The New England Patriots are expected to have second-year wide receiver Aaron Dobson back for the team’s final preseason game, and rookie quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will be getting the start. Most eyes will be fixed on those two and on the various position battles, as the bubble guys are the most important players in the final preseason games. But plenty of others will be focusing on new tight end Tim Wright, who came with a fourth-round pick to Foxboro in exchange for veteran left guard Logan Mankins, who went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a stunning blockbuster move. But, of course, stunning blockbuster trades are not unfamiliar territory for Bill Belichick, who has completed trades involving the likes of Randy Moss, Aqib Talib, and Richard Seymour.
Musket Fire
When asked by a follower if Wright will play tonight against the New York Giants, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport replied that Wright is expected to play tonight. The Patriots and Giants will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, making it the tenth straight year that the Pats will close out their preseason against their least it favorite NFC squad.
It’s good to hear that Wright will likely get some reps out there, though they won’t be in-game ones with Tom Brady. Everyone will be excited to see how the Patriots twin-TE sets look, as Rob Gronkowski is locked in for Week 1 with Wright as a versatile flex guy; he’s more of a slot receiver than a TE, honestly. The Patriots have an awful lot of pass-catching talent in the middle of the field, so the development of guys like Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins will also be critical for this offense; Dobson is, of course, the biggest X-Factor.