FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots’ first minicamp session is in the books. Here’s what went down:
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Brady’s back: With QB1 returning to the practice field, the energy level of the whole session was kicked up a notch on both sides of the ball. It was a sharp day for the offense, as everything seemed to flow pretty smoothly throughout the workout, which took roughly two hours. Brady naturally took all the starting reps, and looked as sharp as he could be at this time of year. The level of competition in the 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s varied throughout the day — without pads, there’s only so much you can do — but he looked consistent, going 14-for-15 at one point and falling into a natural rhythm with favorite targets like Julian Edelman and James White, as well as youngster N’Keal Harry. No OTAs? No problem.
Loaded at linebacker: There was no hitting because guys were in shorts and shells, but that didn’t stop the New England linebackers from making plays. Ju’Whaun Bentley made the defensive play of the session when he picked off Brian Hoyer after Kyle Van Noy initially tipped the ball at the line of scrimmage. Jamie Collins was able to frustrate Brady into a bad ball in a passing drill in the early going. If everyone stays healthy, this has a chance to be a special group, and Tuesday, we saw a few reasons why. (In the context of this conversation, it’s also worth noting that Jerod Mayo was consistently the loudest coaching voice on the field throughout Tuesday’s practice. The secondary is good, but the linebackers will really be the heart of this defense.)
Don’t forget about the back end of the WR depth chart: If Tuesday was any indication, there will be a nice battle at the back end of the depth chart, as Braxton Berrios and Maurice Harris both had really good days while running with what appeared to be a reasonable facsimile of the No. 1 offense. Berrios and Harris lined up in multiple spots, and both produced highlight-reel plays to highlight the work of the offense. Neither one of them are going to the Pro Bowl this year, but if the Patriots can find one more dependable target in that group of receivers, they could have a nice collection of pass catchers.
TAKING ATTENDANCE
Not spotted: Patrick Chung, Sony Michel, Yodny Cajuste, Nick Brossette, Demaryius Thomas, Austin Seferian-Jenkins (released) and Deatrich Wise.
Red non-contact jerseys: None, other than the four quarterbacks
New injuries: None
Limited: Isaiah Wynn and Kyle Van Noy
Dress code: Per rules, shorts, shells and helmets. No hitting
HANDS TEAM
—Jarrett Stidham and David Andrews had to run a lap for a botched shotgun snap.
—Ju’Whaun Bentley had an interception, while J.C. Jackson, Duke Dawson, and Keion Crossen were among those with pass breakups.
LENGTH OF PRACTICE
Two hours
QB STATS
(7-on-7 and 11-on-11 — some of the day had a rather broad definition of "competitive" sessions, but these are the totals I had...)
Tom Brady: 26-for-32
Brian Hoyer: 8-for-13, INT
Jarrett Stidham: 9-for-13
Danny Etling: No competitive reps
THREE UP
N’Keal Harry: I find myself having to pump the brakes from time to time and remind myself that it’s only June and players and only in shorts and shells and I don’t want to get carried away, but Harry is doing more and more to distinguish himself as a favorite target of the quarterbacks. It was a little tougher for him Tuesday than in the first open session we saw last month, but Harry made a number of impressive catches throughout the session, and was part of a group that worked off to the side (including White and Watson) during special teams work. (For what it's worth, after the workout, I asked Harry if he was the one who initiated the conversation with Brady that led to the receiver spending time with the quarterback last month, or if the quarterback reached out to him. He smiled and said, "No comment.")
- Berrios’ grab deep downfield was the nicest play of the day, and one that drew big cheers from players on both sides of the ball after he popped up and spiked the ball in celebration. (He also had a nice TD catch from Hoyer in a red-zone drill where he tiptoed along the back line but came down with the ball for the score.) If he keeps playing like that, he’s going to find a role with this team.
- In an early passing drill, it looked a pass got up on Harry before he was ready for it. But he got a hand on it and batted it in the air, eventually coming down with the reception. Could it have been picked? Perhaps. But it was a still a terrific athletic play Harry made to recover the ball and come away with the reception.
- Bentley’s interception of a ball from Hoyer was a nifty play that also deserves an acknowledgment.
- With the understanding that there’s no hitting at this time of year — so it’s tough to really discern the competitive nature of line play — it was interesting to see Ted Karras get so much time at left guard. With no Wynn in the lineup, the Patriots opted to go with Joe Thuney at left tackle and Karras at left guard for the bulk of the practice session. The two worked well together, and could be in line for more time next to each other down the road.
- Harris had a tremendous catch over Duron Harmon.
- There were a lot of what you might call “Attaboys” for the work of Stephen Anderson and Matt Lacosse throughout the early stages of practice. Anderson reminds me a bit of Tim Wright.
- As was the case in last month’s open workout, when the starting defense was on the field and New England was operating with two deep safeties, it was Obi Melifonwu who was lined up next to Devin McCourty, with Harmon working as the box safety. Another good sign for Melifonwu, who looked natural at the position.
- One of the advantages of having two punters? You can test out multiple punt return candidates at the same time. Berrios and Phillip Dorsett were working on one field with Ryan Allen, while Maurice Harris, Gunner Olszewski (the first guy on the field at the start of practice) and Edelman were on the other field taking punts from Jake Bailey.
- Troy Brown and Deion Branch were both on the field throughout the session working with the receivers, while Brown also spent time with the punt returners.
- There were a bunch of college coaches in attendance, including several members of the Iowa coaching staff.
