Jaillet’s Journal: Trevon Hill, Jeff Thomas look to aid retooling Patriots

As a new crop of players gets ready to make marks with their respective NFL teams, a pair of former Miami Hurricanes will be looking to make their mark in New England. Defensive end Trevon Hill and wide receiver Jeff Thomas will be taking their talents to Foxboro.

Hill brings Miami Hurricanes toughness to New England

Following his transfer from Virginia Tech, Hill made a decent impact for Miami in 2019. He played in 12 games, recording 27 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He was a solid piece on the Hurricanes defensive line last season.

With the way New England has always been constructed, Hill should definitely be able to find a place with New England. The Patriots have solid depth pieces in Lawrence Guy and Deatrich Wise Jr. However, Hill could add depth at the position. New England defensive ends traditionally are a huge part of a Bill Belichick-led defense. They need to be athletic, and know where to go at all times. In particular, Hill’s athleticism could make for a natural fit in New England.

Thomas looks to make a name for himself among new receiving corps

Thomas is certainly in an interesting situation himself. With the Tom Brady era closing in New England, Thomas finds himself a part of a new offense. Furthermore, the offense does not have a ton of depth at the receiver position. Thomas will be able to bring his playmaking ability to the offense.

Last year, he caught 31 passes for 379 yards and three touchdowns for the Hurricanes. Those numbers were a bit of a dip from his 2018 production. That year, he caught 35 passes for 563 yards and three touchdowns.

New England does not have a ton of depth at wide receiver. Currently, they have Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, and N’Keal Harry as their main receivers. They did pick up Marquise Lee via free agency. Provided he stays healthy, he could figure to be a big part of the equation at receiver.

Other than that, there is not much depth for the Patriots at the position. As far as I’m concerned, the players that are able to step up and be successful will be able to find playing time. Thomas certainly has all the tools needed to be successful. At the very least, he will give ( in all probability Jarrett Stidham) another option to throw to, at least for training camp.

Hill and Thomas will undoubtedly have chances for a retooling New England team looking to sustain moderate success. They are certainly far from Miami, but it will be interesting to see them navigate the professional ranks. With the way the New England roster is constructed right now, both of them could make their mark at Gillette Stadium.