The Patriots schedule now moves from joint practices into Saturday night’s preseason game at Gillette Stadium, and the clearest takeaway is that several roster battles still need answers. Romeo Doubs and Marcus Bryant are among the names to watch, while depth issues — especially up front — remain a real talking point.
After two joint practices with the Eagles and one preseason game, there has already been enough football to show where the Patriots look settled and where they still do not. The starting offense has shown sharp stretches, the starting defense has forced turnovers, and yet the team’s backup picture still feels unfinished, particularly when the game shifts to backups against backups.
Romeo Doubs has given Drake Maye something to build on
Drake Maye has made it clear that Romeo Doubs has stood out to him. The Patriots quarterback praised Doubs’s route-running and the way he can move his body through routes and get by defenders, calling it impressive and enjoyable to watch.
Maye also said Doubs is only going to keep improving as he grows more comfortable in the offense. That matters because the Patriots need players who can create trust quickly, and Doubs appears to be doing that in a short window.
Maye added that Doubs has already shown he can make strong contested catches, saying he looks forward to giving him more chances to climb the ladder and finish those plays. For a team still sorting out its passing game, that kind of early connection is worth noting.
Marcus Bryant is another depth test worth tracking
Marcus Bryant is also on the list of players to watch. Drafted in the seventh round in 2025, he has already shown why depth on the offensive line matters so much.
In Week 12, Bryant was the first tackle off the bench when Morgan Moses exited the game. That is the sort of detail that can matter later in the season, because it points to a player who may already be trusted to step in when needed.
There is still an important caveat, though. Last season Bryant often remained a healthy scratch, so the challenge now is turning opportunity into a real role rather than simply being available in theory.
The Patriots’ depth remains the bigger question
The wider concern is the same one that has hovered over this stretch all week: the Patriots still have depth questions, and the offensive line is one of the clearest examples. When the game becomes more about the second and third units, those issues tend to show up quickly.
That is why the roster spots still feel open in a few places. Caleb Lomu, for example, spoke after Thursday’s practice about needing to fix issues after the starting offense came back to earth. His message was simple: it will not be perfect, but the next step is learning from what happened and getting back on the field ready to improve.
Christian Gonzalez’s absence has also opened the door at cornerback, creating opportunities for players such as Charles Woods, Kindle Vildor and Karon Prunty. In a preseason setting, those chances matter because they can shift who stays in the conversation when the final roster decisions arrive.
What Saturday night should tell us
The preseason opener already gave a glimpse of the defensive side of the story, with K.J. Britt forcing a fumble while tackling Anthony Richardson. Saturday night should add another layer, especially as the Patriots and Eagles move into a game that will test depth more than star power.
If the starters continue to look reliable, that will be encouraging. But the bigger test is whether the Patriots can show they have enough behind them. The schedule is moving on, and the next few days should help answer which players are rising, which ones still need to prove themselves, and which roster spots are still very much up for grabs.
