6 rings: One thing that has caused the Patriots offense some major headaches in Training Camp
The vibes at Sunday's Patriots practice could not have been better. The sun was shining, there was no humidity, and it wasn't terribly hot. It was the perfect day for football.
Naturally, this good weather luck came crashing back down to earth on Monday as wind and rain gusted through Foxborough for the entirety of the two-hour practice.
Outside of the brutal climate, here's everything that stood out during the session:
First on the field, player arrivals
Rookie specialists Chad Ryland and Bryce Baringer were the first on the field on Monday. They’re conjoined at the hip.
For the second day in a row, Bailey Zappe was the first quarterback on the field for the Pats.
A quartet or referees also entered through the Optum banner, confirming a scrimmage style practice.
Notes and Storylines: Offense
- David Andrews returned to practice and was a full participant.
- Trent Brown remains a non-participant. He’s taking the Judon route, which makes me wonder if this is a similar hold-in situation.
- Bill Murray was absent from practice. He left Sunday’s practice with an injury.
- The same group of wide receivers ran it back for the second day in a row. Read more about this here.
- During 1-on-1s against the defensive line, tackles Riley Reiff and Conor McDermott both stood out during 1-on-1s vs. the offensive line, but this success doesn’t translate over to team drills at all. The offensive line as a whole struggled once again and didn’t allow the offensive to get a look.
- Kendrick Bourne had a tough day in the rain. He had three drops.
- Parker, who said last season that 50-50 balls for him are more like 80-20, is living up to that mantra. He continues to dominate go routes during camp.
- Mac Jones continues to show a clear understanding of O’Brien’s system. Protecting him is going to be the problem.
Malik Cunningham, who played quarterback in college and is technically listed as one on the roster despite working as a wide receiver, saw some run at signal caller during Monday’s practice. They were scout reps, but he looks like a weapon.
Notes and Storylines: Defense
- Jonathan Jones was absent once again. The third day in a row for the veteran cornerback. He worked out on the lower fields before attending practice in street clothes.
- Marcus Jones lined up on the boundary in Jones’ place for the majority of practice, and looked good there for basically the first time all camp. He had several pass break ups during 1s, 7s, and 11s, and hardly got beat during the session.
- On the first play off 11-on-11, Jack Jones lined up across from Gonzalez at cornerback. He started the drive with a nice pass break up on JuJu Smith-Schuster.
- Christian Gonzalez blanketed Tyquan Thornton during 1-on-1s. It was a double move, and Gonzalez’s coverage led to a miscommunication between Thornton and Mac Jones.
- Marte Mapu was in coverage as a safety during 11s and blanketed tight end Matt Sokol. The versatile rookie defender continues to get meaningful reps for this defense.
- Myles Bryant started 1-on-1s strong with a pass break up on JuJu Smith-Schuster.
- The entire defensive front seven was dominant again.
Notes and Storylines: Special teams
- Matthew Slater was not at practice on Monday. Like Jonathan Jones, this is the veterans third straight day not practicing.
- Kyle Dugger, Marcus Jones, Isaiah Bolden returning kicks. Bolden was one of the best kick returners in the country for Jackson State.
- Nick Folk got the first reps at kicker ahead of Chad Ryland for basically the first time during camp.
Player of the Day
Marcus Jones.
The Patriots cornerback room stood out on Monday, and they were led by Marcus Jones. The versatile playmaker was all over the field with pass breakups and interceptions, and had his first true “plus” practice of the summer. They’ll need it with Jack Jones still in limbo.
Media availability
We spoke to Trent Brown, Marte Mapu, Mike Gesicki, and Bailey Zappe among others following practice. Here’s what stood out:
Brown, who has been a limited participant at practice over the last two weeks, said that his absence is not contract related “at all.” He also confirmed that he is dealing with an injury, which is why the team is managing his load.
Mapu said that the game has “slowed down a lot” for him since minicamp. The versatile rookie linebacker and defensive back is set to take his first game action on Thursday.
Mike Gesicki will be in action on Thursday as well, for the first time in a Patriots uniform. He told us that the offense will focus on their “operation, communication, getting in and out of the huddle.”
Bailey Zappe called rookie Malik Cunningham “a dude” following his performance at quarterback during Monday’s practice, saying that playing both QB and wide receiver has helped him pick up the offense quicker than normal.
Wrap-Up and Takeaways
The cornerbacks were the ones who showed out on Monday. Each one of them continued to show off their ball-hawking skills
The Patriots are back at it for one final practice on Tuesday at 1 p.m before their Thursday evening matchup vs. the Texans.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
Related
