Tag: Demario Douglas

Could Demario Douglas have new jersey number for 2024?

Is Demario Douglas changing his jersey number?

New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas could be returning to his roots with the No. 3 jersey number.

The wide receiver wore No. 3 while in college at Liberty University, and it appears he could be going back to it. The number was previously held by linebacker Mack Wilson Sr., who signed with the Arizona Cardinals in free agency.

Douglas emerged onto the scene as a rookie last year.  He recorded 49 catches for 561 yards and provided a glimmer of hope for the wide receiving group. Now, he will be one of the top receivers in a room that has undergone a ton of change this offseason.

Douglas will be heavily relied upon this upcoming season, as New England continues to fill multiple holes on their roster and improve the receivers room.

He will look to avoid a sophomore slump after a promising rookie campaign.

Every NFL team’s receiving leader from the 2023 regular season

Each team’s leader in receiving yards from 2023

Look, we know the Carolina Panthers had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year—particularly on offense. But fair is fair, and we already gave you passing and rushing leaders.

So, let’s finish it out and run through each team’s leader in receiving yards from the 2023 regular season.

Leading receiver hoping to re-sign with Patriots in 2024

WR Kendrick Bourne hopes to be brought back by the Patriots in 2024

Kendrick Bourne is set to be a free agent in 2024, and he is hoping he hasn’t played his last snap with the New England Patriots.

Before suffering a season-ending knee injury, Bourne was the Patriots’ leading receiver. In only eight games, he had 37 receptions for 406 yards and four touchdowns. Unfortunately, a torn ACL brought an end to what could have been a career-high year of production from Bourne.

Rookie sixth-round draft pick Demario Douglas has stepped up to help fill the void in his absence. The two teammates recently had an exchange that was caught Instagram, which started with Douglas telling Bourne that he missed him.

“Miss ya dog! Make the Patriots bring me back!” Bourne responded.

It would make sense for the Patriots to bring back a solid veteran option like Bourne. JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker have both underwhelmed this season. Granted, both receivers have made strides with Bailey Zappe under center at quarterback.

So perhaps they could be viewed differently when Mac Jones isn’t throwing them the ball. The Patriots could also be in the market for a legitimate No. 1 option at receiver to help take the top off opposing defenses.

But even with potential changes at the position, Bourne is the kind of player any team could benefit from having both on the field and in the locker room.

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Patriots rookie WR trying to learn from former greats

Demario Douglas’ immediate success in the NFL shouldn’t come as a surprise given his preparation

New England Patriots rookie wide receiver Demario ‘Pop’ Douglas is having a productive rookie season.

The sixth-round draft pick currently has 47 catches for 548 yards this season. His 47 receptions are the most ever for a rookie wideout in the Bill Belichick era.

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that Douglas has found immediate success in the NFL when considering his preparation, which includes learning from some of the best wide receivers in Patriots’ history.

Julian Edelman, Troy Brown and Deion Branch are some of the most productive receivers in the history of the franchise. Edelman recorded 6,822 receiving yards in his Patriots career. Brown tallied 6,366 yards for New England, while Branch tallied 4,297 yards in seven seasons with the Patriots.

Douglas does not have those numbers yet, but he is working to emulate those three in particular. He watches their film, as well as the tendencies.

“Yeah, for sure,” Douglas said, via NESN’s Zack Cox. “It’ll be in the little clips. I’ll see Edelman, Troy, Deion. Some of the GOATs that have been through here. Watching them, it helped me with my game, also. …How they run their routes. How they became successful. The little things that they do, how they come off the ball, stuff like that.”

Douglas is well on his way to having an impressive first season with New England. The organization has struggled drafting wide receivers as of late. However, it appears that Douglas may be an outlier to that trend in the best way possible.

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Patriots’ top 10 offensive players in Week 16, per PFF grades

Here were the top-10 highest-graded offensive players for the Patriots against the Broncos, per PFF.

It isn’t often that the New England Patriots win with their offense, but that was the case in Sunday’s road upset victory over the Denver Broncos.

After blowing a 16-point lead, the Patriots responded with a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter that was capped off by a 56-yard field goal kick by Chad Ryland.

It was an impressive showing of resilience from a unit that has struggled all season. One big reason for the improvement has obviously been the change from Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe at quarterback.

Since Zappe has taken over, the offense has moved with more confidence and efficiency, which has ultimately made the entire team better. There’s a reason why the Patriots are 2-2 and coming off back-to-back road wins with Zappe as the starter.

Here are the top-10 highest-graded Patriots offensive players in Week 16, per Pro Football Focus.

Fantasy football waiver wire: Week 17 free-agent forecast

Check out the top waiver wire targets in fantasy football for Week 17.

The majority of fantasy football leagues come to an end this week. It has been a long and grueling process to the point, and most of us have been left with disappointment with championship week upon us.

However, there are still plenty of vital matchups taking place, and the waiver wire should be a busy marketplace in Week 17 after the events that unfolded on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Before we get to it, I’d like to thank you for sticking with us all season. We wouldn’t be here without the readers, and even though the suggestions haven’t always worked out, we’re appreciative of the time you’ve spent with us this season.

We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!

Because it’s Week 17, there is no need for stashing players so we’ll only look at the top streaming options for the upcoming week along with the top waiver adds.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Patriots rising rookie WR Demario Douglas clears concussion protocol

Demario Douglas officially clears concussion protocol ahead of Sunday’s Patriots-Chiefs game.

