What to expect from Patriots’ offseason additions against Commanders

Coming off a second straight 4-13 season, the New England Patriots decided to start over yet again. The biggest move in this process was, of course, hiring Mike Vrabel as head coach. In addition, the team also rebuilt a significant portion of its roster: of the 91 players currently on the Patriots’ active roster, almost half — 45 — arrived during the offseason as either draft picks, free agency signings or other pickups.

On Friday night against the Washington Commanders, they will get their first chance to put on a Patriots uniform in a game setting. It may “only” be a preseason game, but for the new members of the organization it will be a chance to showcase why they were brought aboard.

Let’s take a look at who those players are, and what to expect from them come Friday night.

QB Joshua Dobbs: Even if Drake Maye gets the start, the expectation is that backup quarterback Dobbs will play a significant portion of the first half on Friday. He might even play into the third and fourth quarters.

WR Stefon Diggs: Arguably the biggest name among the Patriots’ free agency signings this year, Diggs has been a top-two wide receiver all summer. He seems well on his way to overcoming the ACL tear that ended his 2024 season, but should not be expected to play deep into the game. If he sees the field, he likely will only play a handful of snaps together with Drake Maye.

WR Mack Hollins: Hollins missed the start of training camp on the physically unable to perform list, but has been actively involved with the offense since his return. Unless the team opts to play it quite conservatively, he should be expected to play a fair number of snaps regardless of quarterback.

TE Cole Fotheringham: Fotheringham joined the Patriots as an in-camp pickup. He will see playing time as one of several tight ends competing for spots behind starters Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, and on special teams.

RT Morgan Moses: The Patriots have limited Moses’ workload all summer, and even held him out of their joint practice with the Commanders. If he sees the field, he should not be expected to play more than one or two series.

C Garrett Bradbury: The Patriots’ starting center struggled against the Commanders on Wednesday, and will want a chance to bounce back. He will likely get it, and might even end up playing more snaps than other current starters.

C Alec Lindstrom: On paper, Lindstrom is New England’s fourth-string center at the moment behind Garrett Bradbury, Ben Brown and Cole Strange. Depending on how the other three will be used on Friday, he will likely enter the game no sooner than the third quarter.

DT Milton Williams: Five months removed from signing his $104 million contract, Williams will not be a major factor in his debut. If he takes the field, it will only be for a handful of snaps early in the game; like other starters and roster locks, he saw plenty of action in the joint practice on Wednesday.

DT Khyiris Tonga: Tonga has been one of the pleasant surprises of training camp, and currently is locked into the No.3 interior spot behind Christian Barmore and Milton Williams. That might lead to more playing time on Friday, but he too should be expected to be removed from the contest sooner rather than later.

DT Isaiah Iton: The Patriots’ top defensive tackles will not get a ton of exposure against Washington, which would pave the way for players such as Iton to see extended playing time. He might be integrated into the mix from early on.

DT David Olajiga: Olajiga, a member of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, has been buried on the depth chart throughout camp. He will not suddenly climb up the depth chart, but in terms of volume might see his most prominent snaps to date.

ED Harold Landry III: The first free agency domino to fall in March, Landry has filled one of the starting outside linebacker spots from the get-go. His standing on the team will not change in preseason, but the team might opt not to expose him to too much physicality. Mike Vrabel has stated repeatedly that the club is managing veterans’ workloads.

ED K’Lavon Chaisson: Chaisson has been a non-participant in practice ever since leaving the in-stadium scrimmage a week ago due to an undisclosed ailment. It would be a surprise if he took the field on Friday, but he might dress to go through pre-game and in-game routines.

LB Robert Spillane: Based on his status as New England’s defensive leader, Spillane would be the first man up at linebacker on Friday. Mike Vrabel and company might have other plans, however, to help preserve him for what will be a high-volume role come the regular season. If he plays on Friday, his snaps probably won’t exceed single digits.

LB Jack Gibbens: The Patriots used Gibbens as a stand-in for Robert Spillane at times this summer and at times had him wear the communication device in his helmet. He will likely play a similar role against the Commanders, and should be on the field for a significantly higher number of snaps than his teammate.

LB R.J. Moten: Moten joined the Patriots relatively late in the process, and as a consequence will continue playing a depth role at linebacker. On defense, he will likely take the field late; on special teams, he might be involved right away.

CB Carlton Davis III: Coming off a stint on the non-football injury list, the Patriots have played it safe with Davis all training camp long. He did not participate in Wednesday’s joint practice, and should also not be expected to play in the preseason opener — meaning, with Christian Gonzalez also out, New England will be without its top two at cornerback.

CB Tre Avery: Avery was added to the mix just this week, which in turn might lead to a limited role. He should not be counted on to take the field before the second half, unless the team opts to integrate him into the special teams mix early.

S Marcus Epps: Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson have seen higher quality practice reps than Epps as of late, and his usage on Friday might be a reflection of that. Of course, if the team opts to hold Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers out — or reduces their workloads to one to two drives — he might end up playing a starter-level role after all.

QB Ben Wooldridge: Wooldridge has served as the Patriots’ QB3 ever since his arrival as an undrafted free agent. He will take the field whenever the team decides that Joshua Dobbs has seen enough snaps, likely at some point in the second half.

RB TreVeyon Henderson: Henderson has seen plenty of time with the starters this summer and due to his status as a second-round draft pick is a lock to make the team. The team will nonetheless want to give him some quality snaps on Friday to gain experience, and might use him deeper into the game than Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson.

RB Lan Larison: Larison has had a relatively quiet week, but that should change on Friday. With the top trio — Stevenson, Gibson, Henderson — unlikely to play beyond the first half, he will get an opportunity to prove himself relative to the other depth options at running back. The UFDA needs to show strides to convince the team to keep him as a fourth running back.

