Richards among Patriots early ‘core four' contributors

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FOXBORO -- The Patriots will eventually pare their roster from 90 players, to 75, and then down to a final 53 before the first regular-season game of the year. As coach Bill Belichick and the rest of the staff make their decisions as to which players are the best fits for the club, special teams is likely to factor in to the discussion significantly. 

Contributions in the kicking game could give one player at a particular position an edge over the other. And for players who are effective on more than one of the kickoff, kick return, punt or punt return units, their value to the team is elevated.

With that in mind, here is a quick look at the Patriots players who played in all four of the "core four" units on Thursday night against the Packers. For many of them, they are players who may provide some depth defensive, but their best hopes to make the team will rely on their abilities in the kicking game.

Undrafted rookie corner Jimmy Jean, undrafted rookie safety Brandon King, linebacker James Morris, linebacker Dekoda Watson and rookie second-round safety Jordan Richards all participated in each of the four major units. 

Rookie third-round defensive lineman Geneo Grissom played on three of the four units in the first half, giving him a relatively heavy workload has he played the third-highest number of defensive snaps of any Patriots player (56).

Rookie seventh-round corner Darryl Richards played on the kickoff and punt units. He may have been more heavily involved on special teams but he was injured in the first quarter before New England's kick return or punt return units were called upon.

As far as returners are concerned, receiver Josh Boyce was the primary returner on the team's first three kick returns of the game. Undrafted rookie receiver Chris Harper, who finished the game with seven catches, was the team's only punt returner of the night. Harper was also back deep for two kickoff returns.

One bonus kicking-game note: Stephen Gostkowski's 56-yard kick at the end of the first half was the longest-ever Patriots field goal kicked inside Gillette Stadium. Gostkowski hit a 54-yarder at home against the Saints in 2013. The longest field goal in team history is a 57-yarder by Adam Vinatieri at Chicago in 2002.

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