Bill Belichick pulled the plug on not only the final day of Patriots’ mandatory minicamp this week in Foxborough, but also cancelled the final days of New England’s OTA workouts next week.
The springtime work at Gillette Stadium is essentially over, with the next step in the 2022 team-building process the opening of training camp in late July.
Before players and coach alike disperse the country for the final downtime leading up to the marathon NFL season, it’s worth taking a look at some of the key takeaways from the two days of mandatory minicamp action and how it all might just relate to real New England football this fall.
1 – Mac is in charge: In case there was ever any doubt, Mac Jones asserted himself in more ways than one as the clear man in charge of the New England offense. First of all, the second-year QB had a very impressive couple days of work with his teammates in non-contact action in shorts. Jones looked to be in very good shape. He definitely threw the ball well. Maybe more importantly, he was assertive and energetic as the clear leader and centerpiece of the Patriots new-look, Josh McDaniels-less offense. He acknowledged that he’s taking ownership of the offense and his teammates were very much aware of that. Owner Robert Kraft noted this spring just how important this year is for Jones and he appears to be well prepared to put his best foot forward, both for his own performance and the evolution of the offense as a whole.
2 – Coaches’ roles are still developing: The unique and likely still-developing nature of the offensive coaching staff was on full display at minicamp. At various points Bill Belichick, quarterbacks coach Joe Judge and offensive line coach Matt Patricia all seemed to be calling plays.
The general practice format included Judge taking over in 7-on-7 drills when he was with the skills players while Patricia was elsewhere working with his linemen. Then Patricia took charge in much of the 11-on-11 work, including using a walkie-talkie to call plays in to the QB’s helmet speakers. Does this mean Patricia will be the play-caller come September? Maybe or maybe not. It still seems rather concerning that he would be the primary offensive voice but spend significant portions of practice not seeing what’s going on with Jones and all his weapons. Belichick’s role is also worth watching. He’s been more hands-on and more frequently focused on the offensive side of the ball, something his quarterback has taken not of. But he also was very hands-off for the second day of minicamp, spending most of the practice standing on the sidelines chatting with Utah State defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda. There is still plenty of time and plenty to shake out for the offensive coaching staff.
3 – Bailey was boomin’!: After an All-Pro season two years ago, punter Jake Bailey wasn’t nearly as good last fall. He led the NFL with a 45.6 Net average in 2020 and allowed a franchise record-low 71 return yards for that season. In 2021, while being listed on the injury report at times, Bailey put up just a 39.6 net average. Some fans and media types even speculated that his job might be in jeopardy given his relatively high salary of nearly $4 million. Well, Bailey may have been the best performer of any player at minicamp. He was absolutely crushing the ball, punts with hang times approaching six seconds angled toward the sidelines. The drop-off from his booming balls to the few reps of undrafted rookie punter Jake Julien was eye-opening. Whether it was the injury or just a bad year, Bailey looks like he’s ready to perform at an elite level once again as a weapon for a team that will need every advantage it can get this fall in all three phases.
4 – Nixon in the running?: Tre Nixon was a notable selection late in the 2021 NFL Draft, because the wide receiver was hand selected by retiring New England legend Ernie Adams. Nixon was a non-factor as a rookie, but he’s exploded on the practice field to open his sophomore campaign.
The young pass catcher, who rode to Gillette Stadium with Jones every day a year ago, seems to have a rapport with the QB. Nixon made big play after big play in minicamp, beating the likes of Jonathan Jones and Shaun Wade down the field. The Patriots have a relatively deep receiving corps, but Nixon made an early bid to inject his name in the competition for a roster spot and maybe even a rotational role at the very least. It’s just shorts and t-shirts at this point, but Nixon is a guy to keep an eye on in training camp and preseason action.
5 – Feisty defense on display: There has been a lot of focus on the Patriots’ offense this offseason and for good reason. But New England’s defense has a lot of questions to answer in 2022 as well, especially given the level of competition it will face. Obviously it’s hard to ascertain much from a defense in a non-padded, non-contact camp where hitting and tackling are forbidden. But there were certainly a few notable takeaways on that side of the ball. Malcolm Butler doesn’t look like a guy who was out of football and clearly is competing for a high-level job at cornerback. Rookie draft pick Jack Jones flashed as a competitive option at the position as well. There are plenty of versatile athletes on the field at both safety and linebacker who could make for interesting personnel groups for Steve Belichick and Jerod Mayo to deploy. The “pass rush” also got after it at times, making life difficult on Jones in the very limited environment. Overall the defense brought a little bit of a competitive edge to the minicamp action, though it will be interesting to see if that continues when the pads come in on training camp.