Burdge: What I'm Watching For In Patriots' Preseason

NFL training camp is finally underway and it is off to an optimistic start for the Patriots. Bill Belichick spent his summer "relaxing" and Matthew Slater said "you almost feel like a kid going back to school after summer vacation" as he feels the "excitement of a new opportunity, new challenges, and the journey that lies ahead."

As the promise of a brand new season filled the air the first few days of training camp, there is one big thing I'm looking for above everything else during this preseason for New England: the development of Mac Jones.

The quarterback is in his second year and the sophomore slump is something I was a bit concerned about heading into this season. However, Belichick's comments about Jones heading into training camp calmed any worry about that. The Patriots coach stated he has seen "dramatic improvement" in Jones from last season.

"He's made tremendous strides," Belichick said. "He did a great job last year, but he's starting from a much, much higher point this year from where he started last year. His offseason work has been significant, and I think everyone recognizes how well he prepares and how much further along he was than a year ago."

You can even hear it in Jones' voice when he spoke to the media at the start of camp. I was struck by how much more mature and confident he sounded in that audio as he becomes more comfortable in his position as a leader on this team.

The Patriots' consensus odds to win the Super Bowl are a bit deep on the list heading into this season at +4167, but if Jones really steps up and consistently acts as the leader he is, I would expect those odds to shorten in no time, along with their +2167 odds to win the AFC and +479 odds to win the AFC East. I think Jones can surprise oddsmakers.

But, the biggest and most visible change from last season is Jones is absolutely ripped now. He explained that he changed his diet and workout routine and now is in much better shape than he was last year.

With all of the strides Jones has made this offseason after the less-than-ideal end to last season, I am keeping a very close watch on how these improvements and changes translate to his performance on the field. Jones has every opportunity to become the next "it" quarterback in the league and I hope he is able to seize the chance and take the Patriots deeper into the postseason this time around. Or least go over their win total of 8.5 games.