New England Patriots Preseason: Week 4 Stock Report

The New England Patriots open the regular season in just eight days, which means now is the time when everyone wants to be hitting stride.

Whether it's backups battling for starting jobs or depth players battling for roster spots, everyone wants to be on his p's and q's right now. That being said, not everyone is on an upward trajectory. Some players are taking steps forward and other players are taking steps back as the regular season approaches.

Here is a look at some players on both ends of the spectrum.

Stock Up: Malcolm Butler

Stephan Savoia/Associated Press

By now, everyone knows Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler as the man who saved the Super Bowl with a goal-line interception. Butler, however, is treating this summer no differently than last summer, when he was just an undrafted free agent out of West Alabama trying to make the 53-man roster:

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Last year around this time I had a little confidence that I would make the team, but at the same time still humbled myself, go out there like I'm not going to make it because I've seen good guys still not make it. Around this time, I'm more relaxed. I'm comfortable. I have a job, but I'm still working like I've got to keep this job. That's it.

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That mentality has certainly shown up on the field. Through three preseason games, Butler has allowed just one completion for 10 yards on seven passes thrown his way, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. He was also one of only a handful of players who made plays almost every day during training camp, whether it was an athletic interception or an amazing pass breakup. 

The Patriots will be counting on Butler to be an every-game starter in their defense this year, and so far, he's done everything possible to prove that they've made the right choice by having that confidence in him. 

Stock Down: Chris Jones

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We are just days away from the Patriots' season opener, and we've still yet to see our first glimpse of defensive lineman Chris Jones, either on the practice field or in a preseason game.

The Patriots have a talented and deep interior of the defensive line, so there's no major rush to get Jones back on the field. That being said, he is missing out on valuable opportunities to set himself apart and prove his worth to the team on the depth chart.

In 2014, Jones played 535 defensive snaps (45.9 percent), according to Pro Football Focus, primarily filling in on third down and in obvious passing situations. That will probably be his role again in 2015, but that's only if and when he's able to get healthy.

Stock Up: Michael Hoomanawanui

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

One man's loss is another man's gain. 

Tight end Michael Hoomanawanui probably was not happy when Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reported that the Patriots will place fullback James Develin on injured reserve with a broken tibia. 

But now that it's happened, Hoomanawanui's 2015 outlook just got a lot brighter. Where it once appeared Hooman would be the third tight end on the roster behind Rob Gronkowski and Scott Chandler, it is now more likely that Hoomanawanui will see some snaps at fullback. 

After all, he got some playing time at fullback in the Patriots' preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.

Hoomanawanui has extensive knowledge of the Patriots offense, which will work in his favor as he continues to vie for playing time in any role he can find. 

Stock Down: James Develin

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The Patriots never seemed to care too much about the fullback position—that is, until James Develin came along about two years ago.

Since then, Develin has been a mainstay on the Patriots roster, lining up at fullback, tight end and even split out wide as a receiver from time to time. Unfortunately for Develin, he won't be doing any of that this season. As mentioned in the previous slide, Develin will be placed on season-ending injured reserve after breaking his tibia against the Carolina Panthers in the team's third preseason game. 

The Patriots signed Develin as an exclusive-rights free agent back in March, and he was set to make just $660,000 on a one-year deal. Now, he will enter the 2016 free-agent market as a fullback who is coming off a season-ending injury. 

It may be difficult for Develin to find work next year. 

Stock Up: Rob Gronkowski

Bill Feig/Associated Press

I know what you're thinking: How could Rob Gronkowski's stock be up when he hasn't played in the preseason?

Quite simply, because he hasn't played in the preseason by choice. Gronkowski has been held out of preseason action since 2012 because he's been rehabbing from one injury or another. This year, the Patriots coaches have elected to keep Gronkowski off the field for the preseason. 

The result is a fully healthy Gronkowski who will be ready to roll for Week 1 of the regular season.

Last year, Gronkowski didn't get back to full health until Week 5 of the regular season, and he still managed to put up 82 catches for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. With a clean bill of health at the start of the season, Gronkowski could challenge those numbers—or even the historic numbers he posted in 2011 when he set the single-season record for receiving touchdowns by a tight end. 

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.