Patriots Daily: Who Will Play Against the Eagles Tonight?

The New England Patriots sat many key players in their preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers last week. Nearly all veterans guaranteed starting spots either sat or played minimal snaps. Will that be the plan for Jerod Mayo once again tonight against the Philadelphia Eagles?

Six players missed Tuesday’s practice, with three more very limited participants. Kendrick Bourne, Cole Strange, and Sione Takitaki remain on the PUP list. They will not play tonight. Christian Barmore has not suited up since his blot clot diagnosis and will be out as well. Hunter Henry was injured in Sunday’s practice and has yet to return, making him unlikely to suit up. Marte Mapu has been out as well.

Three cornerbacks warmed up on Tuesday but were not full participants in practice. Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, and Shaun Wade might remain out for tonight’s game. This would significantly hurt the Patriots’ depth at cornerback, particularly playing the slot. However, it would also be an opportunity to see what others on the roster can do with increased action.

There are still 24 days until the regular season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. Having players ready to go for Week 1 is far more important than a mid-August preseason matchup. However, it would be nice to see players who will be playing in Cincinnati show what they can do a bit more tonight. New England has two open roster spots and this game could also serve as a glimpse at areas where those spots could be wisely used. Stay tuned.

Also in Thursday’s Patriots Daily:

Patriots Fact of the Day

Matthew Judon finished his tenure with the New England Patriots with 32.0 sacks. That places him tenth in franchise history. Deatrich Wise Jr. (29.0) could knock Judon out of the Top 10 this season. The leaderboard:

100.0 – Andre Tippett
79.0 – Willie McGinest
51.0 – Chris Slade
48.0 – Mike Vrabel
46.0 – Rob Ninkovich
43.5 – Brent Williams
39.0 – Richard Seymour
36.0 – Chandler Jones
36.0 – Garin Veris
32.0 – Matthew Judon

Post of the Day

Today’s post comes from Michael Hurley, with a throwback to Keion White from the 2023 NFL Draft:

Keion White’s reaction to the Judon news: pic.twitter.com/SuRSTG0RvR

— Michael Hurley (@michaelFhurley) August 14, 2024

Report: Patriots Trading Matthew Judon to Falcons – New England sent only one player to the Pro Bowl over the past two seasons. Yesterday that player was shipped out of town. The Patriots received a third-round draft pick in exchange for Matthew Judon.

Patriots 90-Man Roster Spotlight: Mike Onwenu – The Patriots signed Onwenu to a three-year deal in the offseason. He is their best offensive lineman, but where will he play in 2024? He has experience at both guard spots and at right tackle. Where would he help the most?

NFL Coverage

NFL.com – The Minnesota Vikings traded up and used the No. 10 pick of the 2024 NFL Draft on Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy impressed in early training camp. But after suffering a torn meniscus, his rookie season is over before it began.

Steelers Now – Alan Saunders writes about how Pittsburgh’s quarterback battle is taking shape. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields were both acquired in the offseason. At this point, Wilson has “more than pole position” to earn the QB1 job.

Yahoo! Sports – Five rookie standouts from around the NFL are featured. The list includes No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears. Spoiler alert: The four other selections do not include any of the New England Patriots rookies.

Boston Bruins

Boston Hockey Now – The Boston Bruins are in a down period. The NHL Draft and the first wave of free agency have passed. Training camp has yet to arrive. But there is still plenty happening, from new uniform numbers to trade rumors, and BHN has it all covered.

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