New England Patriots: 3 Standouts from Preseason Week 3 vs. Panthers
1. Gunner Olszewski, WR/PR
The star of Thursday night for the Patriots was wide receiver and returner Gunner Olszewski. An undrafted rookie from Bemidji State, he showed signs that many fans are happy to see as they want to avoid Julian Edelman having to take punts anymore to avoid injury.
Olszewski, the former college cornerback, gave signs of Edelman back in 2009 when he tried to break into the league and showed his ability on punt returns, as ESPN’s Mike Reiss made the point of. The rookie had a punt return long of 28 yards on the night and looked the part in an overlooked part of the modern game.
On four total returns, he totaled 63 total yards for an average of 15.8 per return. Bill Belichick appreciates players who can show signs like Olszewski did against Carolina, with Edelman being the perfect example. And while that may be a stretch to compare the two, performances like these go a long way.
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What helped out Olszewski’s night more was his reps on offense, in which he took in a catch for 15 yards from Stidham. He has one more week to impress the team and try to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. It is going to be difficult for Olszewski to break on to the roster with so many wide receivers in the fight for a spot, but Belichick can never be doubted in the ways he develops his winning teams.