New England Patriots: 5 Things to Watch in Matchup Against Jacksonville Jaguars

#2 Jimmy Garoppolo’s Relationship with Young Receivers

Tom Brady won’t see a ton of action this preseason, so Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett will carry much of the load on offense. All three quarterbacks are expected to make the roster and cutting either backup would be a huge surprise. Wide receiver is another story all together and how the young receivers perform could force Bill Belichick to make a tough decision.

Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Brandin Cooks and Malcolm Mitchell are locks to make the roster. Danny Amendola is a virtual lock as well after once again agreeing to take a pay cut. Special teams captain Matthew Slater is listed as a wide receiver, however, he rarely sees the field on offense. It’s very likely the Patriots keep one additional receiver, especially since Hogan, Amendola, Mitchell and Slater have all been hurt at some point during training camp.

Three have returned, but Slater’s injury appears to be more serious. He has missed all of the joint practices with the Jaguars and could be out for a while. If the 10-year veteran lands on the physically unable to perform list, expect the Patriots to keep one of two receivers on the 53-man roster.

The battle should come down to undrafted rookie Austin Carr out of Northwestern and 2016 seventh-round pick Devin Lucien, who spent last season on the practice squad. The two have been utilized differently, with Lucien playing outside while Carr is typically in the slot.

The two are expected to see plenty of action this preseason, so whoever can create chemistry on the field with the quarterbacks, especially Garoppolo, should land a roster spot. Jacksonville will provide a good initial test, as the Jaguars finished with a top-five pass defense in 2016. With so many teams in the NFL lacking depth at wide receiver, it may be tough to pass either one through waivers.