FOXBOROUGH – The Patriots unofficially wrapped up the preseason on Tuesday with the final practice before the exhibition finale against the Giants on Thursday night. New England still has a walkthrough Wednesday and practices scheduled for Sunday and Monday, but eyes will be shifting towards week one by the time the Patriots return home from New Jersey in the very early hours of Friday morning. Tuesday’s session definitely had more…

FOXBOROUGH – Whether he’s sprinting down the field to beat Mike Vrabel to the next period or out randomly catching a couple punts for fun, Robert Spillane has already become a glue guy for the Patriots. Not only has he made plays throughout his first training camp in Foxborough, but he’s also the signal caller in the middle running the show and brings an energy that the unit can’t help…

FOXBOROUGH, MA – The New England Patriots are “absolutely” interested in making a significant trade to improve their roster, according to executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Wolf stated that the team is in contact with all 31 other NFL teams and is willing to part with high-value draft capital, including a first- or second-round pick, for the right player. “We’re talking to…

FOXBOROUGH – The preseason finally wraps up this week and on Monday, the Patriots held a lighter practice with a short turn around. New England will be in Metlife Stadium on Thursday night for the final exhibition game against the Giants, which gives Mike Vrabel and his staff just a couple days to get some corrections made from the Vikings week. It’s also the final true week of evaluations for…

AP Photo/Abbie Parr The Patriots improved to 2-0 on the preseason with a 20-12 win over the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings did not play their starters while the Patriots starters played two series. Here are seven points on the Patriots win. Here are seven key points from the Patriots’ 20-12 preseason win over the Vikings: 1. Henderson continues to impress: Running back TreVeyon Henderson, scored an 8-yard touchdown in the…

Courtesy of the New England Patriots The Patriots offensive line faced a significant test this week in joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings and after two practices, the results were concerning. While quarterback Drake Maye showed flashes of brilliance and poise, his protection was often lacking, as the Patriots’ offensive line consistently struggled against a talented Vikings defensive front that might be the best in the NFL. By all accounts,…

Kickoff: The Patriots take on the Minnesota Vikings in preseason game number two today. After two joint practices with Minnesota, we will see the Patriots apply what they practiced in game action. Here are four things to look for in today’s second preseason game. 1st Down: How long will the starters play? One would think the starters will play at least a quarter, maybe even a half. After a rough…

Courtesy of David Berding/Getty Images The Patriots and Vikings kicked off their first of two joint practices on Wednesday in what was a competitive and energetic practice. The Patriots defense had a strong showing, while the offense had both impressive plays and some struggles, particularly with pass protection. We knew going in that the offensive line could struggle against the Vikings multiple defense. Patriots Defense Shines The Patriots’ defense set…

Prior to the first of two joint practice with the Vikings in Minnesota on Wednesday, Mike Vrabel met with the media. One question in particular from NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry drew an interesting response regarding Drake Maye’s leadership and leadership as a whole. We’ve all seen the Forged in Foxborough clips where Vrabel’s encouraging Maye to go celebrate with teammates or talk to them during a brief break. Vrabel…

Courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings 1. Handling the Vikings pressure: Both quarterback Drake and the offensive line will have their hands full against the Vikings multiple defense. Old friend Brian Flores runs an aggressive, attacking defense which utilizes a lot of bluff and simulated pressure. Maye has to win in pre-snap with his decision making and adjust post snap when he gets a different look. He needs to be on…