The 2021 Patriots' Preseason Camp

The New England Patriots completed their sixth practice of organized team activities Friday. It was their second practice in front of the media. Here are The Athletic’s observations:

Attendance​

Did not fully participate (24): K Nick Folk, OLB Matt Judon, WR N’Keal Harry, S Adrian Phillips, CB Stephon Gilmore, RB Brandon Bolden, RB Sony Michel, CB J.C. Jackson, RB James White, S Devin McCourty, RB Damien Harris, TE Dalton Keene, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, LB Dont’a Hightower, LB Cam McGrone, LB Anfernee Jennings, LB Terez Hall, S Josh Bledsoe, LT Justin Herron, LT Isaiah Wynn, RT Trent Brown, TE Jonnu Smith, WR Devin Smith, DT Byron Cowart

Returned (after being absent May 27): LB Brandon King, CB Myles Bryant, LB Harvey Langi, OLB Chase Winovich, LB LaRoy Reynolds, DT Christian Barmore, LB Kyle Van Noy, WR Tre Nixon, DT Lawrence Guy

New absentees (after participating May 27): N’Keal Harry, Devin Smith

Notes: Damien Harris, Ronnie Perkins, Anfernee Jennings, Cam McGrone, Dalton Keene and Josh Bledsoe worked out to the side due to injuries. Harris again had a compression sleeve on his left leg. McGrone tore his ACL in November. Bledsoe broke his right wrist in January at the Senior Bowl.

Story of the day​

Cam Newton injured his right hand midway through practice and didn’t finish the workout. It’s possible Newton hit his hand on a helmet during the prior 11-on-11 period or on a blocking pad during a positional period, which was his final one of the day. During that 11-on-11 period, the pass rush was consistently in the backfield, although Newton didn’t show any visible signs of discomfort following any of his four reps. But during the positional period, coaches threw blocking pads at the quarterbacks to simulate pressure.

Newton took one rep in that period then went to meet with the medical staff on the sideline, and he was in visible discomfort at one point when they examined his hand. Newton was repeatedly checking for swelling near the knuckle at the base of his index finger – several times comparing it to the same spot on his left hand – either on the knuckle itself or the bridge of the hand between the finger and thumb. He then returned to the field behind the drill and gripped a ball for about a minute before heading back to the medical staff on the sideline. He buckled over in pain at one point during that examination.

At that point, it became clear Newton was done for the day. He again returned to the field and took a knee behind the drill. Patriots owner Robert Kraft walked onto the practice field around that time, noticed Newton wasn’t participating and walked over to speak with the starting quarterback. Newton gave Kraft a fist bump with his left hand. Newton watched the rest of the practice.

The Patriots have the weekend off before returning to practice Monday, and their next workout in front of the media will be Thursday. We’ll see what happens with Newton in the coming days.

Quarterback evaluation​

• Newton completed 2 of 3 passes during the only team period. He completed his first pass to J.J. Taylor on a checkdown to the left side then hit Isaiah Zuber on a left out route. His final pass was well behind Nelson Agholor up the right sideline, but it was unclear if it was a poor throw or a miscommunication.

Mac Jones was second in line, which was also the case May 27, and he didn’t get any help from the offensive line, particularly from the backup tackles (more on that later). Myles Bryant blitzed off the front side and tipped Jones’ first pass, which fell incomplete, and Jones completed his next pass to Taylor on a checkdown. Christian Barmore blew past Marcus Martin for a “sack” on the final rep.

• Jones took over as the starter during the next 7-on-7 team period, and he completed three consecutive checkdowns to Taylor, Jakob Johnson and Tyler Gaffney after he couldn’t find anyone open down the field. On Jones’ next turn in the rotation, he quickly hit a wide-open Taylor on the right side before an ugly incompletion on his second throw, which was either poorly thrown and too deep for Jakobi Meyers’ corner route or a miscommunication with Kristian Wilkerson, who broke the wrong way. Jones’ final throw of the period was a completion to Hunter Henry on an option route against a zone linebacker.

• Jones then went third in the rotation for his final period of 11-on-11s, again quickly hitting Taylor underneath before completing another ball to Troy Fumagalli. Jones’ final pass was nearly intercepted by Kyle Van Noy due to a miscommunication with Henry. Jones didn’t take any reps in the last team period.

• Overall, Jones was 8 of 11, and he attempted passes to Taylor (4 of 4), Henry (1 of 2), Fumagalli (1 of 1), Johnson (1 of 1), Gaffney (1 of 1), Zuber (0 of 1) and Meyers (0 of 1). The checkdowns were noticeable. About half were the result of a quick read and taking advantage of a vulnerability in the coverage. For the rest, it’s hard to know if Jones could have or should have made a more aggressive throw down the field or if he simply made the safe play underneath.

• Jones also had a compression sleeve on his lower right leg, either due to an ankle or calf injury. Because the sleeve didn’t extend all the way up his calf, the guess here is an ankle issue. He also noticeably limped between periods and might not have had as much burst off his back foot during live reps.

