Patriots Training Camp 3: Mike Vrabel Eases Up in Light Walkthrough

Attendance

Absent/Did Not Participate: WR Ja’Lynn Polk

Physically Unable to Perform: WR Mack Hollins, TE Austin Hooper, LT Vederian Lowe

Non-Football Injury: S Josh Minkins

Tweet of the Day

Mike Vrabel’s Top Quotes of Note

On the potential impact of Ja’Lynn Polk’s absence: “Well, I mean, there’s a lot of ways around being out here at practice. I think that everybody, whether that’s a first-year, second-year, ten-year, we think that practice is important, but obviously there’s circumstances around being out here and not being out here and how you can stay up with the installation. At the beginning part of camp, there is installation. It’s a repeat from the spring. So, hopefully, any player that’s not out here can stay engaged, continue to learn and get the information that they need, and then be ready when they get back. I think that’s the important thing, and that’s what – just focusing on doing everything that you can to get back as quickly as possible, but also when you do get back, there’s not a big drop-off of information lost when you get back.”

On Keion White: “Well, I mean, I love Keion’s attitude. He’s a worker, he’s here early, he’s got a routine that I think has worked for him, practices hard, he’s conditioned. So, again, as we work through this and progress, – and we’re just a couple days into this – but I think Keion’s got a great attitude. I love kind of just being able to coach him. He’s very receptive to – he’s a very coachable player.”

On Jared Wilson: “I think that he’s a quick learner. He’s been able to learn two positions inside, as far as center and guard. I would say, to Karen [Guregian]’s question, he was one of those players that maybe wasn’t out there as much on the field in the spring, but really was able to grasp it mentally and allow that to carry over when he had an opportunity to be on the field. So, he was able to show, for a young player, some of those things to be ready when he got his opportunity to be on the field.”

On if he sees untapped potential in K’Lavon Chaisson: “I think that’s probably a good way to look at it. It takes some players a little longer than it takes others, and I would say that I’m hopeful that his best football is in front of him. I’m very excited about how he came in personality-wise and what he’s shown on the field thus far. So, that’s an interesting, fun room to be around. You mentioned Keion and K.C. [K’Lavon Chaisson], and Harold [Landry III] and Anfernee [Jennings]’s a veteran, and then we’ve got some younger guys in there as well.”

On Mack Hollins: “Well, that would just be a prediction, and I’m not making a prediction, so we’ll just evaluate him when he’s out there. I can evaluate the person, I can evaluate his character off the field, the way that he works in the weight room, the way that he carries himself in the meetings, around the building and in his interactions with everybody in the building. But right now, anything that would be speculation on the field. So, when he’s out there, then we’ll be able to evaluate him as a player.”

Vrabel Eases Up in Light Walkthrough

Mike Vrabel dialed things back on a low-intensity third day of camp. The only players in helmets were quarterbacks, who need them to communicate with and relay calls from coaches, and drills were run at about half speed.

This lighter session came one day after New England’s offense failed to maintain momentum while working on first-down plays.

“I think they started out okay, and then I don’t think we finished as well as we started, and that’s got to change,” Vrabel explained before practice. “They have to understand that we’re trying to get the practices the same way the games would. So, if we’re not finishing a practice, then we have to hopefully fix that and correct it so that we can finish in a game, we can pick up some crucial first downs if we’re leading, or if we’re in a two-minute situation and we need some plays, to go down there and get a score.”

While it may have been tempting to check out on a slower day, players like K’Lavon Chaisson–who stayed late to work on pass rush moves despite blistering heat in Foxbourough–made a point to focus on the little things.

“I’ve got to be super intentional on days like this,” Chaisson said. “Obviously you can kind of slack off when you don’t have to go hard–as intense and as hard. So I’ve got to be super intentional with steps and footwork and details and alignments, and all the mental reps I can get, whether I’m in or I’m not in. It’s needed for the body for sure but it’s something where, you need to take your mental times too.”

Today’s practice should set the table for a more competitive Friday, and Vrabel is hoping to see his team finish this block of practices on a high note.

“It’s important, I think, to see how our team responds and are able to work in that capacity. I’m hopeful that we can get something out of this, come back, really have some speed tomorrow and really have a good one tomorrow before our day off.”

Notebook

• Mike Vrabel said the Patriots will “have a conversation” about potentially adding DT Christian Wilkins. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders released Wilkins because of how he rehabbed a foot injury suffered last season. Wilkins was recruited by Vrabel while the coach was at Ohio State.
• Vrabel described Carlton Davis’ two day absence as maintenance-related. Davis returned to the field today and remained a fixture with the top defense.
• Rookie Jared Wilson lined up at all three interior spots after shifting between center and left guard to start the week. Demontrey Jacobs also took his first left tackle snaps of the summer.
• Depth corners D.J. James, Miles Battle, and Marcellas Dial were top backups behind Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, and Marcus Jones.
• Stefon Diggs and DeMario Douglas were easily Drake Maye’s favorite targets today, continuing an early theme this summer.