FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. WR logjam: Would the Patriots keep seven wide receivers on their 53-man roster?
With the first practice of training camp scheduled for July 25, the next month provides a springboard to examine some of the team's most compelling questions. How the logjam at receiver shakes out is near the top of the list.
Patriots Hall of Famer Troy Brown, who spent his 15-year career with the franchise (1993-2007) and later went on to become an assistant coach with the team, said it is the top position he'll be watching this summer.
Headlined by trade acquisition A.J. Brown and $17-million-a-year free agent signing Romeo Doubs, the Patriots also have Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, DeMario "Pop" Douglas and Efton Chism III atop the depth chart.
"Seven is a nice number when all the guys can play. When you have a room like that, most of the good ones know when they come in for training camp they have to turn it up. So, it could create a whole another beast in that room," Brown said.
The last time the Patriots could say something like that might have been Brown's final season in 2007 when the receiver room featured Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Jabar Gaffney, Donte' Stallworth, Kelley Washington, Chad Jackson and Brown.
Teams usually keep five or six receivers on the initial 53-man roster, although seven isn't totally out of the question. An unexpected injury could always thin the ranks before the 2026 season opens Sept. 9 in Seattle, and a possible Boutte trade has been rumored.
From his playing experience in New England, and most recently his coaching career with the Patriots (2019-2024) and Giants (2025), Brown sees the numbers crunch as a positive from a mentality standpoint.
"It's the mindset, 'I can't afford to not make this play. I can't afford not to know what to do. I can't afford to miss that block or not be a special teams player.' Because that could be the difference to me being here, or not being here," he said.
How many wide receivers will make the Patriots' roster? Eric Canha-Imagn Images "The intensity of the competition in the room, it's going to make that group better players at the end of camp, and you're giving Drake Maye -- who I think is a very, very good quarterback -- an opportunity to spread the ball around to good players."
Acquiring A.J. Brown in a trade June 1 should have a trickle-down effect throughout the roster.