FOXBORO — Before the Patriots take a break from camp practice on Sunday, let’s check in on which players saw their stock improve — or not — during Saturday’s competitive shorts-and-shells session…
Stock Up
DeMario Douglas, WR
Not only was Douglas on the receiving end of two of Drake Maye’s best throws of the day — which we detailed in today’s Maye Watch — he ended up with three catches total from Maye in the practice, which was more than any other pass-catcher.
Douglas now has eight catches — more than any other Patriots player — on nine competitive targets from Maye in camp. Stefon Diggs has caught six of the team-leading 10 targets he’s seen in three competitive practices.
Robert Spillane, LB
Spillane might be exerting a little more energy on Monday when pads are introduced, but he was busy in coverage on Saturday.
The newly-acquired linebacker ran with Hunter Henry down the seam and physically broke up a Drake Maye pass that hit Henry’s hands.
On the next snap, he dropped into a zone and read Maye’s eyes. When the quarterback tried to hit Douglas with a short throw, Spillane laid out to break it up and almost picked it off.
Jack Gibbens, LB
Spillane wasn’t the only linebacker showing up in coverage on Day 4. Gibbens, who typically hits the field after Spillane and Christian Elliss, broke up a pair of passes himself.
One deflection, while in tight coverage on running back Lan Larison, ricocheted into the air and was picked off by Jabrill Peppers. He also batted a pass from Ben Wooldridge that was intended for rookie tight end Gee Scott.
Stock Down
Stefon Diggs, WR
Diggs was targeted six times Saturday but caught only two passes. His day got out to a slow start after catching the first throw of 7-on-7 work. (He’s gotten the first competitive target in two of three competitive practices so far. In the practice he didn’t get target No. 1, he got No. 2 and 3. Seems to be an emphasis on getting him the football early in practices.)
Maye missed Diggs on a crosser on the very next snap. One snap later, on what might’ve been a late Maye attempt to the sideline, Christian Gonzalez broke up a Diggs target and sent the receiver tumbling into nearby Gatorade coolers. Diggs immediately asked for a substitution.
His next target came later in the practice and was popped out of his hands by Harold Landry. It looked like Diggs could’ve come back to the ball on the short hook route, but he didn’t, which allowed Landry to close ground on him as the pass approached.
Kendrick Bourne, WR
Drake Maye attempted 24 competitive throws on Saturday and only one of them went to Bourne. It came in 7-on-7 work. Compare that to Kayshon Boutte, who was targeted by Maye three times on Saturday, twice in 11-on-11 periods.
Boutte seems to have the upper hand on Bourne to this point in camp. The third-year wideout has been out there more consistently with Maye, while Bourne seems to be getting more work with backup Joshua Dobbs.
There’s no smoking gun evidence as to why Bourne appears to be lower on the depth chart right now, but apparently he has some work to do to launch himself ahead of Boutte.
Phil Perry breaks down a potential Patriots receiver battle on the latest Patriots Talk Podcast
Carlton Davis III, CB
Davis missed another practice Saturday, allowing Alex Austin to step in as the second corner opposite Christian Gonzalez. Because Friday’s practice was a non-competitive walkthrough, Davis hasn’t seen a real practice rep since Day 1.
Something to monitor. He entered camp on the non-football injury list. Mike Vrabel called his Day 2 absence “maintenance.”
