Patriots Training Camp 15: Romeo Doubs Hauls in Three Touchdowns

The Patriots were back to pads for their 15th training camp practice and first since their preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. Today’s primary focus was red zone work, with one-minute periods for the first and second units sprinkled in towards the end of the session.

Here’s a look at New England’s attendance, Mike Vrabel’s top quotes of note, and what I noticed on a cloudy day in Foxborough.

Attendance

Absent: CB Christian Gonzalez, WR Kobe Prentice, SAF Eric Butler, LB Chad Muma, LS Niko Lalos, ED Xavier Holmes, IOL Andrew Rupcich, IOL Ben Brown, WR Kyle Dixon, DI Christian Barmore

Physically Unable to Perform: ED Harold Landry III

Non-Football Injury: ST Brenden Schooler

Injured Reserve: WR Jeremiah Webb, WR Jimmy Kibble, TE Julian Hill, RB Terrell Jennings

Tweet of the Day

Mike Vrabel’s Top Quotes of Note

On whether he and Christian Gonzalez are on the same page regarding Gonzalez’s contract situation: Absolutely. And I think that’s the important thing. I’ve talked about his professionalism, everybody else’s. So, this isn’t anything like that. It was something that happened in practice, and he’s where he’s supposed to be when he needs to be there. Treatment, working with Frank [Piraino] and doing those things. But yes, obviously, that’s my job, is to be on the same page with everybody here, players and coaches. And I’m confident that that’s what we are doing, and everybody has a plan each and every day.

On what he’s seen from Kindle Vildor: Very aggressive. He wants to play physical. I think just being a little bit more multiple is something that he’s really focused on, and our coaches have tried to do a great job with that. So, not just playing man coverage, not just pressing, not just trying to jam him and be physical at the line of scrimmage, but use some of the other tools that we have, some of the other coverages and become familiar with those, that’ll just help you. Playing man is great, but then being able to mix some of those things up, and I think Kindle has done that, and he’s an aggressive player and physical.

On Romeo Doubs stringing together good practices: I think just new offense, new year, figuring out the player, getting to know him. Really, a lot of positive things, I think, trending in the right direction. I said this about Todd [Downing], Todd is very conscientious about each one of his players, what each of them needs to learn the offense, where they need to be, what routes are going to be really good for them and the decisions that they need to make. And I think he’s just working through some of that stuff with those guys, and I think he found where Rome can really help us – be big, fast and aggressive, and I think that showed up in some practices that you saw. It’s just figuring out what they do best, seeing what you can realistically improve, and then put them in those spots to help build their own confidence, and then also a place where they can help the football team.

On Eli Raridon’s blocking against the Colts: I mean, we want to move him as far as we can possibly move him. I thought it was okay. I think he continues to improve blocking and he’s willing, and so that’s the one thing that I really think I’ve been pleasantly surprised with, just his willingness to do that. We talk about, if you want to get technical, outside zone, we talk about running off the football. So, you’re going to have a little bit narrower base, but you’re trying to create some horizontal and vertical movement at the line of scrimmage. Some of the inside runs, we talk about coming off the ball, and certainly when we base block a nine technique, we would like to, at worst, make it be a stalemate. We know some of those matchups get a little funky in the National Football League based on some of those guys that are out there. But then just not being able to let them restrict us and push us back into the gap. So, I think there was maybe one example where we probably would have liked to not get pushed back after the initial block, which I thought was good, and then you just have to be able to sustain, and Eli will continue to work on that.

On Kevin Byard III’s freedom to make calls and adjustments pre-snap: Again, every team has a different cadence. Every quarterback has how they’re going to undress the coverage on third down, how they’re going to be able to get us to jump offsides or where are they going to snap the ball based on the play clock, and some of the mannerisms. So, some teams will just get out there, call it, haul it, and we better be where we need to be. Some other teams want to get all the information that they can, and sometimes you go on the ball and they’re not necessarily going fast. They’re trying to gather information and then put the offense in the call that they want. So, I think they have to have a really good understanding of what the quarterback’s intentions are, and then work accordingly off of that, and not just go rogue. We don’t want to be out of position, certainly, but don’t want to tell them what we’re doing right away either.

Notebook

• Romeo Doubs’ stock continues to rise, as the big-name signing caught three high-point touchdown passes throughout today’s session. The first came in 7-on-7s, with Drake Maye delivering a perfect touch pass over Carlton Davis III, who appeared to be in zone coverage. Doubs then Moss’d Charles Woods on go balls twice in 11-on-11s, first to cap a one-minute drive, then during a red zone period.
• Maye had yet another impressive bounce back after a slow start to practice. The quarterback went 1-5 during early 11-on-11s in the red zone, including misses to Hunter Henry and A.J. Brown. Maye was dialed in from that point on, throwing multiple touchdowns to Brown, Henry, and Mack Hollins on ensuing red zone drives. Maye also avenged his interception to end his one-minute drill against the Colts, hitting Kayshon Boutte on a deep back shoulder ball with less than a minute on the clock (excellent adjustment from Boutte against Davis) before hitting Doubs for the pair’s third touchdown connection of the day.
• Christian Gonzalez missed today’s practice due to an injury suffered last week, but he got some good news regarding his contract situation. Devon Witherspoon and the Seattle Seahawks agreed to a four-year, $132 million extension with over $101 million guaranteed, making Witherspoon the highest-paid cornerback in the league. With the framework for a new deal now established, the clock should be starting on Gonzalez’s extension.
• Dre’Mont Jones left the field early in practice, bumping Gabe Jacas up to the starting lineup opposite Elijah Ponder. Jacas flashed as both a pass rusher and run defender, pushing Will Campbell back with a stab move for a would-be sack and stuffing a pair of runs.
• After going 2-5 on field goals against the Colts, Andy Borregales went 6-6 kicking field goals through skinnier goal posts during today’s practice. The furthest make was from 48 yards out.
• Kyle Williams and Jack Westover had arguably their most impressive grabs of the summer today, with both bringing in highly-contested low red zone targets while smothered by their respective defenders.
• Karon Prunty broke up a Kayshon Boutte target in the corner of the end zone one play after losing to Brown on a perfectly-placed slant throw from Maye. Notable competitiveness from the rookie.
• Ben Brown is expected to miss multiple weeks after suffering an injury during Thursday’s game against the Colts. The Patriots signed rookies Darrian Dalcourt and Joe Michalski with Brown and Andrew Rupcich sidelined.