FOXBORO, Mass. — Day 1 of the New England Patriots‘ training camp is in the books. And, if we’re being honest, it was kind of boring (until Matthew Judon’s news conference, anyway).
First-year head coach Jerod Mayo eased his players into camp with a roughly 90-minute session that wasn’t overly competitive. The second half of practice also saw increasing rain for the majority of team periods. New England plans to increase practice durations by 15 minutes each of the next two days.
Let’s get into everything we saw Wednesday during the Patriots’ first open practice of the summer.
Patriots Training Camp Practice Report — Wednesday, July 24
Jerod Mayo Press Conference
On potential differences from previous training camps: “I think the first thing — I know it’s small — but just the music during practice. That helps the time go by as well. It gets the guys excited; it gets the guys pumped. It’s all about competition, what I talked about. You’ll see more competitive periods as the offseason continues to grow.
On if he’s picking the music: “I don’t. That’s one of those prizes you give the guys, the offseason award winners. Let those guys pick the music, and they love it. They love it.”
On what he’s most excited about: “I’m most excited just about the excitement that the players show on a day-after-day basis. They’re coming in there with great energy. Look, as the season continues to progress, we’ll get better each and every week. This is really the foundation right now for our training camp that we put together. So, we’ve got a lot of players, and once again, those guys are excited to come out here, work, and compete. That’s my message I’m going to be preaching to them.”
Jerod Mayo setting expectations for training camp. Said today's practice will be 90 minutes but durations will vary through the summer. Also said Patriots will be in pads a week from now pic.twitter.com/jKWznckSHp
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) July 24, 2024
On a player who could make a significant jump: “Our defense is so versatile. There are times where I look at a guy like Marte [Mapu]. Is Marte a safety? Is he a linebacker? We don’t know, but we’ll see once we put the pads on. But that’s a guy that I’m excited to see out there in pads.”
On how he’ll manage Drake Maye’s practice reps: “It’s pre-planned. Every rep is pre-planned until we get into the live-action type of stuff where it’s unscripted. But look, he’ll have his opportunities. So will Joe [Milton], so will Zapp [Bailey Zappe], and obviously, Jacoby [Brissett]. He’s our starter at this point, so he’ll have ample opportunity to go out there and prove himself.”
On how he’ll spend his time during practices: “Yeah, to me, look, I’m a floater, and once again, it’s about fundamentals. Moving a body is moving a body, whether we’re talking about an offensive lineman or a defensive lineman — same thing. Linebackers, block disruption, those things carry over. It’s all about fundamentals. Look, I’m supposed to spend most of my time on the defensive side, but at the same time, I’ll definitely make my way over [to the offense].”
On whether players still will run laps after penalties and turnovers: “We’re going to keep that going. We’re going to keep that going because penalties, turnovers, all those things carry. They’re going to take off.”
Attire
Helmets and shells. Mayo said the pads won’t come on until next week.
Attendance
The following players were absent from practice:
- LB Sione Takitaki (PUP)
- OL Jake Andrews (PUP)
- OL Cole Strange (PUP)
- WR Kendrick Bourne (PUP)
- RB Antonio Gibson (NFI)
Mayo downplayed Giboson’s undisclosed injury, saying he’ll be back “relatively soon” and that placing the veteran running back on the non-football injury list was a “procedural” move.
“No concern at all,” Mayo said.
Andrews also is dealing with an undisclosed injury, likely the same one that kept him out of minicamp.
Strange continues to rehab from a torn patellar tendon suffered late last season. He might sit out half the 2024 season, if not the entire campaign.
Bourne is still working his way back from a torn ACL. He and Strange watched practice in street clothes.
Takitaki is still recovering from an offseason knee scope, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The veteran linebacker previously said he wouldn’t miss a single day of camp, so it’s fair to wonder whether his knee could be a lingering issue.
QB Report
Jacoby Brissett:
11-on-11s: 5-for-7, one INT
7-on-7s: 5-for-6
Brissett was the clear No. 1 QB on the depth chart and enjoyed a mostly solid afternoon aside from an early interception. He made a few good throws, including two to tight end Austin Hooper, and showed solid command of the offense.
Again, this practice wasn’t overly competitive, but it was a solid start for New England’s projected starter.
Drake Maye:
11-on-11s: 2-for-4, one sack
7-on-7s: 4-for-6
Maye repped behind Brissett and was better early than late. He delivered the play of the day — a beautiful 50-yard bomb to Jalen Reagor — but also fumbled a snap, threw a bad incompletion into double coverage, and underthrew a pass to Kayshon Boutte.
It was a mixed back for the No. 3 overall pick, but a decent start.
Drake Maye takes the field for his first training camp practice pic.twitter.com/4lSMwDcLhJ
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) July 24, 2024
Bailey Zappe:
11-on-11s: 1-for-2
7-on-7s: 2-for-3
Zappe repped third among quarterbacks, indicating he still has an edge over Milton for the No. 3 QB job. None of his plays stood out one way or another.
