Maye seemed like a great start to the young quarterback's tenure, and seeing the trio click throughout the summer made the decision even better.

Baker started the summer with more flashy plays, which excited the fans about the state of the receiving corps. Not long later, Polk took over and dominated on the practice field. Unfortunately, despite his impressive talent throughout his college career, Baker's performance declined.

He had moments in preseason games that proved he could be a deep-threat asset to the Patriots' developing offense, even though most of his receptions failed to be caught. The receiver then ended the summer by getting placed in the doghouse for his social media activity, which the new regime didn't like, and he was seemingly benched for the season opener last week.

Heading into Week 2, there are many questions surrounding Baker's availability, even more so since Polk wasn't heavily involved in the game plan against the Bengals.

Although Jerod Mayo stated he had a lot of development left to do, wide receiver coach Tyler Hughes hinted Baker might become more available sooner rather than later.

Javon Baker's Week 1 benching might not continue to be the rookie's fate as the season progresses

Besides the initial excitement over the Patriots finally drafting two promising pass catchers, Baker's highlight reel garnered a strong reaction from fans who believed he could be a secret weapon in a young offense.

It's partly what made his apparent decline during the preseason all the more disappointing, with his punishment for his social media post not helping the cause.

With the concerns about his availability in mind, Hughes reiterated to reporters this week that Baker is on the right path in his development and assured those concerned that he believes we'll see him on the field more as the season goes on, as long as he earns the opportunity to.

“I think he’s on schedule in terms of his development, in terms of where he’s at. I think he’s doing some good things. I think we’ll see him more and more as the season goes on ... obviously, he’s got to continue to earn those opportunities, and when he gets them, make something happen within those.”

Since he works with the receivers every day, it's certainly reassuring to hear that Baker is still progressing and doing what he needs to during practice. Hopefully, Hughes is right about getting more chances to be on the field in a regular season game because he looks to have the skillset that could completely change the Patriots' offense, especially with Kendrick Bourne missing at least three more games.

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