FOXBORO, Mass. — Patriots head coach Bill Belichick insisted the last four weeks have been about instruction, not competition. However, Belichick and his staff will have nearly six weeks to dissect film of their 15 offseason practices, and they'll definitely note a handful of players who stepped it up this spring.
Here are a few.
Darius Butler, cornerback
As noted before, Butler has a firm grasp on the starting left cornerback spot, and he really separated from the pack of cornerbacks during New England's organized team activities and minicamp. The second-year corner has displayed excellent quickness and closing speed, and he had the best camp of every defensive back.
Brian Hoyer, quarterback
The Michigan State product turned heads over the last month. He was precise with his throws, both with the first and second units, and his strides over the last year have been remarkable. Hoyer's most impressive stretch during minicamp might have come during Wednesday's session, when he led the offense down the field for a touchdown in the two-minute drill.
Brandon Tate, wide receiver
Wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea couldn’t have been happier with Tate's work ethic to get back at it after his 2009 knee injury, and Tate spent a ton of time working with the first-team offense. His athleticism will be an asset on offense, particularly with the threat of trick plays, but Tate's development as a true wide receiver has been a high point.
Taylor Price, wide receiver
He's only been able to participate in three sessions, but Price was really good in two of them, which is pretty stunning for a guy who is so far behind the rest of the team. Granted, these practices are designated as a passing camp, so the wide receivers have a good shot to stand out. But Price has shown good route-running skills and strong hands, pulling in a number of passes on out routes by the sidelines.
Matthew Slater, wide receiver
He's still a long shot to make the roster — although, to be fair, the same was said last year, and he still found a home — but Slater's performance will make him a tough cut. He has been on the team for his speed and special teams value, but the UCLA product made a ton of excellent plays on offense in camp. Slater made nice catches while jumping, diving, falling and seemingly everything else of the difficult variety, and he was good at finding pockets in the defense in the red zone.
