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Ball security ‘at a premium’ for Rhamondre Stevenson amid fumble concerns

2025-08-04T16:56:05-04:00

Photo by Summer Lamont/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The fifth-year veteran fumbled a position-high seven times in 2024.

The 2011 movie Moneyball includes a scene that features Jonah Hill’s character Peter Brand explain to Brad Pitt’s Billy Beane that relief pitcher Chad Bradford would be one of the most undervalued players in baseball. He gives a simple reason why that would be the case.

“His defect is that he throws funny.”

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson also has one big defect, even though it is much more concerning than the arm angle on a pitch. Stevenson, the Patriots’ No. 1 running back for the last few seasons, has issues holding onto the football: he had the dubious honor of leading all NFL backs with seven fumbles in 2024.

Needless to say, ball security is a major theme for Stevenson during this year’s training camp. However, after losing a fumble during last Friday’s in-stadium scrimmage, the questions over his ability to play mistake-free football remain.

The 27-year-old knows he needs to answer those questions emphatically.

“That’s at a premium right now, ball security,” he told reporters after Monday’s practice at Gillette Stadium. “I’m still trying to make my moves, stay the same back I am, but at a premium is ball security right now.”

Ball security has been a question for Stevenson since he entered the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick by the Patriots in 2021. After putting the ball on the ground on his second career touch, he was benched for the subsequent three games.

Stevenson eventually overcame that mishap to rise to the top of New England’s running back depth chart, and to average over 1,000 yards from scrimmage over his first four years in the league. However, ball security reared its ugly head time and again: he fumbled the ball a combined seven times over his first three seasons as a pro, before adding seven more during his fourth campaign.

Now heading into 2025, however, his is ready to star anew.

“New year, kind of like a clean slate,” he said. “But it’s my job to keep the ball and secure the ball. We know how that went last year. Trying to put that behind me. Just making a conscious effort to keep the ball in my hand.”

The clean slate mantra was also preached by head coach Mike Vrabel on Monday.

“Everybody has a fresh, clean slate,” Vrabel said. “We like to go through those things, and some of that is technique, some of that is the second guy in. A lot of times on fumbles ... one person’s got to have the ball in their hand every play offensively, and the rest of those 10 players are going to be responsible for protecting the guy with the ball.

“And so, there were some instances where he put it on the ground, and there were some instances where the second guy came in, and we need to eliminate the second guy from coming in by the way that we play and our play demeanor and the way that we finish. So a clean slate, everybody has a clean slate. But also, there’s things that have to change and be better at every position as we move toward the season.”

As it relates to Stevenson, he sees the problem as more of a physical rather than a mental one — one that he claims has no impact in his confidence as a ball carrier.

“I’m very confident what I can do with the ball in my hands, when I have it and when I can secure it. I just think holding onto the ball, everything else comes with it,” he said. “I think it’s a physical thing just holding the ball. I think I could just make a conscious effort. I’d say it’s physical rather than mental.”

With his confidence unshaken, Stevenson also managed to put last Friday’s fumble behind him.

“Mistakes happen. It’s training camp,” he said. “Hopefully, I can just get that out of the way right now and go into the season clean.”

Jared Wilson hoping to prove himself worthy of starting spot along Patriots O-line

2025-08-04T16:21:10-04:00

Photo by Summer Lamont/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The third-round rookie quickly earned a starting spot along the offensive line this training camp.

It took just one week of practice for Jared Wilson to insert himself into the New England Patriots’ starting offensive line line.

Despite spending the entire spring limited, the 21-year-old rookie made a strong impression rather quickly to earn the opportunities.

“Nothing’s set in stone with the roster or the lineup — but certainly want to give Jared the opportunity that he’s deserved, which I think is to be out there with the ones in the last couple days and going forward into next week,” head coach Mike Vrabel said Friday. “I think we talked about the players that don’t participate in practice but have the ability to stay engaged with the installation and stay up with the installation, and he did that through the spring.