New England Patriots rookie wide receiver Demario Douglas is expected to be available for Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

When speaking to media members on Friday, Patriots coach Bill Belichick announced that Douglas had cleared concussion protocol, which has kept him out in back-to-back games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers.

That’s great news for a Patriots team that was down to only JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jalen Reagor, Tyquan Thornton and Malik Cunningham as their only options last week. Douglas has been the most consistent playmaker at the position, outside of Kendrick Bourne, and his return could give them a fighting chance on Sunday.

“He should be available,” said Belichick.

Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe will need all of the offensive weapons he can get to keep pace with an angry Chiefs team led by Patrick Mahomes.

3 Patriots players that deserve larger roles in 2024

3 Patriots players should be featured more in 2024 and beyond.

There’s no question this season has been brutal to watch for the New England Patriots. They are sitting at 3-10 on the season and considered one of the worst teams in the NFL.

Yet, there are some players who have been bright spots and deserve a larger role next season.

Now, these things could change as it is likely a new regime will be in place next year, and they may move to get their own players through the draft and free agency.

But there are three players in particular that have made the most out of limited playing time and deserve a much larger role in 2024.

Patriots Week 14 injury report: Multiple players ruled out vs Steelers

Multiple Patriots players have been ruled out for Thursday night’s game.

The New England Patriots will be down two of their best offensive playmakers in Thursday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It didn’t come as any surprise seeing running back Rhamondre Stevenson and wide receiver Demario Douglas both being listed as out for the game. But that doesn’t make it sting any less for a Patriots team that couldn’t afford more bad luck on the offensive side of the ball.

The team also ruled out offensive tackle Riley Reiff, who is done for the season after missing the injured reserve deadline, along with wide receiver Kayshon Boutte and cornerback Shaun Wade.

Here’s the full injury report for both teams on Wednesday:

New England Patriots

Player Injury Tuesday Wednesday Game Status
WR Demario Douglas Concussion DNP DNP Out
RB Rhamondre Stevenson Ankle DNP DNP Out
DL Christian Barmore Shoulder LP LP Questionable
LB Chris Board Back LP Active
WR Kayshon Boutte Shoulder LP LP Out
OT Trent Brown Ankle/Hand LP LP Questionable
WR DeVante Parker Knee LP LP Questionable
OL Riley Reiff Knee LP LP Out
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster Ankle LP LP Questionable
CB Shaun Wade Illness LP Out

DNP: Did not practice; LP: Limited participation ; FP: Full participation

Pittsburgh Steelers

Player Injury Tuesday Wednesday Game Status
QB Kenny Pickett Ankle DNP DNP Out
RB Najee Harris Knee DNP DNP Questionable
S James Pierre Shoulder DNP DNP Out
DT Keeanu Benton Oblique LP Active
C Mason Cole Neck LP LP Questionable
LB Elandon Roberts Groin LP LP Questionable
DT Cam Heyward Not injury-related (Rest) LP Active
G Isaac Seumalo Shoulder LP DNP Questionable
S Minkah Fitzpatrick Hand FP Active
DT Montravious Adams Sr. Ankle FP Active

DNP: Did not practice; LP: Limited participation ; FP: Full participation

The Patriots will have their depth tested on the backend of the defense without Wade in the lineup. Of course, none of that even matters if the team can’t score points.

Douglas and Stevenson both being gone will only make things worse for the struggling offense.

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Patriots Week 14 injury report: Key offensive starters missing on Tuesday

The Patriots were missing two key offensive starters at practice on Tuesday.

It was back to work for the New England Patriots on Tuesday, following Sunday’s shutout loss at home to the Los Angeles Chargers.

There won’t be much time to sulk in defeat with a short turnaround ahead of a Thursday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Patriots released their injury report with their top-two offensive starters, wide receiver Demario Douglas and running back Rhamondre Stevenson, both listed as non-participants at practice. Stevenson is expected to miss “a few weeks” with a high ankle sprain, while Douglas has still yet to clear concussion protocol.

So there’s a very good chance that the Patriots will be without both players against the Steelers.

Meanwhile, the Steelers are preparing to start Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback with Kenny Pickett dealing with an ankle injury. That means it’ll likely be Bailey Zappe taking on Trubisky in this matchup.

Here’s the full injury report for both teams on Tuesday:

New England Patriots

Player Injury Tuesday Game Status
WR Demario Douglas Concussion DNP
RB Rhamondre Stevenson Ankle DNP
DL Christian Barmore Shoulder LP
LB Chris Board Back LP
WR Kayshon Boutte Shoulder LP
OT Trent Brown Ankle/Hand LP
WR DeVante Parker Knee LP
OL Riley Reiff Knee LP
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster Ankle LP

DNP: Did not practice; LP: Limited participation ; FP: Full participation

Pittsburgh Steelers

Player Injury Tuesday Game Status
QB Kenny Pickett Ankle DNP
RB Najee Harris Knee DNP
S James Pierre Shoulder DNP
DT Keeanu Benton Oblique LP
C Mason Cole Neck LP
LB Elandon Roberts Groin LP
DT Cam Heyward Not injury-related (Rest) LP
G Isaac Seumalo Shoulder LP
S Minkah Fitzpatrick Hand FP
DT Montravious Adams Sr. Ankle FP

DNP: Did not practice; LP: Limited participation ; FP: Full participation

The good news for the Patriots is Ezekiel Elliott no longer being on the injury report. With Stevenson out, Elliott will be the next man up to lead the offensive backfield against a terrifying Steelers defense.

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