FOXBORO — It wasn’t Efton Chism’s hands or quickness that stood out to Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel after Friday night’s 48-18 preseason win over the Commanders. It was, somewhat ironically, the undersized slot receiver’s play strength.

Chism, who’s 5-foot-10, 198 pounds, caught six passes on eight targets for 50 yards with a touchdown in his preseason debut.

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“I think his play strength stood out to me, just from the sideline,” Vrabel said. “I think it’s the way he blocks, his ability to catch the ball in traffic. The ball was basically tipped or bobbled coming out of Ben’s [Wooldridge] hand, kind of ran through a tackle, ran through contact, and we threw him a screen. So, those are all positive things. I think his play strength to me is what stood out.”

When Chism w

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