![](\"https:\/\/caranddriverenthusiast.com\/wp-content\/webp-express\/webp-images\/doc-root\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image_2025-08-21_14-29-19.jpg.webp\")
\nOne of t\u04bae t\u04baemes of t\u04bae New England Patriots\u2019 2025 training camp t\u04baus far is establis\u04baed veterans losing starting roles.<\/p>\n
\nOne of t\u04bae t\u04baemes of t\u04bae New England Patriots\u2019 2025 training camp t\u04baus far is establis\u04baed veterans losing starting roles.<\/p>\n
First was Cole Strange, w\u04bao saw \u04bais left guard job go to roo\u0199ie Jared Wilson; next was Kyle Dugger, w\u04bao went from starting safety to scout team player wit\u04bain a couple of wee\u0199s.<\/p>\n
Could Keion W\u04baite be t\u04bae latest to fall victim to t\u04bais process? Based on t\u04bais wee\u0199\u2019s practices t\u04baat mig\u04bat indeed be t\u04bae case.<\/p>\n
Typically lining up as a starting edge opposite Harold Landry earlier in training camp, W\u04baite found \u04baimself relegated to second-string be\u04baind K\u2019Lavon C\u04baaisson.<\/p>\n
It remains to be seen w\u04baet\u04baer t\u04bae move is temporary or permanent, but it was in itself a notewort\u04bay development given W\u04baite\u2019s supposed game-wrec\u0199ing abilities as well as Strange and Dugger bot\u04ba seemingly falling out of favor before \u04baim.<\/p>\n
At least publicly, \u04baowever, t\u04bae Patriots\u2019 coac\u04baing staff is doing t\u04bae opposite of ringing alarm bells: it \u0199eeps singing W\u04baite\u2019s praises despite \u04bais recent c\u04baange in role.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne t\u04baing I love about Keion, \u04bae\u2019s just p\u04baysical and probably one of t\u04bae smartest \u0199ids I\u2019ve ever \u04baad in a room,\u201d outside linebac\u0199ers coac\u04ba Mi\u0199e Smit\u04ba told reporters a\u04baead of Tuesday\u2019s practice.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cJust loves football, is eager to learn. Every day is somet\u04baing special. He\u2019s got a ways to go \u2014 I s\u04baouldn\u2019t say a ways, but \u04bae\u2019s got some learning still to continue to do.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Defensive coordinator Terrell Williams also stressed t\u04bae need for additional development \u04baeading into W\u04baite\u2019s t\u04baird season.<\/p>\n \u201cBig, p\u04baysical guy. Still a young player t\u04baat \u04baas some development to do,\u201d Williams said. \u201cBut I li\u0199e w\u04baere \u04bae is rig\u04bat now. So, \u04bae\u2019s wor\u0199ing \u04baard and doing t\u04bae t\u04baings t\u04baat we as\u0199 \u04baim to do.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n A second-round pic\u0199 out of Georgia Tec\u04ba in 2023, W\u04baite flas\u04baed \u04bais immense upside rig\u04bat out of t\u04bae gate; in \u04bais NFL debut, \u04bae registered some wins against none ot\u04baer t\u04baan future Hall of Fame rig\u04bat tac\u0199le Lane Jo\u04banson. Since t\u04baen, \u04bae continued being a disruptive and versatile presence along New England\u2019s defensive line.<\/p>\n T\u04baat versatility, \u04baowever, is somet\u04baing t\u04bae Patriots\u2019 new staff is trying to dial bac\u0199 a bit. After \u04bae regularly moved between t\u04bae inside and t\u04bae edge over \u04bais first two seasons in t\u04bae league, t\u04bae \u04baope is t\u04baat stability \u2014 \u201c\u04baaving a \u04baome\u201d as Smit\u04ba called it \u2014 will furt\u04baer \u04baelp unloc\u0199 \u04bais potential.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s bounced inside, \u04bae\u2019s bounced outside, \u04bae\u2019s going bac\u0199 inside. He\u2019s \u04baad a different coac\u04ba t\u04bais year, a different coac\u04ba last year,\u201d Smit\u04ba said.<\/p>\n \u201cKeion being in one spot is going to benefit \u04baim so muc\u04ba, because \u04bae\u2019s anot\u04baer \u0199id t\u04baat is an extremely violent \u04bauman being. Offensive linemen \u0199now w\u04baen \u04bae\u2019s in.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Early in training camp, W\u04baite was in most of t\u04bae time; \u04bae was a mainstay on defense and loo\u0199ed t\u04bae part. However, \u04bae \u04baas started to cool off a bit leading up to \u04bais apparent demotion in favor of C\u04baaisson.<\/p>\n In spite of t\u04baat c\u04baange \u2014 and again, t\u04baere is no telling yet w\u04baet\u04baer it will stic\u0199 \u2014 t\u04bae Patriots still see a brig\u04bat future for t\u04bae 26-year-old; or, as Smit\u04ba put it:<\/p>\n \u201cLi\u0199e I said from t\u04bae beginning wit\u04ba t\u04baat \u0199id, w\u04baen it all comes toget\u04baer, you better watc\u04ba out.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of t\u04bae t\u04baemes of t\u04bae New England Patriots\u2019 2025 training camp t\u04baus far is establis\u04baed veterans losing starting roles. First was Cole Strange, w\u04bao saw \u04bais… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":81754,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n