From the moment Josh McDaniels was named the Patriots offensive coordinator, many fans felt it would be good news for DeMario "Pop" Douglas. McDaniels' system is famous for its reliance on the slot receiver, and at 5-8 and 192 pounds, Douglas is perfectly suited for such a role.
Through his first two seasons, Douglas showed flashes of ability with 115 catches for 1,182 yards and three touchdowns in his 31 career games. The 2023 sixth-round pick out of Liberty established himself as a reliable target for Drake Maye last year, grabbing 66 balls for 621 yards and those three scores.
But in order to elevate to the status of some of McDaniels' past standouts in the slot role such as Wes Welker. Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, Douglas will need to become more consistent and durable. Through the first full week of camp, Douglas has shown signs of doing just that.
He's been the team's most consistent receiver, making multiple catches each day and showing some development as a route runner, particularly against zones. Playing in the slot requires a feel for finding soft spots against zone coverages and Douglas has done a nice job of navigating areas between linebackers and safeties thus far.
"I'm feeling good out there," Douglas said following Monday's practice. "I've been doing what I can do to get open and having fun out there."
One example of his greater understanding of reading coverages came on a broken play during Saturday's practice. Douglas ran a crosser about 10-15 yards downfield when he noticed Maye scramble away from pressure. He instinctively broke off his route and looked for open space, successfully getting past Christian Gonzalez and Kyle Dugger before hauling in a long touchdown pass.
While the play wasn't drawn up that way, it did show Douglas' maturation in Year 3.
"Great energy, great demeanor, very coachable. One of our offseason award winners," Mike Vrabel said of Douglas on Monday. "So, he obviously worked extremely hard, was here every day, ready to learn, ready to earn a role. I love being around Pop. He's got great energy, and he's got a lot of respect from everybody around here."
Douglas knows the reputation of McDaniels' system and how slot receivers have thrived in the past. He said McDaniels has him watching film of receivers of various sizes and skill sets to help him better understand the nuances involved. He also knows the presence of a legitimate weapon in Stefon Diggs should make life easier for everyone.
"It's been great having [Diggs]," Douglas said. "If the opponent has to put their top dog on him, whatever their game plan is, it should allow us to have more space. I feel like I've grown in the classroom and as a leader I can help some of the others. Josh has shown me that different [types of] players can run any position, as long as you add some sauce to it. So, there's a lot of players that he's showed me."
Beyond Douglas' impressive start to camp, here are one man's observations from Day 6 of training camp.
*Another day of good and bad in terms of injury news as the team welcomed back Austin Hooper off the PUP list. The tight end missed the first five days with an undisclosed ailment but took part in some of the team periods in his first day in uniform. Mack Hollins and Vederian Lowe remain on PUP. Also, Gonzalez (reported hamstring), Carlton Davis, Jahlani Tavai (calf) and Joshua Farmer missed practice. Gonzalez was on the field with a sleeve on his left leg after coming up limping following a play early in Monday's workout. Davis missed his fourth practice and third straight.
*Prior to Tuesday's practice, the Patriots placed Brock Lampe on injured reserve. Lampe lined up at fullback for several reps during Monday's practice, the team's first in full pads, and evidently suffered an injury in the process. The team announced the signing of linebacker R.J. Moten to replace him on the roster. The 6-2, 221-pound Moten is a first-year player out of Florida who played for the Michigan Panthers of the UFL this spring.
*With the projected starting corners out, the secondary featured some new names. Marcus Jones and Alex Austin were part of most of the packages, but Marcellas Dial, Isaiah Bolden and D.J. James also saw plenty of action. James, a first-year player out of Auburn, impressed with his competitiveness. He showed tight coverage on more than one occasion including opposite Diggs. James wasn't perfect and allowed some completions, but his performance warranted a closer look moving forward.
*It wasn't the best day for Maye and the offense as the group worked almost exclusively with the passing game in the red zone. During 7-on-7s he missed Kayshon Boutte and Hunter Henry before bouncing back with touchdowns to Boutte and Javon Baker. Later in the team periods he had some similar bouts of inconsistency. He connected with Kyle Williams for a touchdown on a fade and should have had another big play but the rookie failed to hold onto a back shoulder throw. He missed an open Henry along the back corner of the end zone but also hit Diggs with a perfect throw behind Criag Woodson for another corner touchdown. So, a bit of a mixed bag.
*The offensive line had some moving parts on Tuesday as Morgan Moses left the fields about midway through practice just after 11 a.m. Trey Jacobs took his spot at right tackle for the rest of the way. Jared Wilson once again took reps at both guard and center and even opened one of the team periods in place of Cole Strange at left guard. Garrett Bradbury was slow to get up after one late play and Wilson took his place. Bradbury appeared to get stepped on and did not do the conditioning runs with his teammates to close practice.
*After watching Parker Romo handle all of the field goal work on Monday, Andy Borregales assumed the duties Tuesday. The rookie matched Romo's 6-for-6 performance with the kicks ranging from around 33-52 yards. While the first four attempts were well struck and appeared to be down the middle, his final two were spinning off center and hooked toward the left side just inside the upright. Nice response for Borregales after having some early pressure to deal with.
*Harold Landry, Khyiris Tonga, Craig Woodson, Joshua Dobbs, Austin and Strange were among those who spent time with the media after practice. Strange, Tonga and Truman Jones joined Douglas among the team's offseason award winners.
*Training camp continues on Wednesday with another practice scheduled to begin at 10:15 a.m. Gates will open at 9:15 a.m. in Foxborough.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