Jarrett Stidham opened the day as the third quarterback in the rotation but was the No. 1 QB over the final two periods. He was clearly the best of the group during this practice, completing 13 of 14 passes in team drills, with Johnson’s drop sabotaging his perfect day. Stidham’s confidence was evident by his quick reads and releases, as well as his ability to handle the pass rush. He made the two best throws of the practice on deep dig routes to Zuber and Meyers.

• Stidham attempted passes to Gaffney (4 of 4), Taylor (3 of 3), Kendrick Bourne (2 of 2), Zuber (1 of 1), Henry (1 of 1), Meyers (1 of 1), Gunner Olszewski (1 of 1) and Johnson (0 of 1).

• For what it’s worth, Stidham was 6 of 6 when targeting wide receivers and tight ends, while Jones was 2 of 5.

• The unknown element here: As Newton was down, did Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels predetermine Jones and Stidham would split the No. 1 reps, or did Stidham take over late due to performance? The Jones-Stidham dynamic will be closely monitored over the final two weeks of offseason workouts, regardless of Newton’s status.

Brian Hoyer was 7 of 13 during the practice, though he was burned by drops from Johnson and Fumagalli. Hoyer didn’t participate in the opening team period, then went third in the next two periods without Newton and second in the final two periods.
 
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Remaining observations​


• The defense was energetic and dominant, and it didn’t help that starting tackles Isaiah Wynn and Trent Brown weren’t present. Top backup left tackle Justin Herron also wasn’t participating in team drills. Josh Uche was the best player on the field and thoroughly dominated backup tackles Yodny Cajuste, Korey Cunningham and Will Sherman.

• Deatrich Wise, Chase Winovich and Barmore all had disruptive days.

• Some of the most noticeable pass rush victories in 11-on-11s: Barmore against Martin, Uche against Cunningham, Rashod Berry against Cajuste, Harvey Langi against Cunningham, Winovich against Sherman.

• On one hand, the pass rushers had a terrific day. On the other, they exposed the linemen who are battling for jobs. The pass rush should still be expected to be a strength this season, and it will look even better when the starting secondary is on the field together. But context is necessary for this particular practice.

• The first half of practice was at low speed before really intensifying over the second half. But even during the low-speed portion, coaches made sure everyone moved quickly from station to station between periods as to not waste time.

• Johnson had two drops.

• N’Keal Harry didn’t practice for undisclosed reasons, but he can’t afford to miss time. Portions of his previous two offseasons were erased by injuries, which undeniably set him back.

• Dalton Keene was present but not participating again. He’s another one who missed time last summer and struggled to recover, and Keene also missed time during the season due to injuries. He dealt with several injuries at Virginia Tech as well.

• Ernie Adams was again on the field.

• Justin Bethel had a pass breakup.

• Van Noy did a set of pushups after dropping an interception.

• Nick Folk’s one-year contract included $1.225 million guaranteed, so he is being paid to be on the 53-man roster, and it would take a wild upset to lose the job. But with Folk not practicing for undisclosed reasons, undrafted rookie Quinn Nordin was turning heads with his extremely powerful leg. He only made 42 of 58 field goals (72.4 percent) in four years at Michigan so he doesn’t always know where it’s going, but the ball sounds different off his leg.
• The Patriots again finished practice with conditioning runs up the back hill.

Next up​

The Patriots’ next two practices (Monday and Tuesday) are closed to the media. Their next open practice is Thursday. All practices remain closed to the public.

 
A little more

K Quinn Nordin delivered a powerful introduction to Patriots media at the end of today’s practice.

Nordin displayed an incredibly powerful leg. From 50 yards out his kicks were hitting halfway up the netting 15 yards or so behind the goalposts. Even just the sound of his foot hitting the ball was different - boom - the contact was audibly solid as well as visually. Accuracy will be a question - the Michigan product hit just 72.4 percent of his field goal attempts in college - but he has as strong a leg as you’ll see (or hear) in the NFL.
 
Thanks, Chevs.

Lots of detail and, for once, I'm paying attention. I don't know who wrote the blog, but they covered
Cam's hand injury like the British press covers Pippa's hats.

I mean......I felt like I was right there in the huddle watching Newton checking out his knuckles.

Also, I've looked at our depth chart a couple of times recently, but somehow I missed the fact that we
signed Harvey Langi. He was a Tasmanian Devil vs. us last year for the Jets. I don't know if he has a
shot to make it here, but if he doesn't it won't be because he doesn't hustle.
 
Photos from the day. David Andrews is BUILT. In fact, you'll see a lot of big, thick new guys in this photo set. Langi is another stout looking guy. This is a very different team
than last year.

 
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I do love the way the Boston pro teams all support each other. It’s very unique and I don’t see it happen to the same level in other cities.

Cassidy was appreciative of the support and shared what it’s like to be a part of the Boston coaching fraternity.

