Observations from Patriots minicamp Tuesday
“Who brought the rain in with them this morning?” Bill Belichick asked reporters as we settled in from the wet parking lot that just got a nice shower.
Though it drizzled on and off pretty much all morning, the clouds ended up parting right at 11:20am for what became a sunny and muggy day two of Patriots minicamp practice.
6 rings and football things: Hart and Kadlick recap day two of minicamp
Here’s everything that stood out on the fields outside of Gillette Stadium on Tuesday:
Offense
- Another light wide reciever day. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, and Kayshon Boutte were all once again absent from practice.
- On the first play of 7-on-7’s, Mac Jones dropped one in the bucket to tight end Mike Gesicki. He Moss’d safety Joshuah Bledsoe. Gesicki also had a nice catch over safety Adrian Phillips. The tight ends connection with his QB continues to be shown front and center.
- With James Robinson being released on Monday, second-year running backs Pierre Strong and Kevni Harris saw their reps increase, as did hybrid offensive weapon Ty Montgomery. Montgomery also got some run with the receivers, given that their room is light as well.
- Trent Brown returned to minicamp after being delayed due to a flight cancellation, however he was limited and didn’t last long on the field.
- The offensive line struggled during the 11-on-11 period on Tuesday, which didn’t allow the offense to get going. I’m not sure we saw one deep completion.
Defense
- Rookie EDGE Keion White was absent from practice on Tuesday. He was checked out by trainers towards the end of practice on Monday and was limited for the rest of the session.
- Lawrence Guy remained a hold out on Tuesday due to a contract dispute.
- Jack Jones’ playmaking ability from 2022 shined through on Tuesday. He picked off QB Mac Jones on an underthrown ball to Hunter Henry during 7-on-7.
New England's defense loves Marte Mapu's versatility - which you'll read about below.
- As mentioned above, the defensive line dominated during 11-on-11's. They didn't allow the offense to get into any rhythm whatsoever.
- The defense won the day. The energy was up players were flying around, and the amoeba defense filled with versatility was on full display.
Special Teams
- Myles Bryant, Ed Lee, and Marcus Jones, Jabrill Peppers, and Demario Douglas once again repped as returners during punt drills.
- They gave the specialists a chance to shine for a 7-on-7 period towards the middle of practice. Brenden Schooler, Chris Board, Raleigh Webb, Ed Lee, and Marcus Jones all got reps at their “rostered” positions.
Guest List
Patriots legend and three-time Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman was a guest at Patriots minicamp practice on Thursday. He chatted up Matt Groh, CJ Mattes, Matthew Slater, Joe Judge, and more during his return.
Penn State head coach James Franklin returned to Foxboro on Tuesday as well.
Who Said What?
We spoke with DeVante Parker, Ty Montgomery, Jabrill Peppers, and Matthew Judon among others following practice.
“He’s brought a nice offensive scheme,” DeVante Parker said on the addition of Bill O’Brien, while also mentioning that he and Mac Jones “have a good connection.”
How about the potential addition of DeAndre Hopkins to the wide receiver room?
“Focused on us,” Parker said repeatedly. “Next question.”
Speaking of Hopkins, Matthew Judon was once again back on the Twitter recruitment tour for the wide receiver this week. He told us, however, that he doesn’t run his account: ““I don’t know who be tweetin’!”
Judon also spoke to the Patriots defense and positional versatility, saying that the team has “unicorns” in the system. On rookie Marte Mapu specifically, he said that he “runs like a free safety but stands like a linebacker.” Safety Jabrill Peppers also mentioned Mapu’s versatility during his availability.
Bill Belichick, meanwhile, had planety to say about Peppers before practice. When asked if he’s seen growth from him since last season, he fawned over him:
"Oh yeah, my god yeah,” said the head coach. “He's a much different player at this time than he was last year." Belichick also said that Peppers is much more confident in his assignments and in the system this season.
Wrap-Up
The defense won this one, but overall it was a high-energy type of session with plenty of competition across the board.
Should they not cancel, which they’ve done in the past, the Patriots will be back on the practice field on Wednesday to wrap up their minicamp before taking a mini break before training camp at the end of July. We’ll have you covered here at WEEI.com for all of it.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
Source: WEEI
