The first four days of Patriots training camp are in the books, and after an off day Sunday, the team will be in action Monday-Friday this week.
Even more notable is the pads will come on, which will make the competition heat up and evaluations become easier.
It will also allow for more positions to be discussed, as up until this point it really has just been the skill positions seeing the majority of the action.
Here are 10 quick thoughts on what we’ve seen so far.
1. Despite what Bill Belichick said, there is a legitimate quarterback competition, but as of now Cam Newton has the edge over Mac Jones. Both players had a solid first week, but Newton has been a little more consistent. Newton’s bad throws are very bad and Jones’ good throws are really good, but the veteran has just been a little more consistent than the rookie. We’ll see if that continues once the pads come on and the pressure from the defense is amped up.
2. The thing that stands out most about Jones is his quick release and his decisiveness with his decisions on where to throw the ball. This was an issue for Newton the first few days, as he took a lot of would-be sacks, but he has improved on this a great deal the last few practices. This is something to watch as the weeks go by, as the Patriots offense relies on the quarterback getting rid of the ball quickly.
3. Even though the pads haven’t come on, it’s clear the defense has a chance to be something special. Given the number of talented players it has, it will be able to rotate in and out a number of different guys and play off the strengths of each player. This is much different from a year ago where for instance Adrian Phillips was forced into a linebacker role. This year, he will be able to play all over the defense based on what makes sense for the opponent that week.
4. Speaking of Phillips, he’s been one of the best players on the field, making plays all over the first few days of training camp. He’s tallied a number of pass breakups to go along with a few interceptions. One of the things he’s excelled at is going up against tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry. This will be something to watch come the regular season.
5. It still feels like the team is a body short at wide receiver. The position is certainly deep, but the competition is greatest for the final spot or two. There is no true No. 1 receiver, as that would either be Jakobi Meyers or Nelson Agholor, and they feel like No. 2s at best. It’s probably too late to add a No. 1 wide receiver, so it looks like they will hope to get a lot of production from their top two tight ends.
6. The running back position is wide open with a number of possibilities in play. Much more will be learned this week with the pads coming on. It feels like a good bet Damien Harris will be the lead back, but it’s anyone’s guess what happens after that. James White wasn’t the same player as we’re used to seeing last year and he hasn’t done much the first few days of camp, either. Would the team ever cut him? It seems unlikely, but his production is worth watching as the preseason nears.
7. We’ll see if Stephon Gilmore will get on the field this week. He’s been rehabbing on the conditioning field, which indicates he’s relatively close to a return. Besides his health, there’s his contract that is also something that probably needs to be resolved before he steps on the practice field. This is one of the bigger stories with the team and a resolution will be reached at some point.
8. Even though this came without pads, newcomer Davon Godchaux was quite active at his defensive line position, batting down a couple of passes. We’ll see how he looks with pads, but we view him as a player who could have a big time impact in his first year with the team.
9. Undrafted rookie kicker Quinn Nordin has showcased his strong leg quite a bit the first few days. Veteran Nick Folk has a firm grasp on the starting job, but with the expanded practice squads like last year, the Michigan product feels like a player the team could stash and work with for future years.
10. When it comes to the preseason games, it’s hard to predict how the Patriots will play their quarterbacks, but as of now it seems like it won’t be all that much. Belichick has always put more stock into the joint practices and with two different ones coming up in the coming weeks, look for those to be most important when deciding who gets the starting QB nod. An early prediction is the preseason games will be a tough watch.