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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — To quote the legendary Boston rock band Aerosmith, the New England Patriots were “back in the saddle again” as they begin OTAs at Gillette Stadium.
As will be the case with many of this year’s season milestones, head coach Mike Vrabel is conducting his first as the Patriots’ top option on the coaching depth chart. With offseason workout phases 1 and 2 firmly behind them, Vrabel and the Patriots are now ready for their preparations to reach another level.
Though OTAs are seldom indicative of a team’s regular-season potential, the sessions are expected to provide insight on its performance. In fact, Vrabel laid out a clear criteria of what he considers to be a successful OTA practice while speaking with reporters prior to Tuesday’s practice at Gillette Stadium.
“All of the operational things,” Vrabel said. “Getting in and out of the huddle, making clean substituations … that’s all important. We need to see the defense making checks when the offense moves … The offense should be coordinated before the snap and moving with urgency."
From the moment he took the reins in January as the franchise’s 16th head coach, Vrabel has made it clear that his leadership style will attempt to once again instill a culture of hard work, collaboration and accountability. The 49-year-old has vowed to remove the “entitlement” from the team and thus create an aura of self-responsibility. As such, New England’s front office has worked diligently to stack its roster with high-quality, high-character players, to ensure that Vrabel’s message must not only be heard, but unconditionally embraced by his team to succeed.
With nine days of organized team activities (OTAs) scheduled through late May and early June at Gillette Stadium, Vrabel and the Pats brain trust will be keeping a close watch on returning veterans, new faces and rookies as they take the first steps in filling their 53-man roster.
At their core, the voluntary sessions are designed to help players improve through in-person meetings and classroom instruction, with less emphasis on-field practices. Though live contact drills are prohibited during this period, 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills can be run.
After practicing on Monday and Tuesday, the Patriots will enjoy a day off on Wednesday (May 20) before returning to the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium on Thursday to conclude their first week of OTAs.
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Steelers receive bad news on fan-favorite rookie: 'Better pray'
The Pittsburgh Steelers were handed their first preseason loss of the year. On Saturday night, the Steelers fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 17-14. A preseason loss or win doesn’t mean much, but how the young players performed does. Early in the game, Steelers rising outside linebacker Nick Herbig suffered a soft tissue injury. With Alex Highsmith’s groin injury also lingering, this now could mean that rookie Jack Sawyer might be thrust into more opportunities than originally expected. One of the most respected NFL Draft analysts, Jon Ledyard, watched the Buccaneers versus Steelers game on Sunday and revealed some concerning updates about Sawyer’s game tape. While Sawyer displayed flashes of his strength and relentless motor, the tape also exposed areas of inconsistency in his technique. The analyst pointed out that Sawyer struggled to disengage from blockers on a few critical snaps and at times looked a step behind in recognizing run plays. For a defense that relies heavily on outside linebacker depth to keep constant pressure on quarterbacks, those mistakes stand out quickly. "Missed the Steelers-Bucs game live last night, so re-watching now," Ledyard shared to his X followers on Sunday morning. "Difference between [Nick] Herbig off the ball and [Jack] Sawyer off the ball is like watching a different sport. Steelers better pray Herbig and [Alex] Highsmith are good to go Week 1." Despite the concerning breakdown, the Steelers remain high on Sawyer’s upside. There has also been positive news about the rookie. He has the physical tools and raw talent that made him such a popular rookie among fans when Pittsburgh drafted him. With Herbig and Highsmith both dealing with injuries, Sawyer could find himself in line for more immediate snaps during the preseason and potentially into the regular season. The next couple of weeks will be crucial for him to clean up his technique, prove he can handle the added responsibility and show coaches that he’s ready to step into a bigger role if called upon. It seems that several pundits were not very high on Sawyer's showing Saturday night. Now, it's still early for the fourth-round prospect. He will surely continue to watch the tape and improve as he continues to adjust to the NFL level. Sawyer recorded just one tackle, and while he has put out some troubling tape over the first two preseason games, it is not enough to truly cause concern. If anything, it is reflective of a fourth-round pick still adjusting to the speed and complexity of the NFL. The transition from college to the professional level is never easy, and Sawyer was a fourth-rounder in the eyes of many teams for a reason. He has the tools to develop, but it may simply take time for him to find his rhythm and consistency. Steelers Likely To Need Jack Sawyer In 2025 The silver lining for Sawyer is that the injuries at outside linebacker will give him a real chance to build momentum. With both Herbig and Highsmith sidelined, even temporarily, the Steelers will need depth and fresh legs at the position. Sawyer will have opportunities to get on the field and show progress, but he will need to sharpen his technique and improve quickly if he hopes to make a legitimate impact in his rookie season. The reality is that if Herbig and Highsmith do not return swiftly from their soft tissue injuries, the Steelers' outside linebacker group could be in a difficult spot. Soft tissue issues are unpredictable and can linger anywhere from days to months, making recovery timelines uncertain. That uncertainty puts added pressure on Sawyer, who suddenly finds himself facing a pivotal stretch early in his NFL career.
