Patriots mailbag: DeMario Douglas competing in crowded group of slot receivers

The Patriots wrapped up their first week of spring practices Thursday After observing Tuesday s OTAs session let s answer selected questions in the latest installment of the Patriots mailbag Related Articles Patriots OTAs Day Drake Maye throws INTs Christian Gonzalez stars Patriots wideout loving different custom under Mike Vrabel Patriots top pick Will Campbell impressing veteran in O-line room Patriots All-Pro Christian Gonzalez flashes in first open practice of spring Mike Vrabel confirms Patriots two joint practice opponents felimamaye What s your starting at defense It s certainly pretty easy to predict at this point The starting defensive front four should be Christian Barmore Milton Williams Keion White and Harold Landry One of the starting linebackers will be Robert Spillane The top candidates for the other spot are Jahlani Tavai Christian Elliss and Jack Gibbens I don t think the Patriots handed Elliss a big contract to only play him on special teams so he would be my other choice at linebacker And then in the secondary Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis will be the top cornerbacks Marcus Jones is the top slot option and Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers are the the bulk experienced safeties Among players not mentioned K Lavon Chaisson and Anfernee Jennings have starting experience on the edge and Marcus Epps has been a starting safety during his career usa k Surprise cuts trades Pop is on my list I think majority players who are carried over from the Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo era are possibilities I still struggle to see Tavai s fit in Mike Vrabel s defense As for DeMario Pop Douglas I wouldn t cut him Even if he s not starting he has the speed and agility to be used as a gadget participant on screens end around and in the slot He s one of the greater part dynamic players on the roster and I think there are tactics to use him I do wonder about his fit as a slot receiver in Josh McDaniels offense only because he s undersized and those players are solicited to block One former Patriots coach described Douglas as having the meeting of an outside receiver and the body type of a slot Douglas does have competition for that slot role though Stefon Diggs played in the slot heavily last season During practice the Patriots split their receivers up into two groups To me it looked like outside options and inside options Douglas was with Kendrick Bourne Ja Lynn Polk and undrafted rookies Efton Chism and Demeer Blankumsee among inside receivers It was Javon Baker Kayshon Boutte Kyle Williams John Jiles and Jeremiah Webb in the outside group Diggs wasn t present for practice DJ plus On a scale of how concerned are you with Campbell s narrow shoulders It s not ideal but we have yet to see that it will in fact be a concern in the NFL I guess I d say a out of right now Patriots rookie Will Campbell speaks to the media as the Patriots hold rookie minicamp in Foxboro Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill Boston Herald Dylangree Is Efton Chism making the final roster It s obviously too early to say but he was a standout at OTAs catching passes from backup QBs Joshua Dobbs and Ben Wooldridge He certainly looks the part of a Wes Welker Danny Amendola-type athlete and he has the requisite agility and quickness though he lacks top speed Chism ran a -second -yard dash at his pro day Welker clocked a -second at his pro day and Amendola ran a -second -yard dash at the combine Chism s -cone drill was certainly faster than Welker seconds and Amendola seconds An uber-productive undrafted undersized slot receiver will reliably bear monitoring with McDaniels as the offensive coordinator The only question is whether he turns out to be Amendola and Welker or T J Moe and Riley McCarron JoSpence Do you think come end of training camp the Pats will have gone from the worst roster in the league to having to make very formidable cuts to get to Players other teams will want We ll see It looks like there could be a few tough cuts at wide receiver cornerback and safety but other positions running back tight end offensive line defensive line edge and linebacker are much more clear cut Castles Burning Thought on Jaheim Bell taking a second year leap At one point in practice the Patriots split the gang up into two groups for a walk-through session The starters were on the right field and the backups were on the left field Vrabel declared the depth chart is fluid right now but it was notable to see Bell catching passes from Dobbs on the left field while Jack Westover an undrafted free agent out of Washington was with Drake Maye on the right field brideez Who is going be the starting left guard opening day It looks like Cole Strange and Wes Schweitzer are presently the leaders in the clubhouse So I ll guess Strange But that is expected to be an open competition this spring and summer