The New England Patriots were back on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium today for their third session full-pads in the last four days. The six-hour session was an event, with the quarterback league continuing to develop and the young players of the Patriots making some impressive plays. With that said, let’s take a look at what happened and who stood out based on reports from Foxborough.
As always, of course, the division into ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ should be taken with a grain of salt: the practice is just that – a method of improving and achieving. However, some players stood out more than others according to reports from those who attended the session.
Winner: CB Myles Bryant
With Stephon Gilmore being one of 10 players missing today’s practice, fellow fullback Myles Bryant stood out. The developed rookie recorded two interceptions today during team drills: he grabbed Brian Hoyer during 7-on-7s and later also got his hands on a supposed pass from Jarrett Stidham during 11-on-11s. New England have the deepest cornerback in all of football and it will therefore be difficult for Bryant to make the team, but performances such as today certainly illustrate his fullness and potential value.
Loser: Wide receiver depth
The Patriots have 10 pure wide receivers on their current roster, but four of them were or were not very present for Thursday’s practice as they participate in a limited workload. Second-year man N’Keal Harry missed his second straight session, while Jeff Thomas and Will Hastings shared only a handful of drills. To make matters worse, Julian Edelman – after already missing Tuesday’s training session – was a no-show during team drills after apparently injuring his knee or leg earlier in the day.
Loser: QB Jarrett Stidham
Jarrett Stidham is still alive in the competition for the starting quarterback job, but he had no best practice this Thursday. He threw a few interceptions during teamwork – one to Myles Bryant, the other to Justin Bethel – and also missed some easy passes along the way. With Cam Newton and Brian Hoyer watching most of the action, the passer for the second year could not take advantage of his limited chances. He looked good during 1-on-1s and 4-on-4s, but his cover seemed to boost his confidence and allowed for some off-target throws.
Winner: LB Terez Hall & LB Cassh Maluia
The New England linebacker suffered some offensive staff this offseason, leaving the team thin at the off-the-ball position alongside Ja’Whaun Bentley. A handful of players compete for practice rehearsals and roster spots, with two in particular standing out: second-year man Terez Hall and sixth-round draft pick Cassh Maluia. While the previous two had run-up runs on a sequence of a goal line late in practice (both versus rookie running JJ Taylor backwards), Maluia could take down fullback Jakob Johnson before he could cross the goal line in the same period. Positive plays like those stacked together should help both players in their team search.
Loser: WR Isaiah Zuber
The only designed rookie wide receiver who could fully practice today had Isaiah Zuber have a memorable morning. Not only did he not stand a chance against Justin Bethel during their 1-on-1 matchup, he also fell two passes and later had to run a penalty kick. Players only get so many opportunities to impress the coaching staff and put good performances on film, and Zuber both failed to do so on Thursday – something that is especially bad for a player trying to make his way up the depth map.
Winner: WR Jakobi Meyers
Even though Jakobi Meyers has had a quiet camp so far compared to other young passers like Gunner Olszewski or Devin Ross, he had a solid performance today. The second-year man, who was New England’s most prolific offensive rookie in 2019, recorded a couple of wins during 1-on-1 work and was also at the receiving end of what may have been Cam Newton’s best throw. the day had been. Meyers may not be as impressive as he was during last year’s camp, but he sure had his mornings on Thursday.
Winner: QB Cam Newton
The Patriots quarterbacks as a whole had a rough day, but Newton showed some positive steps. While apparently still adapting to New England’s system, he proved to be more decisive with his decisions and unlike Stidham and Hoyer, football did not turn around – all while leading the group with a combination of 17 attempts in team drills. The former league MVP may not have had exceptional plays, but he took a step in the right direction and thereby put more pressure on his other competitors for the starting role.
Loser: G Joe Thuney
The starting New England left-back is in no danger of losing his place in the lineup, but he did take off a bit today. Not only was he defeated by both Adam Butler and Deatrich Wise Jr. during 1-on-1 pass rushing situations, he also sometimes looked limited. Thuney was the Patriots’ best offensive lineman last year and has a higher bar to clear than most players on the roster when it comes to what constitutes a successful practice or not. However, he did not bring his A-game on Thursday.
