Locked On Patriots Hit - Quick Takes on the New England Patriots

TreVeyon Henderson missing Patriots practice isn't ideal. But could it actually create an opportunity for one of New England's newest additions? Henderson was absent from Tuesday's practice after injuring his ankle last week. While there's no reason to panic about the second-year running back yet, his absence could mean more opportunities for Corey Kiner. The Patriots specifically traded with the Arizona Cardinals to bring Kiner to New England, presumably to become their RB3. Now he could get valuable reps behind Rhamondre Stevenson while working with Drake Maye, Josh McDaniels and the Patriots offense. We already have a pretty good idea of what Henderson can provide. Kiner is much more of an unknown. Could this be his chance to show New England exactly what they acquired? Plus, Mike Vrabel announced the Patriots' six team-voted captains — and there's one VERY interesting name missing from the list. Christian Gonzalez. Does it mean anything? Maybe not. But considering everything surrounding Gonzalez this offseason, it's certainly worth discussing. #Patriots #NewEnglandPatriots #TreVeyonHenderson #CoreyKiner #ChristianGonzalez #NFL Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita IMAGN Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get up to $500 in bonus credits when you trade $25.

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Could the Christian Gonzalez contract saga FINALLY be getting close to an end? Gonzalez's trainer, Christian Flightwhite, appeared on 98.5 The Sports Hub and offered some of the most encouraging comments we've heard surrounding the negotiations. Flightwhite said, "I think we're getting close," and while he made it clear Gonzalez hasn't directly told him what's happening in negotiations, he believes the Patriots are putting a better effort into getting something done. He even said he "wouldn't be shocked" if a deal gets done before New England opens the season against Seattle. That would be HUGE. Then in our second hit, we're talking about something the Patriots may NOT have lost when Stefon Diggs left New England. The edge. Kyle Williams was asked about the Patriots wide receiver room and gave an answer I absolutely love: "As a whole room, I feel like we're nasty." With AJ Brown, Romeo Doubs, Kyle Williams, Pop Douglas and the rest of this revamped group, they SHOULD feel that way. Now it's time to prove it. Two Patriots stories. One quick hit. #Patriots #NewEnglandPatriots #ChristianGonzalez #KyleWilliams #DrakeMaye #NFL Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas IMAGN Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get up to $500 in bonus credits when you trade $25.

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We FINALLY have something positive to discuss with Christian Gonzalez and the New England Patriots. After weeks of frustration surrounding Gonzalez's contract negotiations, Daniel Jeremiah joined The Pat McAfee Show and offered a much more optimistic outlook. Jeremiah said the Gonzalez situation “just feels like that's a matter of time” and that he'd be surprised if a deal doesn't eventually get done. That's certainly encouraging. We've heard the frustration coming from Gonzalez's side. We've heard Gonzalez publicly discuss knowing his worth. And we've watched this contract situation become one of the biggest Patriots stories heading into the season. I've maintained that I think New England ultimately gets this deal done. Maybe we're finally starting to see some positive momentum. Then there's the actual Patriots roster. New England placed Khalil Jacobs and Bryce Baringer on injured reserve, meaning both could potentially return as early as Week 5 depending on their health. The Patriots then used their available roster spots to add tight end Cameron Latu and linebacker Darius Muasau. I like both moves. Neither player necessarily raises the ceiling of this roster dramatically. But they raise the floor. Latu adds some NFL experience to a tight end room that initially included two rookies behind Hunter Henry, while Muasau gives New England another athletic option at linebacker after the Patriots moved on from K.J. Britt. For a Patriots team that has openly had questions about its depth, these are exactly the types of moves I wanted to see. #Patriots #NewEnglandPatriots #ChristianGonzalez #PatriotsNews #NFL #MikeVrabel Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get up to $500 in bonus credits when you trade $25.

