FOXBORO — Here comes the calvary.
Patriots tight finish Mike Gesicki returned to observe Tuesday after lacking eight days with a harm shoulder. On a day the place gamers wore shells and shorts, Gesicki participated in positional drills and crew durations, however was not contacted and didn’t catch a cross throughout 11-on-11s. He did, nevertheless, run effectively and in any other case look unbothered by his harm.
Three different gamers additionally returned to observe: operating again/extensive receiver Ty Montgomery (left leg), operating again Pierre Strong (reported concussion) and linebacker Ronnie Perkins. Montgomery ran by means of positional drills for the primary time because the second day of coaching camp. Perkins earned a sack in his return.
Elsewhere, JuJu Smith-Schuster inhaled targets, Mac Jones spoiled his sizzling begin with an interception, two rookies noticed transient promotions and Ezekiel Elliott retains including extra onto his plate.
Here are the Herald’s full observe observations.
Attendance
Returned: TE Mike Gesicki, RB/WR Ty Montgomery, RB Pierre Strong, OLB Ronnie Perkins
Absent: DB Jonathan Jones, OL Cole Strange, WR Tyquan Thornton, OL Kody Russey, CB Isaiah Bolden
Limited: DL Keion White, WR Demario Douglas, Montgomery
PUP: OL Mike Onwenu, S Cody Davis, DL Trey Flowers
Non-Football Illness: OT Calvin Anderson
Notes: Montgomery and Douglas participated in positional drills, then left to situation on a separate area. Tuesday’s observe was the primary the place Montgomery participated in virtually a full month. White left for an higher area halfway by means of practices for causes unknown. He participated in positional drills and crew durations earlier than strolling away with a staffer. Thornton was injured throughout a joint observe Thursday at Green Bay and hasn’t been seen since. Bolden stays in concussion protocol.
Play of the Day
Bryant makes home name
Will he play security? Nickelback? Maybe even … exterior nook?
Whatever place Myles Bryant finds himself on this season, he’ll be hoping to duplicate the success he had in Tuesday’s observe. Trailing JuJu Smith-Schuster on a left-to-right crossing route throughout a two-minute drill, Bryant jumped Mac Jones’ off-target cross and snatched an interception. With nobody out forward of him, Bryant flew up the precise sideline for a would-be pick-six.
Player of the Day
DB Myles Bryant
One snap earlier than his interception, Bryant broke up a cross supposed for tight finish Hunter Henry. His two cross breakups led all defenders in crew drills. Bryant continues to play all throughout Bill Belichick’s secondary, and construct on a powerful camp.
QB Corner
Mac Jones has made one vital change in Patriots coaching camp this yr
Note: The passing stats under have been tallied throughout aggressive 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 durations solely. The stats in parentheses signify the quarterbacks’ camp-long efficiency.
Mac Jones: 18/23 INT (159/228, 5 INTs)
Bailey Zappe: 14/20 (152/234, 6 INTs)
Trace McSorley: N/A (50/82, 4 INTs)
Studs
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
Six catches from Mac Jones in crew drills.. That’s what a No. 1 receiver seems to be like.
S/LB Marte Mapu
Mapu continued to meet his vary of duties at a number of positions throughout a number of defensive models. Amid all his shuffling forwards and backwards, he compelled a fumble from extensive receiver Thyrick Pitts and blanketed tight finish Anthony Firkser in protection, incomes a cross breakup. The child can play.
WR Kayshon Boutte
The sixth-round rookie snared passes from Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, together with a landing to assist shut observe. Most impressively, he caught all 5 targets; two got here with Marcus Jones in protection and one other towards Jack Jones on a submit route.
Duds
Ok Chad Ryland
Ryland went 1-for-4 on the finish of observe, together with three straight misses from a minimum of 33 yards away. All swung extensive left. The final misfire drifted a minimum of 15 yards away from the closest proper. Ryland then booted a brief make on his closing try, as he seemingly stays locked ready battle with incumbent veteran Nick Folk.
TE Scotty Washington
Washington dropped his solely goal in crew drills, possible placing a disappointing finish to his quiet coaching camp.
Offensive notes
- Around a pair kickoff drills, observe opened with three 11-on-11 durations centered totally on the passing sport, the place defenders typically pulled up on the catch level.
- Mac Jones began 9-of-11 over the primary two durations, whereas Bailey Zappe went 7-of-8. The solely offensive blemishes have been Zappe having one other cross batted on the line (courtesy of defensive sort out Daniel Ekuale) and backup receiver Thyrick Pitts shedding a fumble to linebacker Marte Mapu.
- Once the depth picked up within the third 11-on-11 drill, Jones discovered Rhamondre Stevenson on a swing cross, JuJu Smith-Schuster for his or her fifth connection of the day, Hunter Henry on an incomplete tight finish display screen and Kayshon Boutte in stride on a submit.
- On his closing three snaps, he scrambled and fired quick completions to Ezekiel Elliott, Kevin Harris and Smith-Schuster.