“He wasn’t able to be out there physically, but was able to learn all the interior line positions and then really got off to a good start here in training camp. So, try to tell the team that, take advantage of your opportunities and you get more opportunity.”

Starting one year at center for the Georgia Bulldogs, Wilson’s versatility along the interior was pointed out on draft night by Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf. That has showed early in camp, as Wilson has joined the starting offensive line at left guard with veteran Garrett Bradbury taking the top center reps.

“It’s a great thing, especially coming from Vrabel, a guy who’s played 14 years in this league,” Wilson said about Vrabel’s comments.

“That’s a good thing to hear, but at the end of the day, you got to come into work every day, still got to earn it, still going to prove to your teammates that you’re worthy of it. That’s the exciting part.”

To open camp, Wilson has taken advantage of his opportunities. That was especially true during some dominant 1-on-1 wins last week against New England’s top interior pass rush duo of Christian Barmore and Milton Williams.

If the 2025 third-round pick maintains his spot moving forward, New England would open the season with an all rookie left side of the offensive line. First-round draft choice Will Campbell has been a mainstay at left tackle.

While the duo would be inexperienced, the chemistry between them is clear after they spent the months prior to the draft training together.

“We just talk about how fun it’s going to be,” Wilson said. “It’s just two rookies next to each other, left guard and left tackle on the blind side. We know it’s going to be a challenge every day. Teams are going to bring their best on us. Just have to be ready.”

7 performances of note from the Patriots’ 10th training camp practice

2025-08-04T16:09:30-04:00

Photo by Summer Lamont/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Who stood out during the Patriots’ training camp practice on Monday, for better or worse.

The New England Patriots were back at Gillette Stadium on Monday for their first practice of the week and 10th overall of this year’s training camp. The session was an intense one: it lasted more than two hours in high temperatures, saw a notable number of plays being run, and on top of it had players in full pads.

You can recap the action here. And as always, here is a rundown of who caught our eyes for better or worse.

Standout of the day

RB TreVeyon Henderson: Consider this your daily “TreVeyon Henderson is fast” update. The rookie running back had himself a day to kick off the third week of camp, hauling in a pair of long touchdown receptions from Drake Maye in full team work. The first of those scores came on a well-executed wheel route out of the backfield that saw him shake Robert Spillane. The second TD started with him split out wide to the left, from where he beat linebacker Christian Elliss 1-on-1 on a go route.

Now 10 practices into his NFL career, Henderson continues to show why the Patriots added him to the mix in the second round of this year’s draft. His ability to run away from defenders is rare, and could make him a powerful matchup weapon for Maye and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Other performances of note

WR Javon Baker and WR Efton Chism III: The Patriots’ young pass catchers had an active day. Baker was the recipient of three straight touchdowns from backup QB Joshua Dobbs in 7-on-7s and later added a leaping grab in 11s. Chism, meanwhile, was on the receiving end of the play of the day when he contorted his body to make a one-handed over-the-shoulder catch on a fade route over Craig Woodson for a score. Both had would-be scores ripped out of their hands, too, but overall flashed their talents on Monday.

Run game: Despite one of its members standing out on Monday, New England’s running back group as a whole had a quiet day on Monday, particularly in its core area of expertise: the ground game was relatively ineffective for much of the day, a noticeable change compared to previous practices. During a red zone period, the unit suffered two run stuffs near the goal line and was unable to find the end zone.

DT Khyiris Tonga: The Patriots defense dominating in the red area was a collective effort, but one that was being spear-headed by Khyiris Tonga. The offseason signing continued his stellar camp on Monday with a run stuff and a pass breakup on a Drake Maye throw intended for DeMario Douglas.

CB D.J. James: Before practice, we wrote about James needing to show a short memory after some moments of inconsistency the previous session. He sure did just that on Monday. Once again running with the starters in lieu of Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, the second-year man broke up a pair of red area passes during full team drills.

S Kyle Dugger: The longest-tenured Patriot has been a mainstay on the starting defense through the first two weeks of training camp. On Monday, however, his role changed: rookie Craig Woodson saw increased reps with the 1s over Dugger. When he was on the field, we had him charted with a reception given up to Hunter Henry in team work.

