First and 10: Patriots set to open minicamp Tuesday morning - what will we be looking for?

Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your Tuesday. Grab your coffee and let’s get to it.


They’ll be three days of football-like activities on the practice fields behind Gillette starting Tuesday, as mandatory minicamp gets underway. Tom Brady is expected to be in attendance, as well as most of the rest of the roster. It’ll be the first time we’ll get a chance to see the quarterback throwing passes in something resembling game action since the Super Bowl. We’ll also be on the lookout for a bunch of other stuff that might give us some idea as to how the depth chart is starting to come together.

Tuesday’s schedule
11:15-1:15 p.m.: Media availability at practice
1:15 p.m.: Approximate time for Bill Belichick and player availability (Prior to leaving practice fields)

Now, on with the links…

1. Look, when it comes to this week’s minicamp, it’s still shorts, shells and no real hitting. At the same time, these 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.

2. Had another epic Monday afternoon Q&A with a ton of great topics. We even talked about (if you can believe it) “The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.” Check out the transcript for all the details.

3. Chase Winovich’s deal is done. The only unsigned member of New England’s draft class is Damien Harris.

4. ESPN’s minicamp preview takes a look a nine things to watch for across the league. Brady’s return to the practice field makes their list. “For the second year in a row, Brady stayed away from voluntary workouts, so this will be his first chance to work with the entire team and a largely new group of tight ends and wide receivers,” writes Mike Reiss.

5. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has the biggest risk every team is taking heading into 2019. For the Patriots, it’s the concern Brady might finally hit the wall. “Quarterback Tom Brady played at a championship level in 2018,” states Knox. “The New England Patriots are betting he can do it again in 2019, but this is a sizeable gamble. Brady will be 42 in August, and there is no clear succession plan in place.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

I’m excited to finally announce my new feature documentary, 100%: Julian Edelman on @Showtime. Keeping this project under wraps has been tough, a lot of highs, a lot of lows, a lot of surreal moments. Just glad we had a camera rolling so we could make this thing our way. #100PercentFilm #??

A post shared by Julian Edelman (@edelman11) on Jun 3, 2019 at 11:16am PDT