Cowboys' Tyler Booker Reacts To 'Dream Come True' Debut
Dallas Cowboys first-round pick Tyler Booker finally had his NFL debut in the second preseason game, in the 31-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. And yeah, he was as advertised. Booker looked at home in the NFL, and yes, we get it, it's preseason, but we saw all that we needed to, and given the fact that Dallas had its best running plays behind the right side of the offensive line, ittells you all you need to know. But how was getting on the grass in a real NFL game? “Great,” Booker said. "It's really a dream come true. I was glad to be out there with my teammates. Glad to see some live action, and I'm very excited to watch the film. Just going out there having any debut was really a dream come true. Being able to play with my teammates and some live action. It was definitely a great time. Had a great time. Perhaps the best thing was that Booker wasn't just able to be serviceable, he was good. Per PFF, Booker, on 15 pass plays, didn't offer up a single pressure with No. 52 stout against the Ravens pass rush, and also, his push in the run game was something that will no doubt make Schottenheimer and the coaching staff happy. Yes, it was only preseason, but with all the question marks surrounding the Cowboys, one that we don't have is whether Booker will be able to compete at a high level and look good doing it.
Chicago Bears WR Luther Burden makes massive statement in unexpected way vs. Bills
Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver is still battling for reps with the starting offense. Veteran Olamide Zaccheaus has a strong hold on the WR3 gig, and if Burden wants to catch him, he'll need to impress coaches with more than just his playmaking ability. And boy did he do exactly that during Sunday night's Week 2 preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Burden, whose passion for the finer details of football was questioned during the run-up to the 2025 NFL Draft, did the grunt work that not every receiver is fond of: he got his nose dirty in the run game. Check out this incredible block that cleared the way for an Ian Wheeler touchdown run. Believe it or not, that was Burden's second edge-destroying block that resulted in a Bears' score. Here was the first: Of course, the Bears spent the No. 39 overall pick on Luther Burden primarily because of his playmaking skill set. And he put that on display against the Bills' defense, too. Burden totaled three catches for 49 yards in the first half. He looked every bit the part of game-changing wide receiver. Even in the run game.
Celtics new starting center shows glimpse of what's to come
Earlier this summer, the Boston Celtics parted with the entirety of their center rotation for the 2024-25 season. They traded away Kristaps Porzingis and allowed Luke Kornet to leave via free agency, and while Al Horford is yet to sign with a new team, he isn't expected to return to Boston. With three bigs leaving in the same summer, Neemias Queta appears to have jumped from being the fourth-string big last season into the starting center role for the 2025-26 NBA season. And as the franchise is in a retooling year, it will likely try to develop the 7-foot rim-runner. Fortunately for Celtics fans, they're going to get a solid look at how Queta deals with starter-level minutes against high-level opponents in the coming weeks. The 26-year-old big man is with the Portuguese national team, where he will likely anchor the middle of the floor throughout the FIBA EuroBasket tournament. On Friday, Queta suited up against Iceland as part of Portugal's warmup schedule. He earned 14 minutes of playing time and quickly filled the box score, ending the contest with 12 points, six rebounds, one assist and one block. Queta has shown flashes of his upside since joining the Celtics. He played in 62 games last season despite being fourth on the depth chart. He's already proven that he's capable of making an impact against NBA-level opposition. However, there's a difference between earning some spot starts or making a splash against second units and to being a full-time starter. Queta will undoubtedly find himself working through a new learning experience, especially deep into the season, when games start to come at you fast. Fortunately for Queta and Celtics fans, the EuroBasket tournament will serve as a reliable proving ground. He will face some of the best bigs in the world this summer and could quickly squash any concerns Boston's fanbase may have. And with that in mind, Celtics fans will likely hope that Queta's performance against Iceland was a sign of things to come.
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