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Patriots dial it back on 3rd day of camp. Here's what happened
FOXBORO – After two straight days of full-speed practices, the New England Patriots held a walkthrough on Monday, July 27, to give their players a breather before having four more days of practice for the rest of the week.
“From a load management standpoint, [we’re] trying to take today as a walkthrough or a jog-through,” head coach Mike Vrabel said before practice. “Last year, this is something that we feel like can help us be able to learn, still develop and install at different paces. If we can handle that, then hopefully we can continue with this. When we work, we work and then being able to come out there today and still look like a professional football team. We take care of the details and some of the technique, but just at a different pace.”
While the crowd was noticeably smaller than the past two days, most of the stands and the hill behind the end zone were filled, so fans were still able to bring the energy, even at a slowed-down practice.
The first 15-minute period of practice split the team into five groups: quarterbacks and receivers strengthening their relationships with one another, cornerbacks working on footwork and ball-tracking, players training to be gunners on punt defense, rushing the punter and rushing the kicker during field goals.
After the horn sounded, the team then split between offensive and defensive players. Offense worked on play concepts and route running while the defense got familiar with formations and adjusting them based on motion in the backfield. The defensive line split from the rest of the group to work on shedding offensive linemen to chase down a running back getting through the first level.
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The team then alternated between the two groupings for the rest of practice.
With it being a walkthrough, all plays were essentially no-contact and run at about 40% of game speed. The play of the day must go to Drake Maye connecting with A.J. Brown on a back-shoulder pass along the right sideline in double-coverage (though no coverage was actually being applied).
“I’m in a pretty good spot,” the newly acquired Brown said. “I want to say I’m like 90% [comfortable with the playbook], and it’s really just about going and executing and getting on the same page with Drake [Maye] each and every day.”
Brown also mentioned that superstar cornerback Christian Gonzalez has been helping him get better and develop a stronger connection with Maye, so that when the season begins, and Brown has to face the top corner from each team, he’s ready.
“The margin of error is very small, and that’s what you want, and those are my matchups,” Brown said. “It’s good on good, and we’re making each other better.”
Right tackle Morgan Moses, who enters his 13 th season, missed minicamp in the spring and left Sunday’s practice early, but said that there’s no worry about any potential injuries.
“I’m just getting old,” Moses jokingly said. “I’m 35. I don’t want to run out there with those guys that are 22 years old.”
Moses also talked about being a veteran presence in the locker room for young players like Will Campbell, but especially for rookie Caleb Lomu, a first-round draft pick.
“Caleb’s been a big addition to our offensive line, and just getting him comfortable, and letting him understand, ‘Hey, we’re going to work together,’” Moses said. “We’re going to work together on the field, and in the film room, too. Now, he has Will and me to teach him things, and he’s done a great job just coming in and putting his best foot forward.”
Vrabel did mention before practice how the team is looking to practice with Lomu at both the tackle and guard positions depending on the formation.
Practice is once again free and open to the public for the fourth straight day on Tuesday, July 28, with gates opening at 9:15 a.m.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Patriots dial it back on 3rd day of camp. Here's what happened
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