- Elliott caught three passes and took three hand-offs in crew durations. Jones hit him twice beneath, then Zappe went to him on a checkdown throughout his two-minute drill.
- Elliott reduce into Stevenson’s snaps alongside Mac Jones and break up his time within the backfield with each of the Pats’ high quarterbacks.
- Jones’ two-minute drill resulted in disappointment. The play-by-play went: DeVante Parker in-cut completion, Henry stick-route completion, Henry sideline catch, Myles Bryant cross breakup and Bryant’s interception.
- Zappe opened his two-minute drill with a sack, then went 1-of-4 earlier than a brief completion to Elliott, Malik Cunningham and Boutte, who scored on the left aspect of the tip zone.
- Assuming Boutte places forth one other sturdy observe efficiency Wednesday, and performs effectively in Friday’s preseason opener, he would possibly make the entrance workplace a proposal it will possibly’t refuse on cutdown day. The rookie has performed his finest soccer the final 10-14 days.
- The Pats’ different rookie receiver of notice, Demario Douglas, didn’t take part previous preliminary warmups. His state of affairs bears anticipating a possible harm. His roster spot will not be at risk.
- After fumbling early in observe, Pitts out-jumped first-round rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez for a sky-scraping Zappe throw down the left sideline. Gonzalez seemed to have mistimed the ball.
- Up entrance, the Patriots offensive line confirmed no main line modifications from final Saturday’s sport at Green Bay. Backup left guard Chasen Hines did block extra ceaselessly for Jones, although, throughout crew durations, whereas fifth-round rookie Atonio Mafi labored on the identical spot on just a few snaps with Zappe.
- With Conor McDermott out, former defensive lineman/proper guard Bill Murray remained because the crew’s backup proper sort out.
- While Jones, Zappe and others stretched on the finish of observe, third-string quarterback Trace McSorley break up reps below heart with Cunningham throughout an additional crew interval.
- Top targets in crew drills: JuJu Smith-Schuster 7/9, Kayshon Boutte 5/5, Kendrick Bourne 3/3, Ezekiel Elliott 3/3, Hunter Henry 1/3
- Drops: Scotty Washington
Defensive notes
- Top personnel throughout crew durations: defensive linemen Davon Godchaux, Christian Barmore, Lawrence Guy, Deatrich Wise, Keion White, Carl Davis and Daniel Ekuale; linebackers Matt Judon, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Chris Board, Mack Wilson, Jahlani Tavai, Josh Uche, Marte Mapu, Calvin Munson and Anfernee Jennings, and defensive backs Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips, Jalen Mills, Jabrill Peppers, Christian Gonzalez, Myles Bryant, Jack Jones, Marcus Jones and Shaun Wade.
- Interceptions: Myles Bryant
- Pass breakups: Myles Bryant, Christian Gonzalez, Daniel Ekuale
- Would-be sacks: Matt Judon, Josh Uche, Ronnie Perkins, Team
Patriots declare defender off waivers from Panthers, reduce WR
- Demario Douglas wasn’t the one affect rookie to maintain busy on a separate area Tuesday. Second-round defensive lineman Keion White, who harm his leg throughout final Thursday’s joint session at Green Bay, left halfway by means of observe.
- Prior to strolling away with a staffer, White had joined the Patriots’ high defenders for stretches of crew drills, simply as he did throughout earlier practices.
- Up entrance, Matt Judon and Josh Uche each reached Mac Jones for would-be sacks. Ronnie Perkins and an entire cluster of rushers bought to Zappe on different snaps.
- At the second degree, Calvin Munson, who appears to be carving out a job as a core particular teamer, joined the highest teams throughout crew durations.
- Marte Mapu did the identical, transferring between linebacker and security but once more. His precise position for Week 1 stays unclear, however on the very least the rookie ought to present depth at each spots.
- Elsewhere within the secondary, Myles Bryant began at exterior cornerback reverse Marcus Jones within the opening crew interval.
- Backup nook Shaun Wade, who was the crew’s best defensive again the final 10-14 days, took some snaps at security, simply as he did within the preseason opener.
- Rookie nook Christian Gonzalez blanketed Malik Cunningham’s out-breaking path to earn his cross breakup, however let up the lengthy ball to Thyrick Pitts one play later.
Special groups
- Kick returners: Marcus Jones, Kyle Dugger, Kayshon Boutte
- Brenden Schooler, Chris Board, Jahlani Tavai, Marte Mapu, Adrian Phillips, Ameer Speed and Calvin Munson all repped with the highest kickoff and kick return models.
- Kickers Chad Ryland and Nick Folk each labored on kickoffs throughout observe.
- Ryland has but to tug away with the beginning job, as was anticipated when the crew traded as much as choose him within the fourth spherical. His 1-for-4 area objective efficiency Tuesday was his worst of camp.
Extra factors
- During an preliminary stretching interval, the Patriots performed “Hakuna Matata” over the loudspeakers, the primary Disney tune to be heard at coaching camp.
- Mac Jones, Adrian Phillips, David Andrews and Christian Gonzalez all addressed reporters after observe.
Source: www.bostonherald.com