Other players worth pointing out include Ja’Lynn Polk and Kyle Williams, who went 4-0 and 3-0 in 1-on-1s, respectively. Elijah Ponder looked good during his own 1-on-1s, while fellow edge defender Anfernee Jennings had a run stuff and a would-be sack in red zone work. Marcus Bryant saw first-team reps at right tackle, and both kickers went a perfect 4-for-4 again.

The Patriots will be back at work on Tuesday for a 10 a.m. ET session. The expectation is that training camp practice No. 11 will be lighter in nature given that the Washington Commanders will be in town for a joint practice session a day later.

Patriots Training Camp Notebook: TreVeyon Henderson leads strong day for young pass catchers

2025-08-04T14:56:17-04:00

Recapping everything that happened on Day 10 of Patriots training camp.

It’s officially game week for the New England Patriots, who returned to the practice fields on Monday following a weekend off. Before they welcome the Washington Commanders to Foxborough later in the week, the team of head coach Mike Vrabel was back in full pads for its 10th practice of the summer.

Here is what went down throughout the day.

Setting

Attire: Full pads

Duration: ca. 135 minutes (10:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET)

Conditions: Sunny, temperatures in the 80s

Temperatures were back in the 80s on the back fields behind Gillette Stadium. In full pads, New England ran their longest practice of the summer with the most amount of plays — with much of the focus on situational and red area work.

Attendance

Absent: G Caedan Wallace*, ED K’Lavon Chaisson*, WR Kendrick Bourne*, CB Christian Gonzalez, LB Jahlani Tavai, OL Sidy Sow

Limited: CB Carlton Davis III

Returned: ED Keion White, C Garrett Bradbury, RB Antonio Gibson, OT Vederian Lowe (PUP)

Departed: CB Marcellas Dial Jr., DL Jaquelin Roy, OT Morgan Moses

New England saw several changes in the attendance category from Friday night. After leaving the in-stadium scrimmage early, Caedan Wallace, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Kendrick Bourne did not practice. Wallace and Chaisson made brief appearances on the field while Mike Vrabel said the expectation is that Bourne will not practice this week after getting rolled up on.

Vrabel also shared that cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Christian Gonzalez will not participate in the joint practice this week against the Commanders. Gonzalez, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, did some bike work during practice and ditched the compression leg sleeve he previously wore after the injury,

The cornerback depth chart took another hit as second-year player Marcellas Dial Jr. was then carted off during team work. Dial stayed down for an extended period of time while trainers appeared to look at his left leg/knee. Defensive lineman Jaquelin Roy also left during 1-on-1 work.

In the return department, New England activated their last remaining player off the physically unable to perform list, offensive tackle Vederian Lowe. Antonio Gibson, Keion White, and Garrett Bradbury all were back on the field.

Defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, who missed the spring after a health scare, also left practice early after dealing with dehydration. He will be fine, per the Patriots, while inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr called defensive plays the rest of practice,

Takeaways

Big Play Tre: Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson has been impressive this summer showcasing both his pass catching ability and explosiveness. That was all on display again on Monday as Henderson connected with quarterback Drake Maye on a pair of long touchdown passes early in practice.

The first came when Henderson broke free down the left sideline on a wheel route out of the backfield, before Josh McDaniels had the back line up out wide where he easily beat Christian Elliss on a double move down the same sideline. Henderson then showed his burst on the ground later finding the end zone on a pitch from Joshua Dobbs.

Rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson with a pair of early highlights on Monday connecting on two touchdowns from Drake Maye down the left sideline.

Credits OC Josh McDaniels for continuing to find ways to get him in space. pic.twitter.com/stQaESSpfd
— Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) August 4, 2025

Young receivers impress: With Kendrick Bourne sidelined, New England’s younger options got more opportunities with backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs in the passing game. Ja’Lynn Polk and Kyle Williams had several impressive reps in 1-on-1s while Javon Baker also made his mark during 7s.

