Patriots Will Have Plenty Of Questions Answered At Minicamp

The Patriots will kickstart mandatory minicamp Tuesday, which should help them answer a ton of questions as they prepare for Jerod Mayo’s first training camp.

It’s honestly a fairly important three days in New England.

It’s also no longer a voluntary option, so there will be a larger group of players than we’ve seen throughout OTAs. You can assume some guys will make their return to the field, while those who don’t will immediately become the top story.

The Patriots discovering who takes the word “mandatory” seriously is just the tip of the ice berg, though, so let’s dive into the other questions that could be answered Tuesday.

Can the wideouts hold their own?

Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones are set to return to One Patriot Place, which means the full defensive backfield will be together for the first time in its current iteration. It’ll represent a tremendous opportunity to compete, too, with one-on-one matchups usually a staple this time of year.

Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones and Alex Austin is a formidable group for the wide receivers to compete with.

Who will stand out on the offensive side of the ball? Is it possible Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker are ready to be starters this early on? Is JuJu Smith-Schuster going to be an easy cut?

How far along are the kids?

It’s worth sticking with the skill guys while we’re here.

Could Gonzalez and Austin really hold down the top two cornerback spots?

Jones and Jones (trademark pending) will come in an quickly reshape the room, but both are at their best playing in the slot. Marcellas Dial, Isaiah Bolden, Marco Wilson, Mikey Victor, Shaun Wade, Azizi Hearn and Kaleb Ford-Dement are gigantic question marks, so Gonzalez and Austin stepping up could go a long way in helping shape the room.

Is Matthew Judon’s contract going to be an issue?

Matthew Judon hasn’t been around this offseason, but he fully intends on showing up to mandatory minicamp.

He’s a smart man and likes his money.

Judon “held in” last year before being given an advance in pay. He’s in the final year of his deal, so that’s not necessarily an option this time around. He’ll be in Foxboro, Mass. but his participation level is really the question that we’re all looking for the answer to.

Who will take a step heading into training camp?

It could be any of the 90 guys.

Jaheim Bell has some runway to carve out a role for himself, whether it be as the third tight end or in a hybrid role. Marte Mapu is an interesting candidate to earn more snaps behind Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger. Is there anyone who is ready to take the reigns behind Rhamondre Stevenson.

It’s the final chance for some guys to set themselves up for a good camp.