Tag: Marte Mapu

Patriots announce 2023 rookie jersey numbers ahead of preseason opener

The jersey numbers for the Patriots’ 2023 rookies have been revealed.

The New England Patriots’ 2023 NFL draft class and undrafted free agents are ditching their temporarily assigned numbers for their actual game numbers.

On Thursday, the Patriots announced all of the new numbers ahead of their preseason opener against the Houston Texans.

With rosters being at 90 players at this stage, a lot of these numbers could change as rosters are finalized and numbers shift. It is also important to note that there are some players currently wearing the same number as another player on the roster. That is permitted in training camp, as long as the players aren’t not on the same side of the ball.

Let’s take a look at what numbers the rookies have decided to go with for the next few weeks of training camp.

Stock up, stock down for Patriots ahead of preseason opener

Who’s stock is up and who’s stock is down for the Patriots?

The New England Patriots are approaching their first preseason game of the 2023 season on Thursday, which will be an important test for every player on the 90-man roster. Each player is fighting for a role and an opportunity to make the 53-man roster.

As each week passes, we will be taking a look at players or position groups and breaking down how they have been performing this summer.

Stock watching is a way of sharing what we see and how a player is performing or building off of their past performances. Generally, the more a stock drops, the lower their roster lock status becomes.

As with all roster moves, there are multiple facets that get taken into consideration, like contracts, draft status and positional need. Let’s take a look at who is up and who is down in the Patriots’ stock watch.

Patriots S Adrian Phillips admits rookie Marte Mapu is a rare defender

Patriots linebacker Marte Mapu continues to impress in training camp.

New England Patriots safety Adrian Phillips has been offering up some initial impressions of players early in training camp. One of the players mentioned that have particularly caught Phillips’ eye has been Marte Mapu.

The rookie third-round draft pick’s versatility as both a linebacker and safety is exceptional in its own right, but Phillips has been impressed by the effectiveness Mapu is having at both positions.

“I have to think. Off the top of my head, I don’t know if I have (seen players Mapu’s size that can play anywhere),” said Phillips. “You see a lot of guys that come in that are tweeners that play linebacker and safety like that but not really excel at it.”

Mapu comes to New England after having a productive senior season for Sacramento State. He recorded 76 total tackles and was named to the first-team All-Big Sky Conference.

That success is beginning to carry over at the next level with Mapu putting together a strong training camp for a Patriots defense that could use depth at the linebacker position.

Mapu would be another draft steal on the defensive side of the ball, which seems to be the norm for Patriots coach Bill Belichick at this point. Here’s to hoping he can carry his preseason momentum into the regular season.

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10 standout players from the first week of Patriots training camp

Here are 10 standout Patriots from training camp so far.

The first full week of training camp is in the books with plenty to like from the New England Patriots on both sides of the ball.

Yes, even the offense, too.

The first few days were limited to red zone work and were basically an extension of minicamp and OTAs. However, the Patriots really opened things up in their first padded practice on Monday.

Things got competitive fast and in a hurry with the practices becoming much more physical. Granted, the defense is still the strength of the Patriots, but the offense isn’t backing down. Multiple players from the unit have shined as brightly as some of the team’s best defensive players.

Here are 10 standouts from the Patriots’ first week of training camp practice.

6 takeaways from Day 4 of Patriots training camp practice

Takeaways from Day 4 of Patriots training camp

The New England Patriots were back on the field on Sunday for their fourth  training camp practice.

There was more red zone work in this practice, but coach Bill Belichick did open things up a bit more, which seemed to help the offense.

It’s still clear that the offense struggles when the field shortens, but they showed a bit more life when there was more room to work in competitive drills.

Offensive guard Michael Onwenu, running back Ty Montgomery, offensive tackle Calvin Anderson and special teamer Cody Davis were still absent from practice. Meanwhile, rookie center/guard Jake Andrews and wideout Kayshon Boutte were the newest additions to the list.

Here are six takeaways from Day 4 of Patriots training camp:

Draft reaction: New England Patriots select LB Marte Mapu No. 76 overall

Draft reaction to the New England Patriots selecting Sacramento State LB Marte Mapu No. 76 overall

The New England Patriots added yet another versatile and consistent playmaker to their linebacker group with the selection of Sacramento State linebacker Marte Mapu.

