Who Should I Start? Ja'Lynn Polk or Jamari Thrash

Tuesday, August 12, 12:39 AM

New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk (shoulder) was on the outside looking in of beat reporter Chad Graff of The Athletic's latest 53-man roster projection. Graff notes that the shoulder injury Polk suffered in the team's first preseason game on Friday "further hurts his chances at making the team." Polk had a horrible rookie season in 2024, recording 12 catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games (seven starts). Even still, it would be a rapid fall from grace to see him get cut before his second season, given that he was the 37th overall pick of the 2024 draft. Graff has 2024 fourth-rounder Javon Baker making the team as the WR6 ahead of Polk.

Wednesday, July 2, 12:31 PM

ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi writes that Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jamari Thrash, who caught only three passes as a rookie in 2024 after being taken in the fifth round, took advantage of opportunities in an unproven receiver room during offseason workouts and established himself as a reliable option in the passing game. "He's had a really strong spring," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "He is here all the time working on his body. Very intelligent player, can line up in multiple positions which I think is valuable. And then he showed up, he's caught the ball well and you know the quarterbacks like how he gets open. He finds a way to get open versus zone, versus man." Since the 24-year-old isn't really an option on special teams, he's going to need to continue standing out in training camp and the preseason to win a spot on the 53-man roster heading into the regular season.