Efton Chism III then had the play of the day; he tracked a ball over his shoulder before making a leaping and diving catch in the end zone over Craig Woodson. Chism also beat his fellow rookie early in 1-on-1s in addition to a clean win on a whip route along the goal line. It was a strong bounceback from the undrafted free agent after an uncharacteristic drop in Friday night’s scrimmage.

Defense punches back: After opening with two incompletions, Drake Maye was efficient operating largely in the underneath parts of the field (three catches for DeMario Douglas) outside of the two downfield touchdowns to Henderson. When things moved into the red area, however, New England’s defense punched back.

While Maye hit Mack Hollins in the back of the end zone on the second play of the period (Keion White may have had a sack in live action), New England’s defense won eight straight plays — one sack (Christian Barmore), two run stuffs, five incompletions, and one Maye scramble under pressure. Defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga helped lead the push with a batted pass and run stuff, while cornerback D.J. James also had a pair of breakups.

On a fourth-down play to cap off Maye’s 45-second drive, a heave under pressure to Kayshon Boutte resulted in the receiver making an impressive acrobatic catch in the back right corner of the end zone. He appeared to get both feet in bounds.

O-line changes: Garrett Bradbury returned to practice and his starting spot at center, even though backup Ben Brown remained involved at times with the top unit. The rest of the line stayed in tact, with Will Campbell at left tackle, Jared Wilson at left guard, Mike Onwenu at right guard and Morgan Moses at right tackle. When Moses departed, rookie Marcus Bryant was elevated to the first team right tackle instead of Demontrey Jacobs.

Campbell’s day featured several battles against Keion White, where the pass rusher got him early in 1-on-1s and then once again in team work. The rookie settled in nicely in full team work as well as in 1s shutting down Bradyn Swinson.

New England’s second offensive line saw a handful of changes with Caedan Wallace and Sid Sow absent. After primarily working at right tackle this summer, Jacobs flipped to the left side which pushed Bryant to the right. Ben Brown repped at left guard while Cole Strange remained the second-team center with Tyrese Robinson at right guard.

Kicker competition: New England’s kicking competition went into another high-quality round on Monday. Both Andy Borregales and Parker Romo made all four of their field goal tries, maxing out around 54 yards out.

That marks now five straight practices without a miss for either kicker. They remain largely neck and neck.

Other notes: A quiet day for Stefon Diggs hauling in just two of three targets (one screen). … Tight end Jack Westover continues getting reps as a fullback. … Fellow TE Jaheim Bell had a touchdown along the goal line from Joshua Dobbs. … Isaiah Iton saw elevated snaps with Jaquelin Roy sidelined and had a run stuff with the first team. … Anfernee Jennings was active in the red area with a run stuff and a would-be sack. … Alex Austin and D.J. James remained the top two corners without Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis. … Kobee Minor and Marcus Jones had pass breakups. while Brandon Crossley also knocked a ball out of Javon Baker’s hands in the end zone. … Julian Edelman and Robert Kraft were present at practice.

Preview

The Patriots will be back to work on Tuesday for their final practice before the Commanders come to town. The expectation is for a light session that will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET with gates opening at 9:15. A select group of players will be made available to the media afterwards.

Patriots DC Terrell Williams departs Monday’s practice, gets treatment for dehydration

2025-08-04T14:40:06-04:00

Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The veteran coach was unable to finish the Patriots’ 10th training camp practice.

New England Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams was unable to finish Monday’s training camp practice. He left the session about two hours in after receiving medical attention on the field.

The Patriots have since announced that Williams was treated for dehydration after his early departure and that the team was taking “extra precaution” with him. He is “going to be fine,” according to a statement provided by the club.

Monday’s incident was not the first medical scare for Williams since he joined the Patriots alongside new head coach Mike Vrabel in January.

The 51-year-old already missed parts of the offseason program after suffering what he described as a “life-changing” medical condition. As a consequence, he had to coach the Patriots defense remotely from his home in Detroit for multiple months.

