Patriots training camp: 3 weeks in, here’s what we know — and what we still don’t

This is the biggest week of training camp for the New England Patriots. It’s a huge opportunity for those on the roster bubble to make a strong impression — and for those vying for more playing time to try and earn it.

The Patriots have two joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles, then their most important preseason game (against the Eagles) follows Saturday night at Gillette Stadium.

With two weeks until roster cutdown day, now is a good time to take stock of where things stand. Here’s a look at what we know and what we still don’t know after three weeks of training camp.

What we know

Kyle Williams will have a role

Mike Vrabel got a kick out of noting Thursday night after Williams’ touchdown that there was some skepticism in the media about the second-year receiver’s role, even after Vrabel was adamant that he would play a part offensively.

“You guys were all laughing at me when I told you the other day,” Vrabel said.

Williams’ touchdown was impressive, but there’s still work to be done. Vrabel wasn’t thrilled that Williams didn’t make a play for an underthrown deep ball Thursday, suggesting he could’ve drawn a pass interference flag since the cornerback wasn’t playing the ball.

Even though Williams has had a pretty quiet training camp, he’s going to have a role in the offense.

The backfield will be a 50-50 split

As TreVeyon Henderson enters his second season, it looks like he’ll share the backfield with Rhamondre Stevenson pretty evenly.

The Patriots want to take advantage of Henderson’s big-play ability, but they believe in Stevenson a bit more to get what is blocked in front of him. So the guess is that Stevenson will be in for short-yardage situations and early downs, and that Henderson may check in for second- and third-and-long situations as long as his pass blocking holds up.

The back of the D is the strength

This one isn’t exactly new, but as we expected, the Patriots secondary has been by far the strength of the defense. When Christian Gonzalez is healthy and playing, the group should be dominant. Mix in Carlton Davis, and you’ve got a really impressive group of five defensive backs in nickel personnel.

There are plenty of reasons for concern with the team’s edge rushers (we’ll get there), but the secondary should be good enough to give the pass rushers time to get coverage sacks.

Caleb Lomu will find playing time

The Patriots used a first-round pick on Lomu, a player who’s not projected to be a starter. But they don’t want to keep him on the bench all season.

So they’ve spent training camp ensuring that the 21-year-old is ready for a variety of situations. He has lined up at both left and right tackle, so he’s ready in the event of an injury to Will Campbell or Morgan Moses. They want him to mix in at guard, too, just in case. And they’ve tried him out as a jumbo tight end in short-yardage situations.

So even though the first-round pick won’t be a starter this season (provided everyone stays healthy), he’ll still find his way onto the field.

What we don’t know

What is Kayshon Boutte’s role?

After a great start to camp, the veteran receiver has cooled off a bit, and he didn’t see any targets in the preseason opener.

The bigger issue? If the Patriots want DeMario Douglas as their slot receiver while insisting that Mack Hollins and Williams will have real roles offensively, it becomes difficult to see where or how Boutte fits in.

Combine that with the idea that Boutte might be frustrated with his limited projected playing time while entering a contract year, and it’s not difficult to see why a trade might make sense. But the closer we get to cutdown day, the more incentivized other teams might be to wait it out and see which receivers they can get off the waiver wire.

So either the Patriots keep Boutte in what looks like a diminished role, or they might have to give him up for a lesser return.

Who is the No. 3 running back?

The Patriots’ running back depth took a hit with Terrell Jennings’ season-ending injury. The competition now essentially comes down to Jam Miller, Lan Larison or scouring the waiver wire for another backup option.

On Thursday, Larison showed more prowess as a receiver, notching a team-high six catches, but struggled on the ground, posting just 1 rushing yard on seven carries. On the flip side, Miller ran for 55 yards on 14 carries, but didn’t haul in his lone target of the game.

This competition remains wide open entering joint practices this week.

How will the edge rushers fare?

Harold Landry’s rehab from an injury that lingered last season didn’t just extend into spring workouts — he hasn’t practiced all summer.

That’s not a great sign considering how important he is to the defense as the top edge rusher. And this isn’t a spot where the Patriots have a lot of proven depth.

Dre’Mont Jones is good against the run, but questions remain about his ability to get after the passer. Gabe Jacas would be the top backup, but the rookie second-round pick missed all of spring practices and the start of training camp. Elijah Ponder and Bradyn Swinson could bring some promise, but the second-year players come with plenty of questions.

Who’s the kick returner?

The Patriots didn’t use any of their projected top kick return options in the preseason opener, adding even more intrigue to this spot.

The guess is that Williams and Miller would be the top options if the season started tomorrow, but there’s still a lot to be sorted out.