{"id":54733,"date":"2024-07-21T06:00:37","date_gmt":"2024-07-21T10:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=54733"},"modified":"2024-07-20T16:45:55","modified_gmt":"2024-07-20T20:45:55","slug":"patriots-news-7-21-positional-battles-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/07\/21\/patriots-news-7-21-positional-battles-to-watch\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots News 7-21, Positional Battles To Watch"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning. Here are your Patriots news and notes for July 21. The rookies have already reported to their first training camp. The vets are soon to follow, and camp for the entire team will begin later this week.<\/span><\/p>\n

It will be an exciting time for the Patriots and the fans in attendance. With a new coaching staff led by new first-time head coach Jerod May and many new players, the camp will be the first in nearly a quarter century without Bill Belichick.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On a personal note, this marks the start of my 13th season writing for <\/span>Patsfans.com<\/span><\/a>. Time has certainly flown by when you\u2019re having fun. Russ Goldman, Derek Havens, Damien Jarret, and I started our podcast this week 13 years ago.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this Sunday\u2019s post, we\u2019ll look at the position battles to watch. Last week, we gave you an early look at the 53-man roster with our first projection. You can still <\/span>find it here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Patriots announced the training camp dates that are open to the public, and you can find those on the <\/span>Patriots website<\/span><\/a>. However, remember that dates and times are subject to change, so check with the site for any updates before making the trek down Route 1.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Quick Hitters For the Patriots and NFL News:\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Rookies On PUP\/NFI: <\/b>The Patriots\u2019 rookies have reported to training camp but two of them are missing some valuable time. Running back Terrell Jennings (PUP) and Jontrey Hunter (NFI) are missing the beginning of training camp.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jennings, a UDFA from Florida A&M, signed with the team this spring after attending the rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. Hunter, also a UDFA from Georgia State, spent six years there.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both Jennings and Hunter are eligible to come off of PUP\/NFI at any time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Back To School? <\/b>The Patriots rookies reported to training camp on Friday, and the team had them hold up <\/span>small chalkboards <\/span><\/a>signifying the first day of training camp 2024.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is similar to what kids would do on the first day of the school year. For the rookies, it signifies their first day of the upcoming season as a professional. This was kind of a cool idea by the Patriots. I wonder if the league is doing this as a whole or was it simply a Patriot thing? Either way, \u201cwelcome to the party\u201d (Bruce Willis quote).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Patriots Alumni: <\/b>Patriots alumni are scheduled to appear daily in the fan activities area of the Patriots Training Camp. Here is the list of the alumni and the dates that they are scheduled to appear.<\/span><\/p>\n