" NFL training campPatriots AnalysisPatriots Training Camp CoveragePatriots training camp competitions to watch: Slot wide receiverNew Ja'Whaun Bentley Jersey ,11commentsHow will the roles in the slot be distributed?EDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Patriots training camp competitions to watch: Slot wide receiverTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe slot wide receiver position as we know it today would not exist without the New England Patriots’ approach to it: with the team moving to a spread offense in 2007, the slot man — in that particular case Wes Welker — saw extensive action as the quarterback’s safety blanket. The spot has been in good hands in New England ever since, going from Welker to Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola.Edelman will again see considerable playing time in the slot in 2019, but he is no pure slot receiver: he only played a little more than half of his snaps from the interior, lining up on the boundary quite regularly as well. This, in turn, creates options for other wide receivers to step in and contribute as guys to rotate into (and possibly out of) the slot in a package-specific way like the aforementioned Amendola.Let’s take a closer look at those fighting for what projects to be at best one spot.The competitorsFirst-round pick N’Keal Harry is the only roster lock on this list, and he will likely be an X-factor when it comes to the slot role in 2019: if the Patriots see that he is capable of moving between the boundary and the interior — something he should be able to work given his quickness and route running abilities — they might opt against keeping a true slot receiver on the 53-man squad.That being said, if one of the other competitors stands out, the team could very well decide to keep another wideout on its roster alongside the projected top four (five if you count the suspended Josh Gordon): Edelman, Harry, Phillip Dorsett and Maurice Harris.The deciding factorsChemistry with Tom Brady: You can be an All-Pro talent but if you fail to get on the same page as the Patriots’ quarterback, you’re going to have a bad time. Brady is a perfectionist and the system which he helped build needs his pass catchers to operate in the same fashion: they have to read coverages properly to make the right decisions on option routes Womens Phillip Dorsett Jersey , and need to be in the exact location the future Hall of Famer expects them to be. If receivers can’t develop that chemistry and earn Brady’s trust, their tenures in New England will be short.Hands: With all that in mind, being in the right spot against the right coverage is just one deciding factor — actually catching the football is equally important. Braxton Berrios displayed a reliable set of mitts during New England’s organized team activities and minicamp, so he could be an intriguing player to watch in an Amendola-esque role. Dontrelle Inman, on the other hand, did not get a chance to showcase his pass-catching skills: Brady targeted him not once during spring workouts open to the media.Physicality: Given the Patriots’ usage of timing patterns, they will face their fair share of press-man coverage again this season. Wide receivers being able to properly disengage and get past defensive backs is therefore key, so they will have to show the right amount of physicality and technique to win their one-on-one battles whenever they face them. In training camp, the group will get a good trial-run considering the talent of New England’s secondary.Positional versatility: New England puts a premium on versatility, and the wide receiver position is no different — especially when it comes to the current competition for the slot spot. Braxton Berrios, Ryan Davis and Gunners Olszewski, for example, have seen regular practice reps as punt returners during the spring Youth Dont’a Hightower Jersey , while Dontrelle Inman and Jakobi Meyers have experience lining up all over the offensive formation.Run blocking: While a wide receiver’s job is to get open and catch the football, to quote Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio, the role itself extends beyond that in the team’s offense: wideouts also need to be capable of sustaining blocks in the running game. Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola were excellent in this area, and if one of the competitors for the slot role can distinguish himself with his blocking he will certainly improve his chances of making the team.The predictionWith Harry and Edelman (and to a lesser degree Phillip Dorsett) projected to line up in the slot on a regular basis, a maximum of one spot remains open to compete for — and that is only if the players in question show enough promise to be kept over depth options at other positions. Based on organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, and his ability to perform as a punt returner as well, it appears that Berrios has the best chances of earning it.That being said, he will need to build on a solid spring in order to actually a) stay ahead of his competition, and b) carve out a role on the team as what is likely a fifth wide receiver (or sixth pending Gordon’s return). Is it possible that the team decides against using that many bodies at the position? Certainly, which is why a good performance in training camp and the preseason is imperative for Berrios and company in order to either make the 53-man roster or the practice squad. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey wanted to sit down for this one.The second-year pro and budding star dispelled rumors, discussed his emotions and delivered more trash talk.Speaking publicly for the first time since he was ejected for instigating a fight with Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green, Ramsey spent 20 minutes Wednesday explaining everything that happened in the first half of Jacksonville’s latest victory.He offered no apologies but had plenty of remorse for not getting “my money’s worth” in a fight that resulted in both players getting ejected.“If I knew I was going to get kicked out Dont’a Hightower Jersey Stitched , I would have got active,” Ramsey said. “It’s cool. Now I know what to do in that situation. If I’m ever in that situation again, best believe I’m going to get active out there.”Ramsey acknowledged walking to the visitors’ locker room after halftime in an attempt to continue things with Green. He was turned away by several security personnel.Ramsey also denied a rumor that his mother had to be called to calm him down as well as reports that he went over the line in talking smack with Green in the first two quarters.“It’s rumors out there that I said some deep, some personnel stuff,” Ramsey said. “I’m going to let y’all know that’s not true. I get out, I do my thing, I talk … But I don’t go personal. I don’t talk about nobody’s wife, nobody’s kids, nobody’s family. I don’t do that.”Ramsey obviously said something that prompted the mild-mannered Green to grab him around the neck, throw him to the ground and starting throwing punches.“I told him almost every play that he was weak, that he was soft,” Ramsey said. Those “are straight facts. He just can’t handle the truth. It’s facts. I told him his time was almost up. I told him that it was easy, which it was. He had one catch for 6 yards.“I was just out there spitting facts to him. He got mad.”The NFL said Monday that Green would not be suspended for his actions.Ramsey was stunned to learn he had been “kicked out for not doing anything.”“I went up to one of the refs and asked him straight up Youth Donald Trump Jerseys , `Why am I getting ejected?'” Ramsey said. “He was like, `To be honest, Jalen, I don’t know.’ That’s exactly what he said, quote for quote.”Ramsey also said he has been told he won’t be fined for what happened in the 23-7 victory.Also Wednesday, Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette called his one-game benching “just another lesson that I have to learn and grow up from.”Coach Doug Marrone made the rookie inactive against the Bengals for violating a team rule. Fournette watched the game from the sideline and later apologized on Twitter.“We just had a misunderstanding,” Fournette said. “That’s all. That’s out the way now. Did my time, did my punishment and now we’re on to the L.A. Chargers.”