MORSE: Notes From Patriots Training Camp Day 7

Here are some news and notes from Saturday’s New England Patriots practice session:

Training Camp Day 7

Attendance

Limited – Rhamondre Stevenson, Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones, Morgan Moses, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Reggie Gilliam, Gabe Jacas

PUP – Harold Landry, CJ Dippre

NFI – Terrell Jennings, Brenden Schooler

Returned to Practice – Gabe Jacas (limited), Christian Barmore

Out – Carlton Davis (hamstring)

Play of the Day: Gabe Jacas bull-rushed and just ran over OLBs coach Mike Smith, who was holding a pad in a pass rush drill. Put him right on his butt. You think the rookie is excited to be practicing?

– Evan Lazar

Patriots camp Day 7 was a non-scripted practice where the QBs were calling the plays and making the adjustments. Same thing on the Defensive side.

7v7s

Drake Maye: 4/5

Tommy DeVito: 4/4

Behren Morton: 3/3

11v11s

Drake Maye: 9/12, INT

Tommy DeVito: 6/10, INT

Behren Morton: 2/4

– Romeo Doubs had his best day with five catches. A.J. Brown had three catches before departing early.

– Mark Daniels

“I don’t care what their schedule is…I think New England’s the favorite in the East.”

– Louis Riddick on ESPN Live

Jun 10, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive tackle Caedan Wallace (70) walks to the practice fields for minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports — **(PHOTO: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)**

Notes from OL/DL 1v1s:

– Lomu 1-2 with win vs. Ponder, losses to Jones & Q Hutchins

– Swinson initially over Campbell but he tripped and ended on the ground

– Two good reps for Q Hutchins (Lomu, Bryant)

– Amari Gainer (Hudson), Joshua Farmer (Brown) with standout reps

Patriots OG Caedan Wallace is departing the practice field. Spent a good amount of time on the trainers’ table after 1-on-1s.

– Brian Hines

Caeden Wallace went 0-2, talked with the trainer, left the field.

Will Campbell 0-1-1 draw DreMont Jones, lost on inside move by Bradyn Swinson.

RT Caleb Lomu 2-2 again with 2 poor losses

Mike Onwenu 0-1-1

Jared Wilson 1-1

LG Ben Brown 1-1

Looks like the D-Line got some respect back after getting crushed in the 1^st three days in pads. It’s been a tough two practices for Ben Brown

–Greg Bedard

Hell of a play by Christian Elliss to carry DeMario Douglas on a deep crosser and break up a pass from Drake Maye

– Taylor Kyles

Andy Borregales went 5-for-5 during the field goal portion of practice today

– Sophie Weller

WR Kyle Williams just limped off the field with a trainer

– Zac Ventola

A.J. Brown just left practice. He jogged off the field. Didn’t have a limp or any noticeable injury.

– Karen Guregian

CB Karon Prunty (fifth round, Wake Forest) runs stride for stride with undrafted free agent WR Cameron Dorner and tracks the deep ball from QB Tommy DeVito for the INT.

– Mike Reiss

Drake Maye — **(PHOTO: Eric Canha-Imagn Images)**

Team period for Maye:

–Dell Pettus INT (2nd of camp for Drake)

-Handoff (Doubs limps off but is fine)

-Deep middle for Pop Douglas

-Incomplete high for Kayshon Boutte

–Lan Larison fumble

–Romeo Doubs catch

-Back shoulder to Kayshon Boutte downfield

-Handoff

–Romeo Doubs catch over middle (fumble, teammate jumps on it.)

– Kevin J. Stone

Some good back and forth here. Maye was picked by Dell Pettus after Elijah Ponder came free on a stunt to apply pressure. Maye also hit Pop Douglas on a seam splitter and Kayshon Boutte on a back shoulder.

– Evan Lazar

Joshua Farmer with a great run stuff on Jam Miller.

– Theo Diesenhaus

Behren Morton on Cameron Dorner: “When we got here, we didn’t know each other, but now he’s my guy for life.”

– Alex Barth

Look for Morton/Dorner connection during the pre-season games. Dorner is having a fine Training Camp for a UDFA and would be receiving more notice if the WR room wasn’t so good. He is battling for a Practice Squad spot. Dorner was elevated to taking some 2^nd team reps today

Offense, defense draw on most disruptive defensive day yet.

