As minicamp looms, 2019 Patriots coming into sharper focus

The Patriots will open mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, a three-day exercise designed to set the table for training camp in July. As we did last month, we’ll remind you to not overreact to things, either good or bad — at this stage of the calendar, it’s still shorts, shells and no real hitting. At the same time, these camp sessions can provide some level of insight into how the depth chart is shaping up, how rookies are getting acclimated to the system, and how the veterans are doing as they get prepared for a new season. With that in mind, here are 10 things we’ll be focused on throughout the week.

1. How does Tom Brady look?


Oh yeah — that guy. Outside of a few shots of him working out posted to social media this spring, Tuesday should mark the first appearance of the quarterback alongside the rest of his Patriots' teammates. Those won’t be actual game reps, but it will be a good opportunity to see Brady working with some new members of the passing game, including N’Keal Harry and Dontrelle Inman. I’ll be looking specifically for his timing work in the 11-on-11 drills. Who will get an early spot in his Circle of Trust? In addition, he’s talked about adding a little more weight this offseason — could we see the effects of that on Tuesday? Brady has almost always been the most compelling guy on the roster, and this week is no exception.