The Patriots will hold their second OTA session open to the media Thursday morning at Gillette Stadium. Not a whole lot came out of the last session open to the media last week, but there may be a little more this week.
Next week is the biggest week of the spring with mandatory minicamp taking place June 5-7.
Here are five things we'll be looking for Thursday morning on the grass fields behind Gillette Stadium.
1. Julian Edelman
Edelman, who turned 32 last Tuesday, looked very good coming back from a torn ACL last preseason in what the media was able to see in last Tuesday's session. The wide out did leave the session roughly halfway through, so it will be interesting to see how much he does on Thursday. It's worth noting leaving halfway through didn't seem to be injury-related. The Kent State product ran several drills at the beginning of the session and was able to show off his quick feet, which showed he wasn't at all limited by the knee. Overall, it was a good first look at Edelman and it would seem he will only build on it.
2. Who is on the field/who is not?
There are several key players to note if they are on the field or not. Dont'a Hightower has been a participant in most of the spring OTAs, but not the one that was open to the media last week. Based off pictures, wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell was on the field last Monday, but wasn't last Tuesday. Trey Flowers was another player not present last week at the session open to the media. All three players are viewed as valuable pieces to the 2018 team, so it's worth noting if they are present or not. Other players to watch for who missed last Tuesday's session include cornerback Jonathan Jones, safety David Jones and running back Brandon Bolden.
3. Wide receiver competition
We've noted this could one of the most competitive spots on the entire roster come the summer, so this is a chance for players to jump out to an early lead on making the roster. It's important to note OTAs are more about teaching and learning the offense, so they may be even more important for newer players like Cordarrelle Patterson, Jordan Matthews, Phillip Dorsett and Kenny Britt. If these players can have good springs, it will certainly help their cause come training camp this summer when the competition really heats up.
4. How do the QBs look?
Last week in the session open to the media, rookie Danny Etling impressed, looking better than backup Brian Hoyer at times. It will be interesting to see how Hoyer bounces back and if Etling progresses any. It did seem last week's session lacked some of the intensity OTAs have had in year's past, but a lot of that likely had to do with who was not on the field compared to in past years.
5. Tom Brady/Rob Gronkowski
It isn't expected either will show up and that will come next week at mandatory minicamp, but of course it's always possible they do. Brady likely is in town in advance of his Best Buddies event this weekend, so it isn't like he's in Europe like last week. While we don't expect them to be there, it's still a major storyline.
