Report: Braxton Berrios Gets Early Jump On Quest For Patriots WR Spot

The New England Patriots will soon start their training camp, and some of them will have to come a bit early. Braxton Berrios is one of them.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss confirmed that Patriots rookies will hit the field earlier than other players.

“Rookies report to training camp July 21, with veterans following them July 24, but some players are already trickling in to Gillette Stadium a bit early. One of them is second-year receiver Braxton Berrios, which highlights the approach he has taken with a notable opportunity ahead of him.

“A 2018 sixth-round draft choice who spent his rookie season on injured reserve, Berrios flashed his talent in spring practices to put himself in an advantageous position to earn a roster spot at a time the Patriots’ offense is transitioning in the wake of Rob Gronkowski‘s retirement. The key for him now is building on that momentum by staying healthy. Along those lines, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound Miami (Florida) alum has spent a lot of time working with the team, gaining weight and strength.

“Julian Edelman and first-round draft choice N’Keal Harry are locks in the Patriots’ receiving corps, and it’s wide open after that.

“Berrios, who can provide added value as a punt returner, would be on my initial 53-man roster projection as a Danny Amendola-type slot option based on his strong spring. He’s arrived early as part of his attempt to seize a spot.”

Edelman understands Berriors’ position at the moment.

“You know, little things you do see,” Edelman said of him and Riley McCarron. “Just the confusion or you know – I mean you got to think about it. You’re a young guy and you’re going into a whole new system, you’re going into a whole new part of the country you probably haven’t been.

“You know, you got to learn calculus when you just got out of regular math. So you definitely can relate to a lot of those things and try to help them out as much as possible to get them to feel a little more comfortable. And I think that’s what we all try to do. We all try to learn from each other and help each other out and that’s – as a veteran that’s what you got to do I guess.”