6 Patriots position battles to watch at training camp

More than coaches barking players sprinting and the summer sun beating down on them all NFL training camps are about competition And no competition quite defines training camp like the position battle Teammates fighting for the same starting job or roster spot Or just scraps of playing time day after day after day After turning over virtually half of their roster this offseason the Patriots will soon open one of their majority of competitive camps in years Several rookies and fresh-faced free-agent additions are set to not just introduce themselves but prove they belong on Mike Vrabel s unit over the entire summer Let the battles begin Running back Rhamondre Stevenson is the incumbent starter here but no lead can be considered safe after the front office selected second-round rookie TreVeyon Henderson last April Henderson is more explosive than Stevenson who also has a fumble challenge to resolve Stevenson dropped the ball seven times last year when Henderson s draft stock rose at Ohio State as an all-around back showcasing elite speed soft hands and improved physicality Henderson may not steal the job right away but he could walk the same path Stevenson did as a rookie in supplanting then starter Damien Harris as the band s best back by midseason Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson makes a catch during a Patriots OTA session in May at Gillette Stadium Nancy Lane Boston Herald Either way the division of snaps at running back bears watching all summer and season not to mention steady-eddy veteran Antonio Gibson arguably the Patriots best rusher a year ago Wide receiver Stefon Diggs and The Patriots are loaded with question marks behind their new No receiver whose soundness until further notice is its own question mark as he continues to recover from a torn ACL last October DeMario Douglas a jitterbug in the slot must develop a better feel against zone coverage and prove he can play outside when the offense inevitably shifts to two-back or two-tight end personnel Kendrick Bourne and Mack Hollins are capable veterans properly cast as career No or No options a future that may await third-year target Kayshon Boutte Foxboro MA - June - Kyle Williams of the New England Patriots walks onto the field during mini camp at Gillette Stadium Photo By Matt Stone Boston Herald Then there s rookie Kyle Williams who posted elite numbers against man-to-man coverage last season at Washington State and figures to have a leg up on draft picks Ja Lynn Polk and Javon Baker And because it wouldn t be a Patriots training camp without a scrappy undersized receiver keep an eye on Efton Chism III a slippery lightning-quick Eastern Washington product who just might make the -man roster outright Left guard The quiet retirement of free-agent addition Wes Schweitzer in June makes Cole Strange the overwhelming favorite to reclaim his old job Strange has appeared in just three games over the last months thanks to a torn patellar tendon suffered late in the season The former first-round pick is more athletic than he is strong and has never graded consistently as an above-average competitor Strange nonetheless remains the the greater part obvious option given fourth-rounder Layden Robinson toiled on the third- and fourth-string units for much of spring and the other contenders include Sidy Sow journeyman Tyrese Robinson and undrafted rookie Jack Conley a Boston College alum Off-ball linebacker Robert Spillane is a lock to man one inside linebacker spot in Vrabel s new defensive scheme thanks to the three-year million he signed in free agency Spillane may even become a captain a title he earned before playing a snap for the Raiders in and later But who s next to Spillane Christian Elliss and Jahlani Tavai are the names to know returned Patriots who offer contrasting styles Elliss fits the lighter faster mold of linebacker that fits Vrabel s defense while Tavai is a classic hard hitter with good instincts and positional flexibility Tavai s is hurt though with a calf injury that as of Monday has him on the Physically Unable to Perform PUP list and could allow Elliss to take an early lead And don t forget about Jack Gibbens a -year-old ex-Titan who started games over his last two years in Tennessee including one year under Vrabel Related Articles big questions Patriots face this summer in training camp Drake Maye Mike Vrabel and what to expect from Patriots training camp Patriots post-minicamp -man roster projection Patriots UDFA standout Efton Chism plans slot receiver deep dive over summer Rookie TreVeyon Henderson hoping to learn by watching Patriots legends Safety Kyle Dugger and Jabril Peppers remain the headliners for the Patriots deepest position particularly after the front office selected fourth-round rookie Craig Woodson signed one-time Eagles and Raiders starter Marcus Epps and retained capable backups like Jaylinn Hawkins and Dell Pettus this offseason The last regime supposed Dugger and Peppers could play together despite the fact both profile as traditional strong safeties much like Epps Hawkins and Pettus That leaves Woodson a heady -year-old rookie who played all across the secondary in college as a wild card Don t be surprised if Woodson makes an early run at real playing time early in the season specifically at free safety Kicker If the regular season started in the next 24 hours sixth-round rookie Andres Borregales could safely be penned in as the Patriots starting kicker Alas there s a month or so to spice up what should be the gang s majority of predictable position battle Borregales was far and away the best kicker over OTAs and minicamp practices open to reporters making more field goals than veteran John Parker Romo He also connected several times on attempts of -plus yards The Patriots have seen rookie kickers fail before see Chad Ryland and Justin Rohrwasser but in retrospect their struggles could be explained by questionable coaching technique changes and lackluster scouting Borregales looks the part and plays the part so if special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer can keep the rookie on this path he should have himself a new kicker