FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Sturm's visit: First-year Boston Bruins head coach Marco Sturm was a guest at Patriots practice last week, and he laughed when asked if sees any hockey potential on the roster.
"They're definitely quick. Now we have to find a way to get them on skates," Sturm chuckled. "I was asking about a few guys. The running back, [TreVeyon] Henderson, right away you can see those kind of players. I'm already looking forward to the first game to see him in action."
Sturm joins many in New England who have been captivated by Henderson's arrival since the team selected him in the second round out of Ohio State, 38th overall. He will be tuned in to see how Henderson matches up against running back Ashton Jeanty (sixth overall pick) and the visiting Las Vegas Raiders in the season opener at Gillette Stadium (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
Sturm's visit continued a long-standing tradition going back to the early years of Bill Belichick's tenure of professional head coaches in Boston opening doors for each other. Earlier this spring, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was a guest of Vrabel's.
On Wednesday, Sturm spent time talking with Vrabel and vice president of football operations and strategy John Streicher, was greeted by owner Robert Kraft in the trophy room, and toured the locker room and meeting rooms, among other things.
"To see the Patriots, and get to meet Mike and see how they work, I was super pumped. Not just because I am a football fan, but I'm looking at the coaching side of it," Sturm explained.
"Just the way he was leading on the field during practice -- you watch that, with his passion and preparation. You could tell right away, he's the guy on the field and everyone else is listening. And off the field, I was interested to see the locker room, which is very important. Meetings, how they're set up, that is very helpful. To see their daily schedule -- on the board, how everything is written down, in small little groups, too. There are things I took out of the visit that I can maybe do with my team."
Sturm was joined by his son Mason and daughter Kaydie, both of whom are collegiate student-athletes. They were surprised when Kraft invited them to the trophy room.
"He was so welcoming, and asked my kids a lot of questions, too. That was really nice to see," he said. "He was telling us stories about some of the pictures [on the walls], and then took pictures with us behind the Super Bowl [trophies] and all the rings."
Behind the scenes, Sturm took note of the volume of personnel and equipment.
"You can't compare it to hockey or probably basketball, because oh my gosh, all the video rooms, so many coaches' desks, the amount of people they have in that locker room and have to take care of, it's pretty incredible," he said. "With hockey, we have 25 guys and one video room. That's it. And eight coaches. How they do it, and how they separate the defense, the offense, and you name it, that's something we don't have, but it's also nice to see."
As for the developing ties with those leading the region's other pro teams, Sturm is proud to be part of the fraternity.
"I've been here as a player, now as a coach, and it's nice to see that connection," he said. "I think that's why Boston is so special because it's a sports town and we all stick together -- coaches as well."
2. Peppers' end: The Patriots are prioritizing a different style of play from their safeties than what former coaches Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo valued at that position. That's the short answer as to why starter-turned-backup Jabrill Peppers was released Friday, and why starter-turned-backup Kyle Dugger was no certainty to be on the initial 53-man roster.
One front office source from an NFL team said Peppers' name had come up in trade discussions earlier in August, so the Patriots' decision to cut ties with him didn't come as a surprise to that team.
Six-year veteran Jaylinn Hawkins and 2025 fourth-round pick Craig Woodson have been the starting safeties in recent weeks. Whereas Peppers and Dugger are at their best playing downhill, Hawkins and Woodson fit best protecting the deep third of the field.
Could the Patriots have fit Peppers into their plans in more of a niche role? Absolutely. Would Peppers have been OK with that? That's less clear at this point.
3. Campbell's dad: Patriots first-round pick Will Campbell's knack for finishing blocks in the run game showed up in the preseason as the starting left tackle, which is a playing style and mentality he said his father Brian ingrained in him. It makes sense. Brian Campbell was an offensive lineman as East Texas A&M and his nickname is "Bull."
"That's kind of how I've always been. Go out there and set the tone," Campbell said, before adding: "I know that's how any 11 out there for the Patriots are going to play hard, physical, nasty and finish."
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4. Landry's motivation: After spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Titans, and being released by the team in March, outside linebacker Harold Landry III put together a preseason in New England that caught the attention of defensive coordinator Terrell Williams.
"He looks like a guy that has something to prove," said Williams, who also coached Landry in Tennessee.
Williams added that he also sees "a more mature player."
5. Ponder's decision: Undrafted free agent outside linebacker Elijah Ponder (Cal Poly) was one of the surprise stories of training camp, earning a roster spot by flashing as an edge player on defense and as a special teams player that includes a role on the punt-protection unit.
Ponder had options to consider after the draft but said after conversations with Vrabel and outside linebackers coach Mike Smith, he believed New England was a place he would get a fair shot to make the team, which was his top priority. The Patriots guaranteed him $115,000 in his contract, the fifth-highest total among the team's undrafted players.
Question: How did you find out you made the initial 53-man roster?
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 27, 2025
WR Efton Chism III: "Eliot [Wolf] brought me into his office, and told me there. It was pretty surreal, pretty sweet. Gave him a couple hugs. Special moment ... It was probably like 12, 1 [o' clock]. Not too bad....
6. Swinson's fall: Ponder's rise coincided with fellow rookie outside linebacker, Bradyn Swinson, as one of the team's surprising cuts after being selected in the fifth round out of LSU (No. 146).
The Patriots and Rams were the only teams to cut fifth-round picks, with Los Angeles letting go of linebacker Chris Paul Jr. (No. 172). No other team claimed Swinson, who wound up back on the Patriots' practice squad as Vrabel wasn't kidding when he preached to players that it didn't matter how they arrived and all roles would have to be earned.
7. Waiver wire: The Patriots were the only team to put in waiver claims on former Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito and Rams cornerback Charles Woods, and they joined the Bears in putting in a claim on Cardinals cornerback Jaylon Jones.
The Patriots had priority over the Bears for Jones, but once they knew they landed Woods, they rescinded the claim. One reason they might have preferred Woods is that Streicher, the vice president of football operations and strategy, worked closely with him in Los Angeles last year, with Woods saying that Streicher spent time as his dedicated coach as a gunner on special teams.
8. P-squad experience: Vrabel said last week that some around the Patriots were recalling when practice squads consisted of just five players and now his team is carrying 17 players, which allows for a mix of developing younger players and having those with actual game experience who might be closer to being elevated if needed.
The latter group in New England is headlined by defensive back Corey Ballentine (69 games played, 11 starts), linebacker Mark Robinson (38 games, 4 starts) and offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (46 games, 18 starts), with Munford providing what could be an important layer of insurance behind Campbell and top backup Marcus Bryant (2025 seventh round, Missouri) alongside No. 4 option Vederian Lowe.
9. Lampe's foot: Undrafted free agent fullback Brock Lampe (Northern Illinois), who is one of eight Patriots on injured reserve, came through the locker room last week with the aid of a knee walker and his left foot in a cast and supported by the walker.
That indicated he sustained a season-ending foot injury on the day the Patriots practiced in full pads for the first time in late July. The injury opened the door for tight end Jack Westover, who spent 2024 on the practice squad, to ultimately work more at fullback and earn a spot on the initial 53-man roster.
10. Did you know? Of the 53 players on the current roster, only 27 were part of the 2024 roster or practice squad. That's a turnover of 49.1%.