Two practices.
That’s all of the Patriots determined they wanted from their necessary minicamp, a scheduled three-day stretch they capped with a shock paintball outing Wednesday earlier than sending gamers into their summer time break. Before then, greater than 80 gamers reported for practices on Monday and Tuesday, probably the most aggressive and intense periods of the spring. Mac Jones led the offense for all however one interval of crew drills, whereas the protection predictably had the higher hand.
What else did we be taught from that observe and Monday’s session? Here have been the highest 4 takeaways from Foxboro:
1. Mac Jones is in command
If it’s a quarterback controversy you’re in search of, sit tight. The Patriots offense nonetheless belongs to Mac Jones.
Jones appeared comfy on the controls of Bill O’Brien’s system, a hybrid of the previous Patriots playbook and the offense he ran at Alabama. Jones feathered a couple of pinpoint downfield throws to tightly coated receivers, made checks on the line and easily pivoted to his checkdowns when his preliminary reads have been coated on each days. Jones additionally out-performed backup Bailey Zappe, regardless of throwing a pair interceptions throughout crew drills.
The offense’s timing and group — even with out JuJu Smith-Schuster, Trent Brown and others — was far forward of the place the Patriots have been most of final spring and summer time underneath Matt Patricia and Joe Judge. Eventually, when the likes of Smith-Schuster, Brown and Tyquan Thornton return, O’Brien’s offense ought to hum. And when it does, Jones might be on the middle of all of it.
2. Jack Jones leaping in Year 2
The finest participant on the sector throughout minicamp? That’s a simple name: Jack Jones.
The second-year nook snared three interceptions over two practices, together with an 11-on-11 interval Tuesday when his beginning protection confronted the Patriots’ scout-team offense and he picked Trace McSorley. Earlier on Tuesday, Jones peeled off his assigned receiver to intercept a deep ball from Mac Jones. He completed the day with out permitting a single catch in crew drills.
Overall, Jones demonstrated all the uncooked protection expertise that made him a worthy gamble within the 2022 draft. If he can keep out of bother — after ending final season on the suspended listing — the Pats’ supposedly shaky cornerback depth could also be a lot firmer due to him.
3. Offensive deal with is a evident downside
Once Brown didn’t report for minicamp Monday (as a result of reported journey points), the Patriots began Calvin Anderson and Conor McDermott at offensive deal with. Once Brown returned Tuesday, the Patriots despatched him off firstly of crew drills, and he by no means returned.
Less than superb.
The 6-foot-8, 380-pounder is the Pats’ solely surefire starting-caliber deal with on the roster. Meanwhile Anderson, a swing deal with in Denver who signed as a free agent this offseason, let up a sack in crew drills Tuesday. His backup, Riley Reiff, couldn’t get snaps forward of McDermott in observe. Last 12 months, McDermott was the Patriots’ fourth offensive deal with upon signing earlier than transferring into an emergency beginning function down the stretch.
Defense dominates, Bailey Zappe sees reps improve and extra Patriots Day 2 minicamp takeaways
And that is it. Unless fourth-round rookie Sidy Sow makes the reduce. Sow, a five-year school starter at Eastern Michigan, final performed offensive deal with in a sport in 2018. But that is precisely the place the Patriots have been compelled to play him this week given the state of the place, one of the vital important on the roster.
4. There’s a spot for DeAndre Hopkins
Without Smith-Schuster and Thornton, DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne took just about all the extensive receiver snaps with the first-team offense throughout crew drills. Parker snatched a couple of spotlight grabs Tuesday, together with a 25-yard landing over Jonathan Jones throughout 7-on-7s. As for Bourne, nicely…
He went catch-less. And not one of the receivers behind him flashed sufficient both day to warrant consideration as a possible sleeper to make the roster. The Patriots nonetheless undertaking to have a below-average receiving corps heading into the season — except Hopkins indicators.
His arrival would utterly change the dynamic of this offense. A confirmed No. 1 possibility who runs with a sure gravity by means of opposing secondaries, drawing further defensive consideration in a method that hasn’t been seen in Foxboro since Rob Gronkowski. Hopkins would additionally put the remainder of the Patriots’ receiving depth into correct order, with Smith-Schuster changing into the No. 2 receiver, Parker the No. 3 possibility and Bourne and Thornton combating to be first off the bench.
The Patriots have an open roster spot, a necessity on the place and cash to spend. Now, will Hopkins signal on the dotted line?
Source: www.bostonherald.com