Observations from Day 11 of Patriots Training Camp

It was a rain-filled day in pads for the Patriots on the eleventh day of training camp, where referees were present in preparation for Thursday’s preseason game against the Texans. Jonathan Jones and Matthew Slater received another veteran day off, but David Andrews, who’s missed the past couple of sessions for the same reason, returned as a full participant. Cole Strange hasn’t practiced since injuring his left leg earlier in camp, but he watched 11-on-11 drills in a helmet and practice jersey, which is a positive sign for his status. Trent Brown confirmed to reporters that his lack of participation is due to injury, but that he’s frustrated with his lack of participation and will be ready for the season opener against the Eagles. Guard Bill Murray missed his first practice for unknown reasons.

ATTENDANCE

Physically Unable to Perform

• RG Mike Onwenu (ankle)
• ST Cody Davis (knee)

Non-Football Injury

• OT Calvin Anderson (illness)

Missing/Did Not Participate

• LT Trent Brown (unknown)
• LG Cole Strange (left leg)
• WR Ty Montgomery (left leg, considered day-to-day)
• ST Matthew Slater (day off)
• CB Jonathan Jones (day off)
• IOL Bill Murray (unknown)

Red Non-Contact Jersey (excluding QBs)

• LB Marte Mapu (pectoral)
• TE Jeremy Lumpkin (unknown)

RAIN AND PASS RUSH A MAJOR FACTOR IN COMPETITIVE DRILLS

The Patriots offense has struggled with consistency due largely to their patchwork offensive line, with Mac Jones throwing behind a front that’s mostly consisted of Riley Reiff, Atonio Mafi, David Andrews/James Ferentz, Kody Russey, and Conor McDermott. And while the offense’s execution could certainly have been better at times, the weather conditions added an extra element of difficulty.

DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Kendrick Bourne were all shut out in 1-on-1 drills, with Smith-Schuster and Bourne being among a group of receivers to register at least one drop each on the day. On the plus side, Demario Douglas continues to win consistently and be an impossible tackle. Pierre Strong also put a wicked juke on Jahlani Tavai to make the reliable tackler miss in space.

Bailey Zappe had another tough day of practice, with several inaccurate passes and an interception on a deep pass that hung in the air way too long and fell short of Raleigh Webb, allowing Marcus Jones to make a play. He also underthrew Tyquan Thornton on a corner route in Red Zone work, which was nearly identical to a miss he had yesterday where Myles Bryant broke up the pass. Zappe had a positive finish to 11-on-11s, though, throwing a sideline seed to a well-covered Scotty Washington.

Save for an overthrow in Red Zone drills to Parker, Jones avoided any major mistakes on the day and didn’t seem affected by the rain. His best throw was a second deep touchdown to Parker in as many days on a jump ball with Isaiah Bolden in coverage. Jones also had a touch throw to Mike Gesicki over the middle that the tight end highlighted after practice, crediting his quarterback for adjusting his pitch to the elements. Besides those highlights, Jones was forced to throw short on most of his attempts due to being consistently moved off of his spot.

New England is being extremely cautious with its linemen, so these issues shouldn’t carry over into the regular season. But if any of Trent Brown, Cole Strange, or Mike Onwenu is forced to miss significant time, it could significantly hinder the unit’s execution.

MALIK CUNNINGHAM AT QUARTERBACK AND KAYSHON BOUTTE ASCENDING

Dual-threat Malik Cunningham has almost exclusively played wide receiver in training camp, but he saw a ton of reps at quarterback late in today’s practice. He looked dynamic with the ball in the open field, breaking out his signature spin move on one carry. Aside from a rollout pass early in these reps, Cunningham didn’t look too comfortable as a passer, which is to be expected given his limited reps.

Kayshon Boutte turned one less-than-accurate Cunningham throw into the play of training camp in a low Red Zone rep. Cunningham’s pass was higher than intended, but Boutte erased the mistake by extending and snatching the ball out of the air with one hand.

Boutte had another impressive touchdown grab yesterday, out-muscling Isaiah Bolden and getting both feet in-bounds near the end line for a score. He continues to impress and see reps with Mac Jones in 7-on-7s. With Tyquan Thornton struggling to build any sort of momentum, the fifth receiver spot might be up for grabs.

LEFTOVERS

• Christian Baremore continues to shine as a pass rusher, lifting guard Kody Russey off the ground with a hump move during 1-on-1 drills. Barmore mentioned watching highlights of Hall of Fame defensive lineman Reggie White, who made the move famous when asked about the rep. Barmore was profuse in his admiration for the football legend, saying he hopes to someday reach such renowned status.
• Riley Reiff and Conor McDermott were undefeated in 1-on-1 pass rush drills but struggled during team periods. Unsure what to make of that disparity,
• Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was at practice, spending time shadowing Bill Belichick.