New England Patriots Mailbag — Early results are in – ESPN Boston

Another guy to keep an eye on tonight. Back before camp started and my expectations for Chandler Jones were somewhere between “bust” and “red shirt year” I thought Scott would be a major player this season. I still think he could be valuable in a designated pass rusher role, but we’ll have to see how he looks tomorrow.

Q. Mike, who do you think needs to step up in the preseason games to make the roster? – JoeFla (Orlando, Fla.)

A. Joe, one player who comes to mind is fifth-year defensive end Trevor Scott. He looked like a sure bet to be on the first-unit at left defensive end, but a few things have happened since the early part of camp that have altered the picture: 1. First-round pick Chandler Jones is getting more time at right defensive end; 2. Rookie free agent Justin Francis seemingly has made a strong bid for a roster spot; 3. Scott’s own performance has appeared to slip in 1-on-1 rush drills. So I’m interested to watch him in the preseason to see if he can recapture some of the pass-rushing spark that he had early in his career.