Few things in the NFL can be as deceiving as training camp performance. Time and again players or entire teams appeared to show one thing over the summer only to look entirely different once the games started to count.
New England Patriots wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk is a perfect, and unfortunate, example of that. After consistently running with the starters in training camp, the second-round draft pick appeared poised for a major role in the team’s offense.
Early on in his rookie campaign, that seemed to be the case as well: Polk continued to see starter-level reps, and by Week 4 found himself atop the Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart in terms of playing time.