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Mike Vrabel has been pretty clear about one of his biggest concerns with the New England Patriots. Depth. And I really like what the Patriots are doing to address it. New England released K.J. Britt and added linebacker Darius Muasau from the New York Giants, a move I think raises the floor of a linebacker room that had some legitimate depth questions. Then there's tight end Cameron Latu. The Patriots initially kept Hunter Henry alongside rookies Eli Raridon and Tanner Arkin. I like both rookies, but that's an extremely young room behind Henry. Latu brings some NFL experience and special teams value. Neither of these additions suddenly gives New England another star. That's not the point. **They raise the floor.** But veterans alone aren't going to solve New England's depth concerns. The Patriots also need some of these rookies to develop quickly. There are three rookie tandems I'm watching closely. At tight end, it's Raridon and Arkin. On the offensive line, Caleb Lomu and Demetrius Crownover. And at cornerback, Karon Prunty and undrafted rookie Channing Canada. Hopefully New England doesn't NEED to rely heavily on some of these players this season. But injuries happen. And if the Patriots are going to turn Vrabel's biggest roster concern into a strength over the next few seasons, some of these young players need to become legitimate NFL depth. #Patriots #NewEnglandPatriots #MikeVrabel #PatriotsNews #NFL #DrakeMaye Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get up to $500 in bonus credits when you trade $25.

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The New England Patriots just made a trade at a position where they desperately needed more depth. New England acquired offensive tackle Walter Rouse from the Minnesota Vikings in a pick swap, sending Minnesota a 2027 sixth-round pick while receiving Rouse and a 2027 seventh. And with Marcus Bryant unavailable, this move makes a lot of sense. You feel good about Will Campbell. You have veteran Morgan Moses. First-round pick Caleb Lomu has worked at both tackle spots, while late-round rookie Demetrius Crownover has shown some encouraging signs. But did you really want to enter the season with that little proven depth behind your starters? Probably not. Rouse was a 2024 draft pick out of Oklahoma who Minnesota had hoped could develop into a swing tackle. It didn't work out with the Vikings, but now New England gets an opportunity to see if he can provide the depth it needs. This trade helps. It doesn't completely solve the problem. The Patriots still desperately need Campbell, Moses and Lomu to stay healthy. Plus, one Patriots roster cut genuinely surprised me. Kendall Vildor is out. I liked a lot of what Vildor showed throughout training camp, but his preseason finale against Cleveland was brutal. Meanwhile, undrafted rookie Channing Canada survives, and fifth-round rookie Karon Prunty makes the roster after showing some very intriguing developmental traits throughout the summer. Maybe that final preseason game mattered more than we thought. #NewEnglandPatriots #Patriots #WalterRouse #KendallVildor #KaronPrunty #PatriotsNews #NFL Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get up to $500 in bonus credits when you trade $25.

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The New England Patriots probably didn't HAVE to trade for Corey Kiner. And that's exactly why this move is interesting. New England sent the 2028 seventh-round pick acquired in the Kayshon Boutte trade to Arizona for Kiner, giving up a small amount of draft capital to secure its newest running back. Kiner doesn't have much NFL experience. He appeared in four games last season, carrying the football 12 times for 58 yards. But he showed explosiveness during the preseason, and New England apparently saw enough to make sure it didn't have to wait for waivers. That's important. The Patriots were sitting 31st in the waiver order. Maybe Kiner would have made it to them. Maybe not. New England apparently wasn't willing to find out. And after spending all summer debating Hassan Haskins, Lan Larison and Jam Miller for RB3, that tells me the Patriots might like Kiner quite a bit. Plus, with RB3 potentially settled, the defensive backfield becomes one of the most fascinating position groups heading into roster cuts. Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones and Charles Woods appear safe at corner. But what happens with Karon Prunty, Kendall Vildor and Channing Canada? And at safety, could John Saunders Jr.'s rough preseason finale cost him after he led New England in interceptions throughout training camp? Cut day is here. And the Patriots still have some difficult decisions to make. #NewEnglandPatriots #Patriots #CoreyKiner #PatriotsNews #NFLRosterCuts #NFL Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get up to $500 in bonus credits when you trade $25.