A two year starter for the Hornets, Mapu a varied mix of excellent production to the Sacramento State defense. With ability as a cover linebacker, run stuffer, and blitzer, Mapu was a vital chess piece for his defense. During those final two years Mapu put up impressive numbers with two sacks, seventeen quarterback pressures, 104 tackles, and six interceptions. While he is undersized, his tenacity and athleticism ensures Mapu will have a shot to stick around in the league.

Mapu seems like he was designed in a lab to join this Bill Belichick defense, and while he likely won’t be a starter from day one, it is hard to imagine him not stealing some snaps from the veteran starters in front of him at some point. It is possible that Mapu impresses in his rookie year and becomes the long term solution at the position.

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Biggest winners and losers from Patriots’ OTAs and minicamp

Who stood out and who didn’t at the Patriots’ spring practices?

Not everybody came out of organized team activities and mandatory minicamp a winner for the New England Patriots.

That doesn’t mean they won’t bounce back in the summer and turn things around at training camp. It’s always important to avoid overreacting to spring practices, especially when players aren’t even working out in pads.

But then again, the teams wouldn’t be meeting if OTAs and minicamp weren’t considered important offseason work. There were clearly standouts for the Patriots on the field, and on the other end of the spectrum, there were also players that struggled.

Here are the biggest winners and losers from the Patriots’ spring practices:

10 biggest OTAs and minicamp standouts for Patriots

Who stood out the most for the Patriots during the spring practices?

The New England Patriots have finished up the last of their spring practices and will be taking the next few weeks off before returning in late July for training camp.

Even though the players weren’t in pads, things clearly got competitive on the practice field. Just ask Anfernee Jennings, Christian Barmore and Cole Strange, who were all involved in a brief dust-up during organized team activities.

We didn’t get a full course meal, but we were able to feast on enough appetizers to know this team is ready for training camp. The defense could be a real juggernaut in 2023, and the additional playmakers, particularly the rookies, could play a major role right out of the gates.

Meanwhile, the offense has shown real strides in the spring practices. This is no longer the predicted train wreck unit is was last year around this time.

Here are the 10 biggest standouts during the spring practices for the Patriots:

Patriots LB Matthew Judon impressed by rookie Marte Mapu

Matthew Judon is admittedly impressed with Patriots rookie Marte Mapu.

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New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon seems excited about the potential of the defense. One of the players he referenced in his recent session with the media was rookie linebacker Marte Mapu.

Mapu was named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. He had 76 total tackles in 13 games. He also had two interceptions. New England selected him in the third round of the draft with the 76th overall pick.

His versatility has been on full display over the course of training camp. He has garnered strong reviews over the last couple of weeks as the Patriots have moved him around the field at both the linebacker and safety positions.

“It’s his speed and how big he is. He runs like a free safety, but he stands like a linebacker or an edge player,” Judon said, when describing Mapu to reporters. “That’s another guy that can play on all three levels.”

It will be interesting to see how New England uses Mapu in the defense. Although he is a rookie, his upward trajectory over the course of offseason workouts is difficult to ignore.

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Patriots LB Matthew Judon excited by potential of defense

Matthew Judon is pouring praise on the Patriots’ defense.

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New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon is excited about the potential of the defense with training camp nearing. The linebacker met with the media on Tuesday, telling the assembled reporters that New England has “unicorns” on the defense.

The Patriots will look to return a unit that includes veterans like Josh Uche and Jabrill Peppers. Uche emerged as a pass-rusher last season and recorded 11.5 sacks on the year. Peppers was a big part of the safety room for New England, recording 60 tackles in his first season with New England.

On the other hand, the Patriots also has promising rookies that are developing. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez and linebacker/safety Marte Mapu are just some of the names that are getting good praise throughout camp.

Judon seems excited about it all.

It will be fun to see all these pieces fit, as New England looks to return a defensive unit that ranked second in the NFL last season. They’re going to need a cohesive unit to survive their brutal regular season schedule.

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