MORSE: Notes & Analysis of Patriots Training Camp

Thursday’s session was closed ot the public, but here’s a rundown based on the media reports from New England’s 10th practice of training camp. The players were in shells after having worked in pads for much of this week.

Attendance

Absent: WR Romeo Doubs, WR Cameron Dorner, TE Jack Westover, CB Carlton Davis

PUP: LB Harold Landry

NFI: S Brenden Schooler

Returned: OG Caedan Wallace

Passing

11v11s

Drake Maye: 10/15, 2 INT

Tommy DeVito: 3/6, INT

Behren Morton: 3/6

– Mark Daniels

Intrceptions

Marcus Jones, Kevin Byard, John Saunders Jr. (DeVito)

Practice Highlights

Boutte rotates with 1s, mostly 2nd team. K Williams mostly 2s, some 3rd-team reps.

“Sacks”: Jesse Luketa, Amari Gainer

PBUs: Brandon Crossley

Maye 9/15 2 INTs. Both INTs on re-started 2-minute drill.

A.J. Brown 3 catches, 1 vs. Gonzalez.

Doubs out. Mack Hollins new Z WR.

Will Campbell (left arm) limited. Marcus Bryant LT1, Lomu RT2.

Gabe Jacas rotates in for starting D debut.

A.J. Brown 3 catches, 1 vs. Gonzalez.

– Andrew Calahan

Marcus Bryant on getting to rep with the starters with Will Campbell being limited: “Just being able to step up and compete.”

– Sophie Weller

Will Campbell did not participate in team drills today. He was seen wearing an elbow brace.

– Phil Perry

An awful end to the practice for the offense: During a two-minute drill, Drake Maye throws low and is picked off by a diving Marcus Jones. One play later, he was intercepted by Kevin Byard. So in comes Tommy DeVito, who is picked off by John Saunders Jr. on his first throw. A team huddle gets called immediately.

– Ethan Hurwitz

We saw more of Kindle Vildor with the 1s today. It’s been more of Charles Woods and Karon Prunty there in recent practices. – Alex Barth

Gabe Jacas beat Caleb Lomu decisively on one rep today. Then beats Marcus Bryant one-on-one.

– Savage

Rhamondre Stevenson spent part of 11s hunched over on the sideline. He dealt with what looked like a heat-related thing earlier in camp, so could be a similar situation.

– Ethan Hurwitz

– Carlton Davis, Romeo Doubs, Jack Westover, and Cameron Dorner remain absent. Caedan Wallace returned – Will Campbell had a brace on his left arm and didn’t participate in team drills. Marcus Bryant stepped up at LT with Dametrious Crownover as LT2 – Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon had multiple wins in RZ 1v1sz Gonzo and Craig Woodson had wins over AJ Brown. Kyle Williams smoked Kevin Byard off the on a slant – Top and backup offenses ended end of half situations with INTs. Marcus Jones buzzed under a Kayshon Boutte curl from Maye, then Kevin Byard picked off a seam to Hunter Henry the next play (might’ve been a desperate situation). Tommy DeVito’s first dropback was a pick to John Saunders late in the down – Gabe Jacas continued to ramp up participation and flashed multiple times as a pass rusher. Beat Caleb Lomu with a ghost move early and got pressure vs Dametrious Crownover to help force DeVito’s INT – Mack Hollins stepped up for Romeo Doubs and had a high-point TD in the low RZ over Kevin Byard

– Taylor Kyles

The Patriots are hosting veteran and versatile OG Greg Van Roten on a visit, source said. The 36-year-old has played the last two seasons with the Giants.

– Ian Rappaport

Not surprised at all. Discussed on the pod how Ben Brown hasn’t been good at OG this camp and the backup plans are flimsy as hell. Adding a vet OG makes a TON of sense.

– Nick Cattles

A lot of fire on the field today between CB Christian Gonzalez and WR A.J. Brown, which seemed to be sparked by Gonzalez’s edge/trash talking after some lockdown coverage. Looked like the two almost needed to be separated at one point as they transitioned to a new drill.

– Mike Reiss

Christian Barmore and Charles Woods both left practice early. Dog days. Hot. Durability test portion of camp.

– Phil Perry

Without Will Campbell on the field today, it was Marcus Bryant, not Caleb Lomu who got the reps at left tackle with the Patriots’ starters.

– Chad Graff

Gabe Jacas saw time with the first-team defense today as he continues to ramp up. Also had an impressive speed rush dipping around Caleb Lomu to register a pressure and beat Dametrious Crownover in two-minute to help force an interception.

– Brian Hines

Efton Chism started the first 11v11 rep with A.J. Brown today.

– Mark Daniels

Drake Maye’s 2-minute drill

Rhamondre Stevenson checkdown

Hunter Henry checkdown

A.J. Brown 15-yard comeback vs. Christian Gonzalez

Spike at 0:32

Marcus Jones INT on forced in-cut to Boutte

Kevin Byard INT on stared-down seam ball overthrow for Henry

– Andrew Calahan

My Practice Analysis

Is WR Kyle Williams in jeopardy of not being on this team? He is not getting any reps with the 1^st team and QB Drake Maye. Could Williams be more tradeable than Boutte? Quite frankly I would rather have Boutte than Williams. My big problem with that scenario is that the Patriots will then have three WRs with expiring contracts for next season. Williams is much faster but is not a very good Wide Receiver. He doesn’t seem to get the playbook or make the adjustments as needed to make the catch. I think Williams is much more marketable than Boutte and could return a 4^th or 5^th round pick.

As I reported Wednesday, the Patriots are not happy with their interior Oline performance and are looking for help. They brought in 36-year-old Greg Van Roten for a tryout. Van Roten was a starter in Las Vegas for McDaniel and was the starter last season for the New York Giants. Van Roten had a 65.3 PFF grade which was 35^th of 81 G’s in the league. As of this writing they have not signed him yet.

Marcus Bryant and Dametrious Crownover played at Left Tackle ahead of Caleb Lomu. Looks like the Patriots will have Lomu play at RT and possibly at G. He is not ready and has been beat regularly in one-on-ones.

Gabe Jacas is making quite the impression and has been getting some reps with the 1^st team Defense. Today he beat Caleb Lomu and put pressure on Devito. Observers said that it would have been a holding call on Lomu. Then in the Two-Minute Drill he beat Crownover to put pressure on Devito which led to the interception. Glad to see this and I can’t wait to see what he can do next week against Indianapolis.

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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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