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The Christian Gonzalez contract situation continues to drag on for the New England Patriots. And now it's starting to get even uglier. Gonzalez's trainer posted — and later deleted — a message suggesting New England should simply trade the star cornerback. That's not Gonzalez requesting a trade. But it's another sign of the growing frustration surrounding these negotiations. Robert Kraft has publicly pointed toward New England offering Gonzalez a deal that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in football. But the disagreement appears to involve more than the headline number, with Gonzalez's camp looking for guarantees and a front-loaded structure. At some point, the Patriots need to get this done. Plus, we might have spent all of training camp debating an RB3 competition that nobody actually won. Hassan Haskins? Lan Larison? Jam Miller? Two separate roster projections mentioned on the show have New England carrying only Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson on the initial 53, potentially sending the other backs through waivers before looking elsewhere for another option. Maybe the answer to the Patriots' RB3 competition isn't currently on the roster. #NewEnglandPatriots #Patriots #ChristianGonzalez #RobertKraft #MikeVrabel #RhamondreStevenson #TreVeyonHenderson #PatriotsNews #NFL Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get up to $500 in bonus credits when you trade $25.

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The New England Patriots have a problem on defense that they better hope doesn't become important this season. The starters aren't my concern. Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, Craig Woodson and Kevin Byard give New England plenty to like when everyone is healthy and available. It's what happens behind them that worries me. New England's defensive depth struggled badly against Cleveland in the preseason finale. Dylan Gabriel went 12-of-15 with three touchdowns, and rookie Taylen Green followed by completing five of seven passes while adding 66 yards on the ground. For everything Mike Vrabel has said about building depth, that's concerning. Fortunately, Cleveland couldn't stop Kyle Williams. Williams finished with two catches for 55 yards and another touchdown, giving him a touchdown in all three preseason games. And don't just label him a straight-line speed threat. His release has improved. He's creating separation. And even his other reception against Cleveland — a deeper curl — showed there's more developing in his game than simply running past defenders. Now I want to see whether that chemistry we've watched between Williams and Tommy DeVito can translate to Drake Maye. Because if it does? New England suddenly has another legitimate weapon fighting for WR3 or WR4 snaps. #NewEnglandPatriots #Patriots #KyleWilliams #DrakeMaye #ChristianGonzalez #MikeVrabel #PatriotsNews #NFL Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get up to $500 in bonus credits when you trade $25.

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Two New England Patriots stood out to me as clear winners from Thursday night's preseason finale. Let's start with Hassan Haskins. I've had Haskins as my leader for New England's RB3 job, and I think Thursday strengthened his case. The numbers weren't spectacular — nine carries for 24 yards — but this battle has always been about more than rushing production. Haskins can handle short-yardage situations. I trust him more in pass protection. And importantly for an RB3, he showed another potential avenue toward contributing on special teams by returning kicks. Behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, that skill set makes sense. Then there's Nnamdi Obiazor. I couldn't take my eyes off No. 48. The rookie finished with 12 tackles, including six solo, and continued making his case for a spot in New England's linebacker rotation. And that could be bad news for Chad Muma. Muma entered camp looking much closer to a roster lock, but Obiazor has consistently flashed while Muma hasn't separated himself. At some point, New England has to decide between veteran experience and younger upside. After Thursday? Give me the upside. Haskins looks like my RB3. Obiazor looks like he belongs on the 53. #NewEnglandPatriots #Patriots #HassanHaskins #NnamdiObiazor #ChadMuma #TreVeyonHenderson #PatriotsNews #NFL Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get up to $500 in bonus credits when you trade $25.

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A promising New England Patriots rookie could be in real danger of missing the 53-man roster. Karon Prunty has put together a solid training camp, but New England's cornerback room is getting crowded. Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis sit at the top. Marcus Jones and Charles Woods are in the mix. And after what Kendall Vildor has done throughout the preseason, he's making an increasingly strong case that he deserves a roster spot. That leaves Prunty potentially fighting for New England to carry a sixth corner. Could Thursday's preseason finale against Cleveland determine his future? Plus, we're breaking down one of the Patriots' most unpredictable position battles: RB3. Hassan Haskins, JaMycal Hasty, Lan Larison and Jam Miller have all been part of the conversation, but Haskins may have the clearest path to the job. His ability to run between the tackles, protect Drake Maye and contribute on special teams could give him exactly the skill set New England needs behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. Two roster decisions. One final preseason opportunity to get some answers. #NewEnglandPatriots #Patriots #KaronPrunty #HassanHaskins #DrakeMaye #PatriotsNews #NFL Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get up to $500 in bonus credits when you trade $25.

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