“I’ve kept in touch with Bill here and there, during playoff runs for both teams, as well as Brad (Stevens) and Alex (Cora),” Cassidy told reporters Friday. “I heard from all of them after our first-round win. I think it’s great that the teams are rooting for each other.”

In addition to getting support from their professional sports counterparts, Cassidy also thinks that the success of the other teams in town helps to motivate everyone.

“It’s a good sort of competition for each team to have good playoff runs,” Cassidy said. “It forces the other organizations to continue to excel. Obviously, the Patriots have been the team that’s had the most success. We want to follow in their footsteps and raise some banners as well. I think it’s great.”
 
Mike Reiss Quick Hits today

1. Evolving QB picture: When Cam Newton injured his right throwing hand and didn't finish Friday's voluntary organized team activity, and rookie Mac Jones had a few notable missed throws that might have made one wonder if he's ready for prime time, it sparked a question that hasn't been a big part of the Patriots' quarterback discussion.

What would happen if that type of situation unfolded in the regular season?

Jarrett Stidham stepped up Friday as the top option in 11-on-11 drills and delivered a few impressive throws, almost as if he was saying, "Hey, don't forget about me! Remember, I was the guy everyone was talking about at this time last year."

As a pure passer in a shorts-and-T-shirt practice, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Stidham has always looked the part. There might as well be smoke coming off the football on some of his high-velocity deliveries.

But the bigger question has been if that could translate to games in high-pressure situations, and it seemed telling coach Bill Belichick didn't want to see more of him in the final two games last season after the Patriots had been eliminated from the playoffs.

On Friday, teammates didn't sense Newton's right hand injury was particularly serious, as Newton was joking with them in the locker room after practice. A source later described Newton as "all good."

4. All-in: Veteran wide receiver Nelson Agholor has been a full participant in the voluntary offseason program, saying he believes it gives him the best chance to grow as a player. Agholor's first impression of Belichick's program after two months? "Exactly what I expected. I just love how honest he is, and I love that he has an expectation for every player that's in this building."

9. Grooming Troy: Longtime Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears, whose passion for the job oozes during media interviews, hinted 2021 could be his last season. Patriots Hall of Famer Troy Brown was moved to assistant running backs coach last year, with Bill Belichick perhaps forecasting that Brown would rise up to Fears' role whenever Fears steps aside. Brown, who turns 50 on July 2, has a new look with black-rimmed glasses.

10. Did You Know: Fears, 65, originally joined the Patriots as a receivers coach under Dick MacPherson in 1991. That was the year Irving Fryar turned in the first 1,000-yard season of his career, finishing with 1,014 yards on 68 receptions (14.9 avg.).

 
Mike Reiss Quick Hits today

1. Evolving QB picture: When Cam Newton injured his right throwing hand and didn't finish Friday's voluntary organized team activity, and rookie Mac Jones had a few notable missed throws that might have made one wonder if he's ready for prime time, it sparked a question that hasn't been a big part of the Patriots' quarterback discussion.

What would happen if that type of situation unfolded in the regular season?

Jarrett Stidham stepped up Friday as the top option in 11-on-11 drills and delivered a few impressive throws, almost as if he was saying, "Hey, don't forget about me! Remember, I was the guy everyone was talking about at this time last year."

As a pure passer in a shorts-and-T-shirt practice, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Stidham has always looked the part. There might as well be smoke coming off the football on some of his high-velocity deliveries.

But the bigger question has been if that could translate to games in high-pressure situations, and it seemed telling coach Bill Belichick didn't want to see more of him in the final two games last season after the Patriots had been eliminated from the playoffs.

On Friday, teammates didn't sense Newton's right hand injury was particularly serious, as Newton was joking with them in the locker room after practice. A source later described Newton as "all good."


This is the horror scenario for us as fans. Newton goes down and we are stuck with Stidham/Hoyer because Jones is not ready. This is why it is stunning on so many levels that Bill did not upgrade the QB room at all this off-season despite the media telling us for months that he would. That there was no way we would go back into the season with the same bucket of garbage we had last year. And here we are and Newton gets hurt in non contact OTAs. Oy Vey!
 
Eeyore GIF by memecandy
 
You can call it gloomy if you want but there is a reason Reiss is mentioning it. We all know that the season is lost if we don't have at least competent QB play. Newton was not a competent QB passer last year but he did give us something in the run game at least. Stidham and Hoyer were dumpster fires. With all the improvements we made to this team in the off-season and the amount of money spent, it is all for naught if we don't have something at the QB spot.

One other thing, Newton started 15 games last year and played many games with his foot bothering him and possibly his shoulder. He has not played a full season since 2017. The odds of him starting all 17 healthy are extremely low. And yet we have nothing competent behind him. How do folks give Bill a pass for this? It's that type of roster management or lack thereof that can cost us the season.
 
Pats make the playoffs. Darth Hoodie is the freaking GOAT. That is all!!!

Have a good day!
 
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