A.J. Brown 3 catches, and 2 TDs. One was a spinning grab against good coverage by Christian Gonzalez. Brown left early. No sign of injury. Iron sharpening iron. Maye is not afraid of throwing at Gonzalez.

Fumbles: Doubs, Larison

– Andrew Callahan

Karon Prunty had a PBU in yesterday’s practice as well

– Doug Kyed

Rookie CB Karon Prunty with one of two interceptions in practice today … credits his high school WR background for helping track the deep throw by Tommy DeVito.

– Brian Hines

Romeo Doubs best practice of camp. The $68 million man has seen a slow start to his Patriots’ tenure on the practice fields. Doubs’ did appear to put the football on the ground at one point at the end of a play, but it was on overall positive practice for the 26-year-old. He hauled in all five of his targets to lead all receivers.

– Brian Hines

In the 7 on 7’s the 1^st pass from Maye was to Romeo Doubs sitting against a zone. The last pass in 7s was to Doubs. To start 11-on-11s, Maye’s 1^st pass was to Doubs. For the day, he had 5 receptions.

– Kevin Stone and Nick Cattles

Run game struggled again with 6 Run Stuffs

– Andrew Callahan

Andy Borregales went 5-of-5 on field goal attempts on Saturday. He is 21-of-23 on his attempts through all of training camp.

UDFA tight end Tanner Arkin took some reps with the first-team offense, catching a pass from Maye during the team period.

Christian Barmore dominated in 1-on-1s with two big wins over Mike Onwenu and Ben Brown.

Caeden Wallace left practice early

– Sophie Weller

Kyle Williams got open downfield but could not connect on a deep bomb from Maye (thrown high), the speedster totaled three catches from Tommy DeVito as he impressively worked through contact to snag a hole shot and comeback route along the sideline.

– Brian Hines

Efton Chism III got open over the middle of the field on numerous occasions which resulted in two receptions from DeVito, while Chism also saw a pair of manufactured touches (one from Drake Maye).

– Brian Hines

AJ Brown continues to impress catching all 7 targets for 2 TDs

Kyle Williams left practice and didn’t return as his camp slump continues

Maye targets the top 6 wideouts without a single ball hitting the turf

– Drake Silver

Robert Spillane “That’s who I am. Without that intensity, there’s no football,”

– Chris Price

On Behren Morton: “I think he’s got a live arm,” head coach Mike Vrabel said. “I think that he learns quickly. I think he’s been able to operate that third group, get those guys going and build a connection with some of the young receivers.”

– Ethan Hurwitz

Around the League

Buffalo Safety CJ Gardner-Johnson suffered a lower leg injury (probably an Achilles) and had to be carted off the field. This was a non-contact injury. Gardner-Johnson was a Free Agent signee this Spring and was penciled in as their starting Nickel Back.

49ers WR Ricky Piersall had a knee procedure and will be lost for the year.

Panthers WR Chris Brazell has a torn LCL and will have surgery. He is out for the year. This is the second player they have lost as OLB Nic Scourton is also lost for the season with a torn ACL.

Christion Gonzalez Contract Extension

Head Coach Mike Vrabel was asked about this in this mornings Press Conference before practice. He said “It will get done. Everybody involved is working hard”. Bert Breer of SI said they are not close and Adam Schefter stated they are a ways away.

Gonzalez’s agent wants to reset the Cornerback market. They feel the CB contracts are lagging the growth in other positions, like the $40M AAV that DT Jalen Carter just received. Offering just the highest amount ever given (presently $31.1M AAV) isn’t going to cut it. I wonder if they are asking for 4-years at $40M AAV with $120M guaranteed. He has the same agent as Devon Witherspoon, and I believe Gonzalez wants Witherspoon to sign first so that he can top that offer. I commend Gonzalez for going all out and competing at full participation, but if progress isn’t made soon, I might think that Gonzalez will hold-in and stop the full participation. The questions isn’t will Gonzalez be the highest paid but how high they will set the new bar.

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About Mark Morse

Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.

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