Heading into their Week 6 game against the New Orleans Saints, there are some questions about the New England Patriots’ outside linebacker group. As a consequence, rookie Bradyn Swinson has started finding himself in the spotlight.
A fifth-round draft pick by the Patriots earlier this year, Swinson showed some flashes during his first training camp and preseason. His inconsistency and raw profile eventually prevented him from making the 53-man roster, but he was signed to the practice squad shortly
after his release ahead of the NFL cutdown deadline.
With the first quarter of the season now in the books, however, outside linebackers coach Mike Smith sees a player who is trending in a positive direction.
“He’s trimming up. He is working,” Smith told reporters at Gillette Stadium on Thursday. “These last three weeks — I actually told him before practice how proud I was of him. He’s really developing and guys like that, younger guys, it takes time, when they get in a rhythm and a routine of things and feel how the NFL is. It’s different, obviously, in college.”
Swinson served as developmental depth throughout the early portion of the season, and with the Patriots’ edge group playing some solid football there was no need for him to be elevated. That might change against the Saints.
On Thursday, the team was without both Keion White (elbow) and Anfernee Jennings (ankle) at practice. Meanwhile, K’Lavon Chaisson (knee) was limited after already sitting out last week’s game in Buffalo. Besides those three, New England also has Harold Landry and Elijah Ponder on its active roster.
In case one or more of White, Jennings and Chaisson become unavailable for Sunday, Swinson and third-year man Truman Jones are prime candidates for elevation from the practice squad. For the rookie, that would be a big opportunity — but one he seemingly is getting closer to earning.
“He’s had a really good three weeks,” said Smith. “He’s really starting to grow up and and blossom into a good football player.”
