The Patriots wrapped their second training camp practice, another session dominated by defense. Players wore shorts and T-shirts as the league-imposed acclimation period continued.
Quick Takeaways from @mikekadlick and @tkyles39 from Day 2 of Patriots Training Camp!
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“I’m not quite buying Tyquan Thornton Stock yet… but he was consistent, caught a lot of passes” – Taylor Kyles
–#patriots #nfl #pats pic.twitter.com/wK5mnS5yrj— Patriots on CLNS Media (@PatriotsCLNS) July 25, 2024
DeMario Douglas was active early but didn’t participate in team drills for the second consecutive day. According to NBC Sports Boston‘s Phil Perry, Douglas is dealing with a hand injury. Marte Mapu and Christian Barmore, who MassLive‘s Mark Daniels reported is under the weather, were similarly limited.
Davon Godchaux, a full participant yesterday, wasn’t present at the beginning of practice. He arrived in uniform later but didn’t practice. Godchaux and New England have yet to agree on a new deal, which could be a factor in the nose tackle’s absence, but he was present for all of practice while holding in this spring. Late appearances are more on par for injured players like Cole Strange and Kendrick Bourne, who watched from the sideline in street clothes. That said, Joey Slye was also nowhere to be found early but returned to the field late to work on field goals. Regardless, Godchaux’s situation continues to be one to monitor.
Antonio Gibson appeared in uniform at the beginning of camp, but he wasn’t holding his helmet. He left the field shortly after, indicating he hadn’t yet been activated from NFI.
Former Patriots receiver Danny Amendola was the special guest at today’s practice and spent time beside Troy Brown during punt return drills. Owner Robert Kraft was chatting with Matt Judon and Eliot Wolf on the sidelines.
Here are my top takeaways from today’s practice.
Physically Unable to Perform
- LG Cole Strange
- WR Kendrick Bourne
- LB Sione Takitaki
- IOL Jake Andrews
- RB Terrell Jennings
Non-Football Injury
- RB Antonio Gibson
Did Not Participate
- WR DeMario Douglas
- IDL Christian Barmore
- IDL Davon Godchaux
- SAF Marte Mapu
Top Quarterbacks Stay Steady While Joe Milton Climbs the Depth Chart
Despite a quarterback room full of big arms, deep passes have been limited through two training camp sessions. Alex Van Pelt’s offense features a heavy dose of quick throws and screens, but even true dropbacks typically went to outlet receivers.
Jacoby Brissett avoided bad plays after a rough decision on Wednesday led to a pick, with his only lowlight being a high incompletion on a screen. The veteran’s few downfield attempts were rarely rewarded, with Marcus Jones and Jabrill Peppers each recording breakups on smothering reps against Ja’Lynn Polk and Hunter Henry, respectively. Brissett’s best connections went to K.J. Osborn, who caught an out route before snagging a comeback. The latter was an impressive scramble throw, but it would’ve been a sack live. Brissett had multiple other dropbacks where he would’ve been brought down or scrambled.
Drake Maye remained the clear backup behind Brissett in team drills, though he continued repping behind Bailey Zappe in warm-ups. Outside of two throws where he was behind or slightly wide of his target, Maye looked good throwing underneath. Like yesterday, he quickly got through his reads and took what the defense gave him, throwing just two incompletions. Maye’s best throw of the day was an RPO glance route to Polk into a decently crowded area. He also had a scramble up the middle. The rookie’s accuracy was still inconsistent, throwing deep against air, but he didn’t attempt any such throws during team drills.
Outside of Brissett and Maye, the quarterback situation hasn’t been very eventful this offseason, but it took an interesting turn on Thursday. Rookie Joe Milton repped behind Maye and ahead of Zappe throughout team drills. Milton struggled with unnecessary fastballs and inconsistent accuracy, and Zappe failed to stand out in his limited opportunities. It will be worth monitoring whether the coaching staff simply wanted to shake things up or if Zappe’s time in Foxboro is nearing its end.
No End in Sight for Offensive Line Shuffle
The Patriots’ right tackle spot featured a new player today after Calvin Anderson’s debut on Wednesday. Vederian Lowe, who was much better on the left side than the right last season, repped next to Mike Onwenu for most of practice.
Left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor told reporters this carousel is all part of the plan.
“Our coaches have said every day will be a different line,” Okorafor said. “We don’t really know who is going to be the guy yet. Obviously, with Dave [Andrews] and Mike [Onwenu], we know about them, but I think apart from that, everything is open.”
Okorafor mentioning Onwenu was interesting. Okorafor and guard Sidy Sow have held down the left side all offseason. Onwenu switched from tackle back to right guard in minicamp, though he’s been a mainstay since.
Caedan Wallace got a few reps beside Onwenu but was primarily next to Layden Robinson with the second unit. By tomorrow’s practice, the rookie could be the newest starting right tackle or potentially slide in for Okorafor at left. Tyrone Wheatley Jr. or Zuri Henry could make surprise appearances on the edge.
Ideally, Wallace will separate himself once the pads come on and solidify a spot. Until then, appears the trenches will vary from practice to practice.
Versatility Brings Intrigue to Cornerback Battle
Christian Gonzalez is locked in as the Patriots’ boundary corner, but we still don’t know how the rest of the secondary will be deployed. Jonathan Jones’ versatility, which was on full display today as the corner shuffle continued, is a big reason for this.
Jones spent time outside with Marcus Jones in the slot, but he also bumped inside with Alex Austin on the perimeter. Marco Wilson was also in the mix for the second outside spot, and even the younger Jones took reps out wide for the first time this summer. Isaiah Bolden has had fewer opportunities with the Jones’ back, but he showed he has slot versatility this spring.
At least one of New England’s young corners will need to step up as a consistent playmaker, but the group’s talent and flexibility should make for fun matchups once the pads come on.
Leftovers
- Ja’Lynn Polk remained the top slot receiver with Douglas limited and didn’t look out of place.
- Tyquan Thornton was a favorite target of Jacoby Brissett’s today and had a solid performance, catching five passes. His only lapse was a miscommunication with Maye.
- With Marte Mapu limited, special teamer Brenden Schooler saw significant reps at safety alongside projected starters this season. It’s too early to tell how seriously he’s being considered for the role, but this stood out as one of the more interesting wrinkles in today’s session.
- Robert Kraft was seen chatting on the sidelines with Matt Judon and Eliot Wolf late in today’s practice.
- Drake Maye and Javon Baker were the last players on the field.
