For the first time since 2011, it appears the Patriots will not be holding joint practices this summer. New England has preseason games against the Redskins, Eagles, Panthers and Giants so those were the would-be options.
Joint practices are never before the final preseason game, so the Giants had no chance of happening. The Redskins had no chance of happening, either. Their contract of having training camp in Richmond prohibits them from going on the road for joint practices. Since the Patriots are hosting the Redskins in Week 1 of the preseason, that possibility was gone as soon as the schedule was released.
This left the Panthers and Eagles as the only options remaining.
The Patriots have played the Panthers in the preseason before and joint practices never have happened. In addition, Bill Belichick doesn't really have any connections with the franchise. While New England hasn't had any joint practices with the Eagles since 2013, or any real connection with the coaching staff, many noted how much respect Belichick showed for the organization Super Bowl week, so why not have joint sessions in Foxboro before the second preseason game?
Maybe Belichick and the Patriots felt other teams were getting too much out of the sessions in terms how taking ideas from the future Hall of Fame coach. Every year the opposing coaching staff marvels at how Belichick runs things, so maybe it just wasn't worth it anymore.
Last season the Jaguars invaded Foxboro as one of the up-and-coming teams in the league and then returned in January for the AFC championship. Obviously, joint sessions with the Patriots weren't at the top of the list of reasons why they had a good year, but it certainly didn't hurt their cause.
Belichick has been known for adding players in the years after going against them in joint practices because of the extended look he gets over the three-day period. Also, starters saw extensive work in the practices with controlled situations so they didn't play much in the games. Perhaps, the potential for other teams to pick up on things the Patriots do wasn't worth what they got in return.
Without joint sessions this summer, this likely means more of an emphasis on the preseason games, so starters should see more playing time in the first three games than in the past. It also could raise tempers at a few sessions with the Patriots between some of their own players, as over the years many have said going up against just teammates day-after-day can get old.
It's hard to say exactly how no joint practices will impact the Patriots this summer, but there's no question things will have a different feel.