During his absence, inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr took over as interim coordinator on the ground in Foxborough. Kuhr resumed that role to close out Monday’s practice.

“I don’t really know too much about it,” said defensive end Keion White after the session. “I don’t really ask too many questions. I focus on football when I’m out there.”

A longtime assistant coach in the NFL, Williams spent spent six season as Mike Vrabel’s defensive line coach with the Tennessee Titans. He left the team in 2024 to take on the same position with the Detroit Lions, but reunited with Vrabel earlier this year.

The Patriots will be back on the practice field on Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET.

New England Patriots links 8/04/25 - Taking stabs at the 53-man roster: Who gets the knife?

2025-08-04T10:30:16-04:00

WR Javon Baker grabs a sideline pass | Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Daily news and links for Monday

TEAM TALK

Paul Perillo’s Day 9 Blogservations: Lights, camera, action. Mike Vrabel put a slight twist on the annual in-stadium practice and the result was some fun for the players.
Press Conference transcript: Mike Vrabel (Plus 15 min. video)
Press Conference: Robert Spillane (3.41 min. video)
Mic’d Up: Mike Vrabel at camp. (4 min. video)
Training Camp-Cast: In stadium practice gets competitive, Big plays and turnovers turn heads, Austin INT seals White Team win; Day 9 recap. (10 min. video)
Photos: Training camp in-stadium practice.

LOCAL LINKS

Mike Reiss shares some quick-hit weekend thoughts: How is the Patriots’ 2025 draft class doing at training camp? UDFA report; Brady’s statue unveiling before Friday’s preseason opener vs. the Commanders; Maye’s INT streak is done; Parsons/McLauren chatter; Quotes; Media buzz; More!
Steve Balestrieri’s Sunday Patriots News: Training camp 53-man roster projection; Team was off for the weekend but camp resumes Monday; K’Lavon Chaisson has been a consistent thorn in the OLs side since the first day of camp; The edge looks to be far ahead of where it was a year ago. And Chaisson is a big part of that; More!
Andrew Callahan’s NFL Notes: Breaking down the Patriots’ roster bubble 2 weeks into training camp. 10 players who need to get better fast.
Brian Hines’ Sunday Patriots Notes: ‘Fast-break’ offense embracing Drake Maye’s mobility.
Mike Reiss gives us the latest intel and updates from camp: A likely question among the staff: Is more personnel needed along the offensive line? With the Commanders coming to town Wednesday for a joint practice and then the preseason opener Friday, the situation on the O-line has possibly hit a tipping point. More.
Karen Guregian offers 9 thoughts on the first 9 practices. If not Will Campbell, then who? Where’s the depth? Worst flashback: Rhamondre Stevenson fumbling the ball, Drake Maye learns how to slide; More!
Conor Ryan’s training camp stock watch: Who’s rising and falling on New England’s depth chart?
Mark Morse picks through the good the bad and ugly from Friday night’s scrimmage. /Good read, detailing Day 9.
Alex Barth’s Day 9 training camp notebook: Scrimmage inside the stadium. Scrimmage format, focus on situational football, turnovers, what worked for the QBs, Drops a problem for UDFAs, Injuries; More.
Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry recap Friday’s scrimmage: Drake Maye, Rhamondre Stevenson struggle with turnovers; More.
Doug Kyed takes another crack at the 53-man roster projection: Six wide receivers make the cut, who’s out? Running back (4) UDFA Lan Larison earns a spot; More.
Mark Daniels projects the 53-man roster: Last year, attempting to find 53 players deserving of a roster spot was challenging. This year it’s more competitive.
Pat Lane takes a stab at the 53-man roster. Who does he cut? Javon Baker survives the knife.
Mark Daniels looks at Will Campbell’s performance so far at camp and finds the OL focused on what matters.
Doug Kyed discusses how Milton Williams is adjusting to the Patriots’ new ‘attacking’ defensive scheme.
Bob Socci’s View: Talk may be cheap, but it also may prove invaluable for the youngsters trying to lead the Patriots back to NFL prosperity.
Alex Barth reports EA Sports released the Patriots Madden 26 ratings.
Chris Mason looks at whether 73-year-old Bill Belichick can conquer a new frontier at North Carolina.