WR Kyle Williams: The third-round draft pick burst onto the scene in his first training camp practice, but has been up and down since. He is, of course, a roster lock and might still end up competing for starter reps as an outside receiver, but for now he is more of a depth piece behind Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins. As a result of that and his general inexperience, he will likely play a high number of reps early in the game.

WR Efton Chism III: Even though he failed to maintain the momentum he seemed to build in the spring, Chism still has an opportunity to earn a roster spot as a backup slot to DeMario Douglas. With the top option unlikely to play many snaps on Friday, the UDFA will be heavily involved as a go-to guy for both Joshua Dobbs and Ben Wooldridge.

WR Jeremiah Webb: After starting camp on the NFI list, Webb has served as a backup perimeter option working mostly with Ben Wooldridge and the third offense. He will likely resume that role on Friday.

TE C.J. Dippre: The Patriots signed two UDFA tight ends this offseason, and neither of them has made much noise so far in camp. Dippre did not see a target in the joint practice on Wednesday, which puts him under some pressure to perform tonight.

TE Gee Scott Jr.: Scott Jr. has been more actively involved than fellow UDFA C.J. Dippre, but he too is little more than a depth piece at this point in time. He will likely see time with both Joshua Dobbs and Ben Wooldridge on Friday.

LT Will Campbell: As their starting left tackle, Campbell is a massively important member of the team. However, he also has no in-game NFL experience which might result in him playing more snaps against the Commanders than other starters on the offensive side of the ball. He still won’t play deep into the game, but might get an extra series or two compared to players such as Drake Maye.

OT Marcus Bryant: Bryant has played both tackle spots this summer as a top reserve, and might draw the start at right tackle in case Morgan Moses is held out. Even if he does not — Demontrey Jacobs is the other candidate for that top RT role — he should be expected to get involved early and often.

OT Jack Conley: Conley has spent time with the backup offensive line this summer, and but won’t take the field over fellow tackles Marcus Bryant and Demontrey Jacobs. Still, he will likely get his fair share of reps with the second and third units.

LG Jared Wilson: Wilson is in a similar boat as Will Campbell. The Patriots’ starting left guard, his playing time might be tied to that of the first-round draft pick: the two coming off at the same time but later than other starters could happen.

OL Mehki Butler: The UDFA has had a quiet summer as a depth option at guard. It would not be a surprise if he was on the field for the final offensive snap; the real question is how much sooner than that he will be inserted into the lineup.

DT Joshua Farmer: Farmer has been a member of the backup defense for much of training camp, and his playing time on Friday will be tied to Christian Barmore, Milton Williams and Khyiris Tonga. Realistically, he will see the field fairly early after those three are pulled — if they even all play in the game.

DT Jahvaree Ritzie: The undrafted rookie might be the next man up behind the roster locks/safe bets at defensive tackle. As a bubble player, the team could give him plenty of opportunities with the second and third defensive units.

DT Bryce Ganious: Ganious joined the team just this week, and it seems unlikely he will serve as anything more than a late-game option. He needs to make every one of his reps count, even alongside and against roster longshots.

ED Bradyn Swinson: Swinson had some good moments early on in training camp, but has been quiet since. K’Lavon Chaisson likely being out and Harold Landry likely not playing a lot of snaps might give him increased opportunities, though. Based on the practice depth chart, however, he should not be expected to see the field ahead of Anfernee Jennings and Truman Jones.

ED Eljiah Ponder: Ponder is in the same general roster sphere as Swinson, and everything said about the fifth-rounder basically also applies to the UDFA. That said, the latter was credited with a would-be sack during Wednesday’s joint practice.

LB Cam Riley: Mostly a third-stringer this summer, Riley might benefit from the team’s usage of its veteran linebackers. He might see a fairly high number of snaps down the stretch.

CB Kobee Minor: The final pick in this year’s draft, Minor enjoyed a good practice against the Commanders. Sure, his work came against backups, but he did what he was supposed to do: make positive contributions. He will need more of the same on Friday if he wants to enter the key reserve mix at cornerback alongside Alex Austin and D.J. James.

CB Brandon Crossley: Crossley did force a fumble against Rhamondre Stevenson during last week’s scrimmage, but that did not lead to him moving up the depth chart in a noticeable fashion. He will continue serving as a depth option at cornerback on Friday, even though he might end up seeing the field in the first half already.

CB Jordan Polk: A third-string slot cornerback, Polk will continue playing that role against Washington. Like his fellow undrafted corners, he will likely play deep into the game.

S Craig Woodson: Woodson was given some starter-level reps over Kyle Dugger this week, but will likely be treated differently than the veteran on Friday. Whereas Dugger might only play a handful of snaps early, Woodson is a candidate to play extra series for the sole purpose of gaining NFL-level experience.

S Josh Minkins: Speaking of extra series to gain experience: Josh Minkins will enter the game later than the top safeties on the roster, but he could end up with a high number of reps. There are only eight safeties on the team, after all, and some among them have to play into the fourth period.

K Andres Borregales: Borregales seemed to be getting a slight upper hand in the kicker competition this week, but he will need to transfer his practice performance into a game setting. It will be interesting to see how the team splits field goals, extra points and kickoffs between him and challenger Parker Romo; the rookie will likely get his chances at splitting the uprights if they present themselves.

LS Julian Ashby: The only long snapper on the roster, Ashby will play every available snap. The hope is that his name will not be mentioned.

The Patriots will kick off their 2025 preseason at 7:30 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium. Before the game, they will unveil a statue to honor long-time starting quarterback Tom Brady.