Joe Milton III:
11-on-11s:1-for-3
7-on-7s: 3-for-3
The news here is that Milton saw more work Wednesday than he did late in minicamp when he barely saw the field. The rookie sixth-rounder showed off his rocket arm during individual drills but wasn’t asked to do much during team periods.
Three Studs, Three Duds
STUDS
WR Jalen Reagor
Nobody is talking about Reagor, but they should be. It’s early, but he might have the edge for the final spot on the wideout depth chart.
Reagor saw a ton of quality work during minicamp and kept rolling in Wednesday’s practice.
Just look at this play:
Drake Maye with the effortless deep shot 🎯
(via @patriots)
📺: Back Together Weekend – July 27-28 on @NFLNetwork, ABC, ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/LSyH4tcHKW— NFL (@NFL) July 24, 2024
TE Austin Hooper
Hooper didn’t stand out during the spring but showed well on Wednesday. The veteran tight end made a pair of nice grabs on passes from Brissett, including a diving catch with Marte Mapu in coverage.
The Patriots’ tight end duo of Hooper and Hunter Henry won’t blow anyone away, but it’s a solid pairing.
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CB Jonathan Jones
The veteran corner broke up a Brissett pass that resulted in a Kyle Dugger interception and was sticky in coverage during team drills.
Jones on Tuesday said his offseason knee issue was behind him and that he was a full-go, and Wednesday’s practice proved he wasn’t bluffing.
DUDS
Offensive Line
It wasn’t a disaster, but it wasn’t great, either. There were multiple pressures — some of which resulted in sacks — and quarterbacks spent a lot of time scrambling. There’s nothing to panic about, though.
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
The veteran receiver made a couple of catches but also dropped one and spent a lot of time with the second-team offense. He just doesn’t have much juice.
The Vibes
I’ve never seen a Patriots training camp opener with so little buzz. There were hardly any cheers when Maye took the field — Mac Jones always got an ovation — and there were many empty seats.
Maybe it was the dreary forecast, but that never stopped Patriots fans from showing up and cheering in previous camps. It was strange and indicative of the narratives surrounding the franchise.
The vibes from training camp.
It’s a quiet, drizzly day here on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium. pic.twitter.com/7TSNvHAJQR
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) July 24, 2024
Assorted Notes and Highlights
- The Patriots worked full field during team drills, a departure from minicamp when they largely focused on red-zone work.
- Judon and Davon Godchaux were full participants, including in team drills. So far, neither player is holding in despite their contract disputes.
- Judon opened up on his contract drama in a wildly honest news conference after practice. Here’s a clip:
Matthew Judon said “it’s tough” to see the other #Patriots getting new deals and not have one himself.
A long, honest answer. pic.twitter.com/smr28aboo6
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) July 24, 2024
- Mike Onwenu started at right guard when Brissett was at quarterback, with Calvin Anderson opening at right tackle. Chuks Okorafor, Sidy Sow, and David Andrews were at left tackle, left guard, and center, respectively.
- Rookie Caedan Wallace saw reps at right tackle with both Brissett and Maye.
- Jonathan Jones, Isaiah Bolden, and Azizi Hearn all had pass breakups.
- Jones lined up as the No. 2 cornerback opposite Christian Gonzalez but also saw time at safety.
- Safety Jabrill Peppers saw attention from trainers but later said he was suffering from cramps.
- Receiver DeMario Douglas appeared to be dealing with an injury and didn’t participate in team drills.
- The Patriots didn’t work on any kickoff return drills.
- They did run punt return drills — with a new wrinkle:
This is new. Patriots returners are practicing fielding punts while holding a towel under their arms. Assume that’s to get them to keep their elbows in tight. pic.twitter.com/XfUHMqMZpn
— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) July 24, 2024
- Patriots owner Robert Kraft watched some of the practice before leaving.
Robert Kraft greeting Marcus Jones early in practice pic.twitter.com/uWaqkaqfPn
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) July 24, 2024
- Here are some other highlights from practice:
Drake Maye, Joe Milton, and Jacoby Brissett pic.twitter.com/PlCZcUnsI8
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) July 24, 2024
Drake Maye to Jalen Reagor and Kawaan Baker pic.twitter.com/W897fM7IZl
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) July 24, 2024
Extended look at Drake Maye pic.twitter.com/Z8OicD2sH3
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) July 24, 2024
Drake Maye warming up with positional drills, taking reps after Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe (for now). pic.twitter.com/2TVxCXDU0j
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) July 24, 2024
Drake Maye ➡️ Ja’Lynn Polk pic.twitter.com/jXbZOeWJ2w
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) July 24, 2024
Drake Maye signing autographs for a massive crowd of #Patriots fans: pic.twitter.com/1uqgR2zbjH
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) July 24, 2024
The Patriots will practice again Thursday and Friday, with both sessions starting at 11 a.m. ET. They’ll take Saturday off before returning Sunday morning.