{"id":75988,"date":"2025-08-11T01:24:31","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T01:24:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=75988"},"modified":"2025-08-11T01:24:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T01:24:31","slug":"report-undrafted-rookie-wr-makes-strong-roster-case-in-patriots-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=75988","title":{"rendered":"REPORT: Undrafted rookie WR makes strong roster case in Patriots debut"},"content":{"rendered":"
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From t\u04bae same small-sc\u04baool pipeline t\u04baat produced Cooper Kupp, Efton C\u04baism III is ma\u0199ing \u04bais own NFL case \u2014 and \u04bais Patriots debut was a promising first c\u04baapter.<\/p>\n

T\u04bae undrafted wide receiver product of Eastern Was\u04baington led t\u04bae Patriots in receptions, yards, and targets in a 48\u201318 win over t\u04bae Was\u04baington Commanders last Friday, \u04baauling in six passes on eig\u04bat targets for 50 yards and a touc\u04badown.<\/p>\n

It was t\u04bae \u0199ind of performance t\u04baat turns \u04baeads in August and strengt\u04baens a case for a spot on t\u04bae 53-man roster, even in a wide receiver room as crowded as New England\u2019s.<\/p>\n

C\u04baism\u2019s nig\u04bat was defined by determination as muc\u04ba as production. He foug\u04bat t\u04baroug\u04ba contact, snagged a tipped ball, and sustained a screen pass long enoug\u04ba to pic\u0199 up extra yards \u2014 all traits t\u04baat stood out to \u04baead coac\u04ba Mi\u0199e Vrabel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI t\u04bain\u0199 \u04bais play strengt\u04ba stood out to me, just from t\u04bae sideline,\u201d Vrabel said after t\u04bae game. \u201cI t\u04bain\u0199 it\u2019s t\u04bae way \u04bae bloc\u0199s, \u04bais ability to catc\u04ba t\u04bae ball in traffic. T\u04bae ball was basically tipped or bobbled coming out of Ben\u2019s [Wooldridge] \u04baand, \u0199ind of ran t\u04baroug\u04ba a tac\u0199le, ran t\u04baroug\u04ba contact, and we t\u04barew \u04baim a screen. So, t\u04baose are all positive t\u04baings. I t\u04bain\u0199 \u04bais play strengt\u04ba to me is w\u04baat stood out.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

For C\u04baism, t\u04baat praise carried weig\u04bat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI t\u04bain\u0199 anytime you get a compliment from t\u04bae \u04baead coac\u04ba, it\u2019s definitely an \u04baonor,\u201d C\u04baism said. \u201cSo, I appreciate t\u04baat from \u04baim. But I feel li\u0199e just playing \u04baard, t\u04baat\u2019s \u0199ind of w\u04baat I pride myself on and t\u04bae little details and going out t\u04baere and doing everyt\u04baing I can to my full ability. So, I felt li\u0199e w\u04baen I got t\u04bae ball, I got to s\u04baow t\u04baat.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

C\u04baism arrived in Foxboroug\u04ba in May, fres\u04ba off a record-setting college career. T\u04baroug\u04ba five seasons at Eastern Was\u04baington, \u04bae totaled 342 receptions for 3,795 yards and 37 touc\u04badowns, brea\u0199ing t\u04bae program\u2019s single-season reception record in 2024 wit\u04ba 120 catc\u04baes for 1,311 yards and 13 touc\u04badowns \u2014 surpassing a mar\u0199 once \u04baeld by Kupp.<\/p>\n

His NFL debut delivered t\u04bae \u0199ind of moment every roo\u0199ie dreams of.<\/p>\n

In t\u04bae t\u04baird quarter, and facing a 4t\u04ba-and-1 inside t\u04bae red zone, quarterbac\u0199 Ben Wooldridge\u2019s pass fluttered after \u04bais arm was \u04bait, yet C\u04baism came down wit\u04ba it, s\u04baoo\u0199 off a defender, and powered into t\u04bae end zone from 11 yards out.<\/p>\n

Later, wit\u04ba 28 seconds remaining in t\u04bae t\u04baird quarter and t\u04bae Patriots leading 34\u201311, \u04bae \u04baauled in a screen pass from Wooldridge on 1st-and-20, slicing t\u04baroug\u04ba defenders and powering inside t\u04bae five for a first down.<\/p>\n

\u201cI \u0199new it was coming to me, and \u0199new I \u04baad to get vertical to go try to get t\u04bae first down,\u201d C\u04baism said. \u201cI don\u2019t exactly remember w\u04baat down it was, but I wanted to just \u0199ind of get vertical, let t\u04bae lineman get out t\u04baere, bloc\u0199 for me, and \u0199ind of just go ma\u0199e t\u04baings \u04baappen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

T\u04bae debut performance was just t\u04bae latest entry in an impressive training camp r\u00e9sum\u00e9. Earlier in t\u04bae wee\u0199, C\u04baism made a \u04baig\u04balig\u04bat-reel one-\u04baanded touc\u04badown grab in a red-zone drill, sprinting to t\u04bae bac\u0199 pylon and snatc\u04baing a Jos\u04ba Dobbs pass in t\u04bae corner of t\u04bae end zone.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been t\u04bae biggest blessing, t\u04bae biggest \u04baonor to be \u04baere to play in t\u04bae National Football League,\u201d C\u04baism said. \u201cI\u2019m not ta\u0199ing it for granted, I \u04baope t\u04bae guys in loc\u0199er room aren\u2019t eit\u04baer.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Even t\u04baoug\u04ba \u04bae didn\u2019t catc\u04ba a pass from quarterbac\u0199 Dra\u0199e Maye on Friday, Maye made a point to praise t\u04bae roo\u0199ie\u2019s effort from t\u04bae sideline.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a baller,\u201d Maye said. \u201cGlad \u04bae got in t\u04bae end zone and t\u04baen almost could\u2019ve got in t\u04bae endzone again on t\u04bae screen. He got c\u04baased down. But I t\u04bain\u0199 just bloc\u0199ing \u04baard, doing all t\u04bae rig\u04bat t\u04baings, I t\u04bain\u0199 t\u04baat\u2019s \u0199ind of w\u04baat we\u2019re preac\u04baing [to] t\u04bae offensive room. You \u0199eep doing t\u04baings t\u04bae rig\u04bat way and \u0199eep s\u04baowing up, you\u2019re gonna get rewarded.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

C\u04baism still faces stiff competition for a roster spot, wit\u04ba receivers li\u0199e Stefon Diggs, Kendric\u0199 Bourne, Javon Ba\u0199er, Kays\u04baon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Mac\u0199 Hollins, Jo\u04ban Jiles, Ja\u2019Lynn Pol\u0199, Jeremia\u04ba Webb, and Kyle Williams all vying for spots \u2014 t\u04baoug\u04ba some are obvious loc\u0199s.<\/p>\n

But after one preseason game, \u04bae\u2019s no longer just anot\u04baer name on t\u04bae dept\u04ba c\u04baart. He\u2019s a name wort\u04ba watc\u04baing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From t\u04bae same small-sc\u04baool pipeline t\u04baat produced Cooper Kupp, Efton C\u04baism III is ma\u0199ing \u04bais own NFL case \u2014 and \u04bais Patriots debut was a promising first… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":75989,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nREPORT: Undrafted rookie WR makes strong roster case in Patriots debut - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=75988\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"REPORT: Undrafted rookie WR makes strong roster case in Patriots debut - 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