NATIONAL NEWS

Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Patriots will unveil Tom Brady statue on Friday, August 8.
Mike Kadlick (SI) Mike Vrabel had blunt response about Pats potentially trading for Terry McLaurin, Micah Parsons.
Bucky Brooks (NFL.com) Scout’s Notebook: Stop dismissing the Aaron Rodgers-led Steelers in the AFC.
Steven Ruiz (The Ringer) The Commanders can’t afford to trade Terry McLaurin.
Gary Davenport (Bleacher Report) The biggest winners and losers from 2025 NFL training camps. Winner: QB Drake Maye. /Click for commentary.
Moe Moton (Bleacher Report) 7 NFL players with the most at stake in the 2025 preseason. Ja’Lynn Polk included.
Ryan Young (Yahoo! Sports) Raiders safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. reportedly suffers broken leg during scrimmage after collision with DE Maxx Crosby on Saturday. Pats face the Raiders Week 1 in Foxborough.
Madison Williams (SI) Josh Allen’s top Bills receiver Khalil Shakir is ‘week-to-week’ with injury. The WR suffered a high right ankle sprain on Friday. Patriots play in Buffalo Week 5 on Sunday Night Football.
Liam McKeone (SI) Bills RB James Cook repeated the word “Business” 8 times to explain his refusal to practice.
Jeff Kerr (CBS Sports) Pro Football Hall of Fame 2025 ceremony takeaways: Sterling Sharpe steals show with tribute to brother
Report (AP) NFL Players Association announces David White as interim executive director.

Patriots training camp: Day 10 schedule, players to watch, and more

2025-08-04T09:00:00-04:00

The Patriots will continue their 2025 training camp on Monday.

After enjoying a practice-free weekend following Friday’s in-stadium scrimmage, the New England Patriots will return to work and the regular practice fields on Monday. The session will be the team’s 10th of this year’s training camp.

Here is everything else you need to know about today’s practice.

Schedule

The Patriots’ 10th training camp session will take place on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium again. As are most other sessions, it is open to the general public at no cost.

9:15 a.m. ET: Gates open
10:00 a.m. ET: Mike Vrabel press conference
10:15 a.m. ET: Practice
ca. 12:30 a.m. ET: Player availability (Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Mack Hollins, Gee Scott Jr., Jared Wilson, Keion White)

As always, the schedule is tentative and subject to change. For more information, please visit our Pats Pulpit Training Camp Guide.

Story of the day

With quarterback Drake Maye’s two interceptions leading the way, the Patriots offense struggled with ball security during the in-stadium scrimmage on Friday. With the team expected to be in full pads on Monday, quarterbacks and skill position players alike will again be challenged to hold onto the football.

Injuries to monitor

PUP: OT Vederian Lowe

DNP: RB Antonio Gibson, WR Mack Hollins, C Garrett Bradbury, OL Sidy Sow, DT Joshua Farmer, ED Keion White, LB Jahlani Tavai, CB Christian Gonzalez, CB Carlton Davis III

Injured: G Caedan Wallace, ED K’Lavon Chaisson, WR Kendrick Bourne

The Patriots’ combined list of absentees and new injuries on Friday was substantial, but the team could get some reinforcements back after a weekend off. While it remains to be seen how many players will be back in action — and at what participation levels — Monday could present a bounceback of sorts after a brutal five-day stretch of practice last week.

Players to watch

RB Rhamondre Stevenson: Once again, Stevenson’s ball security was in the spotlight during Friday’s practice; he lost a fumble that was scooped up by linebacker Robert Spillane. The fifth-year man is still New England’s lead back, but giveaways even in a practice setting are an easy and quick way to change this. With pads likely on, Stevenson will be under pressure on Monday.

