3 Position Battles to Keep an Eye on in Patriots Training Camp

The year 2020 hasn't been too kind to the New England Patriots in terms of roster turnover. It's arguably the largest they've endured during their near 20 years atop the AFC East standings. Of course, head coach Bill Belichick will never show that, because he's a firm believer in the "next man up" mentality. That's what the Patriots did this spring via the bargain bin of free agency, trade market, and NFL Draft, which will lead to plenty of competitions come training camp in late July.

Here are three position battles that you should keep an eye on this summer.

3. Wide Receiver

The Patriots have a ton of receivers on their roster, but with so many spots available. / Will Newton/Getty Images

Many NFL experts and fans dogged on Tom Brady for his drop in production last season. Did you see the receivers he had to throw to? Anyone would've failed to put up good numbers with that crew. In 2020, Julian Edelman is the only wideout guaranteed to see targets and get ample playing time, but what about the remaining spots? N'Keal Harry and Mohamed Sanu did little to impress in 2019, so their jobs are far from secure. New England added Marqise Lee and Damiere Byrd this offseason, both of whom provide some competition for receivers like Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski. With so many jobs up for grabs, the wideout battle will be one worth keeping your eye on.

2. Tight End

Dalton Keene was one of two tight ends the Patriots selected in the NFL Draft. / Michael Hickey/Getty Images

The tight end position was a complete non-factor for the Patriots last season. Once Rob Gronkowski entered his now short-lived retirement, New England failed to bring in a single difference maker to replace him. That changed once the NFL Draft commenced this past April. The Patriots used two of their three third-round picks to select UCLA's Devin Asiasi and Virginia Tech's Dalton Keene. As of this writing, Matt LaCosse is New England's starting tight end entering training camp. Let's face it, he's not going to keep that title for long. We'd put our money on one of the rookies taking the job. Asiasi vs. Keene could be a fun competition to watch throughout this summer, as they fight for the affection of Belichick.

1. Quarterback

Who will succeed Tom Brady come Week 1? / Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Come on, you knew quarterback was going to rank atop this list. The Patriots have the dubious task of finding Tom Brady's replacement, who held the starting signal caller position for nearly 20 years. Many experts believed the Patriots would bring in a Cam Newton or Andy Dalton, or possibly select one of the top quarterbacks in this year's NFL Draft to fill the void. Instead, Belichick put all of his eggs in the baskets of Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer. Stidham is apparently beloved in the Patriots facility, but that could potentially fade away with a poor outing in training camp. That's why the Patriots opted to retain Hoyer, who has familiarity with coordinator Josh McDaniels' offense. Can Stidham prove that he's worthy of being Tom Brady's successor? Or will Hoyer win the job and take over as the wily vet? We'll find out once we reach decision day in early September.