Observations From Day 4 of Patriots Training Camp

The Patriots returned to the field on Sunday for their fourth training camp practice. Players wore shells for the second day in a row, but they will don pads for the first time on Monday.

Christian Barmore wasn’t spotted after being limited the past two practices with an illness. According to a statement from Barmore via the Patriots’ twitter, he is suffering from blood clots, and there is no timetable for his return.

To bolster the defensive tackle spot, New England signed Josiah Bronson, a former UFL defensive tackle who was on the field wearing #75.

Marte Mapu, who’s also been limited since Friday, was absent for the start of camp, but he appeared about midway through and watched from the sidelines.

Running backs Antonio Gibson and Terrell Jennings made their summer debuts after opening camp on non-football injury and physically unable to perform lists, respectively.

Kendrick Bourne was on the field in uniform for the first time but still appears to be on PUP and didn’t participate.

Here are my top takeaways from today’s practice.

Physically Unable to Perform

• LG Cole Strange
• WR Kendrick Bourne
• LB Sione Takitaki
• IOL Jake Andrews

Absent

• IDL Christian Barmore

Limited/Did Not Participate

• WR DeMario Douglas
• SAF Marte Mapu

Drake Maye Cools After Hot Start

The Patriots introduced 1-on-1 drills, pitting wide receivers against corners, tight ends against safeties, and running backs against linebackers. Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett threw to receivers, while Bailey Zappe and Joe Milton targeted tight ends and backs.

This period gave Brissett some of his first opportunities to go deep against New England’s stingy defense. He capitalized with impressive shots to Javon Baker, Jalen Reagor, and K.J. Osborn.

Maye had a pair of overthrows, but they were overshadowed by drops in the bucket to Kayshon Boutte and JuJu Smith-Schuster. He had one attempt that was a hair short of David Wallis, but the receiver could’ve done a better job attacking the ball to prevent a late Marcus Jones breakup. Between the easy arm talent and general accuracy displayed in these drills, fans in attendance caught glimpses of the upside Patriots Nation is clamoring for from the 3rd overall pick.

 

Brissett was inconsistent early in team drills, underthrowing Ja’Lynn Polk and throwing a high checkdown to Rhamondre Stevenson. He shook it off and was steady for the rest of practice, targeting Austin Hooper on multiple dropbacks. The former Browns teammates connected five times, including an impressive adjustment from Hooper on a scramble throw deep down the right sideline. Brissett likely would’ve been sacked live, and Dugger seemed to stop running before contesting the pass, but Hooper’s concentration stood out.

Following a strong performance in 1-on-1s, Maye was shaky throughout team drills. There were flashes of the quick processing he’s shown all summer, but this was his least accurate training camp practice. Maye struggled to hit receivers in stride, including by a wide miss to Mitchell Wilcox and a throw behind Kayshon Boutte that was somehow brought in. He did show exceptional awareness on a slant to K.J. Osborn, putting the pass behind his receiver to maximize a tight window. Maye gets the benefit of the doubt after three solid practices, but he’ll need to bounce back tomorrow.

The battle for the Patriots’ third quarterback spot took an interesting turn in today’s practice. Joe Milton was the clear backup to Brissett and Maye on Friday, but he and Zappe had a more even share of reps on Sunday. Zappe took all of the third-string reps during the initial set of 7-on-7 reps, but Milton followed that by taking all of the reps during 11-on-11s. This order flipped during the second round of drills. Milton had an impressive connection with Jaheim Bell during 1-on-1s but was baited into a pick by Joe Giles-Harris on one of his last reps. I’m unsure if either player has a true leg up in this competition outside Milton’s contract and physical upside.

Javon Baker Shines in Camp-Best Performance

DeMario Douglas has been New England’s most consistent receiver this offseason, but Baker has been the most dominant. The UC product entered camp having Mossed three defenders going back to spring, most recently climbing the ladder against Marcellas Dial on Friday. He added to that resume today with his best practice as a Patriot.

Baker looked unguardable during 1-on-1s, creating separation while showing excellent tracking and ball skills. His first win came on a crossing route against Christian Gonzalez. While speaking to reporters after practice, Baker mentioned the importance of creativity and technique when facing a well-rounded corner like Gonzalez. Despite the corner showing eye discipline during their matchup, keeping his eyes glued to the receiver’s hips, Baker capitalized on inside leverage by using a stutter to separate at the top of his route.

The wideout made an even more impressive play later in the drill, blowing past Mikey Victor down the sideline and initially reading the ball over his right shoulder. At the last second, he adjusted to his left shoulder, a high-difficulty maneuver, and hauled in the pass before launching the ball into the air.

Baker didn’t have any highlight-worthy plays the rest of practice,  but he caught everything thrown his way and his burst after the catch stood out. Availability and consistency will be key for Baker moving forward, but he should start climbing up the depth chart sooner rather than later. Fellow X Jalen Reagor has been a solid downfield threat, but Baker is a better technician and a more natural receiver. I expect him to look even better once the pads come on.

Offensive Line Features Same Combo for First Time in Camp

The Patriots’ tackle spot had been a revolving door the first three days of training camp. Calvin Anderson got the first crack, followed by Vederian Lowe and Chukwuma Okorafor, with Caedan Wallace taking the former Steeler’s usual spot on the blindside.

Sunday marked the first time this summer that New England fielded the same combination two days in a row, with Wallace and Okorafor manning the same spots they did on Friday. Wallace downplayed the competition while speaking to reporters, saying players “just look at the depth chart every day and get after it.” However, the rookie also mentioned two significant improvements to his game that could’ve played a factor.

“I would say my hands have gotten a little bit better. It’s something that I wanted to work on coming from college. And then beginning with Coach [Scott] Peters, he has a whole strike system that we’re learning, and that’s really helped me out. I would also say my kick sets. Like, I’ve gotten a lot better at not turning out as fast as I did previously.”

Strike timing and patience against speed are crucial to tackle play, especially on the left side, where speed rushers tend to live. Wallace is already an explosive athlete, evidenced by his 96th percentile broad jump and 81st percentile vertical jump, so shoring up his technique could unlock another level of his game. I’d prefer the Penn State product played on the right due to his physicality as a run blocker and lack of NFL experience, but if his future is on the left, he might as well get a head start.

Tomorrow will be the first chance for trench players to set themselves apart, so it will be interesting to see if the current lineup sticks and how players respond.

Leftovers

• • Chad Ryland and Joey Slye went 3-of-4 during field goal attempts at the end of practice, with both players missing wide to one side of the goalposts from about 30 yards out.
  • Alex Austin spent time in the slot for the first time this offseason. He broke up a pass from Maye to Osborn but may have held.
  • Ja’Lynn Polk won decisively over Jonathan Jones on a crossing route during 1-on-1s. He remains a consistent and reliable presence in the slot and outside.
  • DeMario Douglas told reporters after practice that he is being held out of team drills as a precaution after hurting his hand before training camp.
  • The first fight of the summer broke out midway through practice. I couldn’t see who was involved, but David Andrews lost his helmet.
  • Six of Bryce Baringer’s eight punts hung in the air for over 4.7 seconds, including one that gave Polk trouble
  • Marcus Jones, Jalen Reagor, KJ Osborn, Ja’Lynn Polk, and DeMario Douglas fielded punts.