WR Kayshon Boutte and WR Mack Hollins: The return of Mack Hollins from the physically unable to perform list led to a slight change in exposure for Boutte, but he showed on Friday that he does belong on the field; he was a top target for Joshua Dobbs and the white team in the scrimmage. In case Hollins is back in action Monday, the competition between the two will be interesting to watch.

TE Jack Westover: Westover’s role as TE2 might have gone to Austin Hooper again following the latter’s return from the PUP list, but he still saw plenty of action lately — including catching three passes from Joshua Dobbs on Friday. Can he keep his momentum heading into Week 3 of camp? He better, if he wants to keep his status as the clubhouse leader for the No. 3 tight end job.

ED Truman Jones: With Keion White seemingly nursing an undisclosed injury, the 2024 in-season pickup saw increased opportunities as of late. He needs to make the most of all the snaps he can get in order to make a realistic push for a roster spot, especially with White set to return to practice sooner rather than later.

CB D.J. James: James has been one of the big surprises of training camp so far, but he did have a few negative moments during the in-stadium practice. A short memory is crucial for NFL players, and the second-year Patriot will get to showcase his on Monday — particularly if one or both of Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis remain absent.

Pats Pulpit will have you covered throughout the day, so please make sure to regularly check back to patspulpit.com for all the latest news from camp. Credentialed Patriots beat writers Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) and Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) will also bring you live updates on social media.

Connection is key for Patriots’ new punter-long snapper pairing

2025-08-04T07:00:08-04:00

Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Patriots’ new duo is making strides early in training camp.

In its essence, football is a game of connection. Whether it is actual physical connection on the field, be it in the form of tackles, completed passes for handoffs, or a mental one, the team that connects best is the one that oftentimes comes out ahead.

Building connection is certainly important across the board, but it is downright crucial at a few certain spots on the team. Among them are long snapper and punter; besides needing to be on the same page on punt plays, they also have to be able to hook up on field goals and extra points.

Connection is, of course, best built through time and shared experience. The New England Patriots’ punter-snapper pair does not have that luxury.

While punter Bryce Baringer has been with the team since becoming a sixth-round draft selection in 2023, long snapper Julian Ashby only arrived back in April as a seventh-round pick. Since then, the clock has been ticking for the duo: with veteran snapper Joe Cardona gone, the Baringer-Ashby pairing is now running the show.

And for that show to run, it all starts with the connection — one they have been actively working on during spring and summer so far.

“A lot of it is just spending time with one another, reps, watching film together, kind of seeing what helps him,” explained Baringer recently.

“In terms of where I’m standing on punt, it might be a little wide. Field goals, it’s all about reps, finding where his laces are for me to catch them. I don’t want him doing anything different. What I’ll change is the depth in which I catch the ball and that’s kind of how we find laces. So, just getting all those reps with him has been really beneficial for not just me, but I think for both of us and eventually the unit.”

Even though he has only two years of NFL experience under his belt, Baringer is the elder statesman among New England’s specialists. Besides Ashby, the team also added a new kicker — seventh-rounder Andres Borregales — in the draft this year. The only other specialist, fellow kicker Parker Romo, joined the club in December 2024.

As a consequence, Baringer has found himself in a natural leadership role.

“It feels good. It feels weird a little bit just because I’m still learning so much just going into Year 3,” he said. “But I just try to be a resource for them. I’ve seen some football, some situations. I haven’t seen it all; I don’t know if I ever will, but who has or who hasn’t. But it feels good to be a guy that if they need something they can come to. Just trying to be there for them, be a good vet. But also stay focused on a common goal: be good specialists, be good at what we do, and it’ll be good.”

At least as far as the success of the punting and kicking operations is concerned, it all starts with him and Ashby — and with the connection they are building. Luckily for both and their team, the rookie is putting in the work.

“Julian works really hard,” said Baringer. “It’s a tribute to him as a player. We’re doing a bunch of drills with them. Obviously, the transition from college to the NFL is a lot different for long snappers, but he’s working his butt off and he cares a lot about the details. He’s a grinder. He’s doing well. Proud of him so far, so hopefully, we can keep growing.”