Patriots OTAs Observations: Malcolm Butler Shines; Dwayne Allen Struggles

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Jun 13, 2017

FOXBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s spring practices ended on a down note Tuesday.

Garoppolo was present for the final organized team activities session in front of the media but didn’t participate, then worked by himself on a separate field. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported Garoppolo is dealing with a leg injury.

It’s a positive note that Garoppolo was on the field at all, but he wasn’t able to finish the practice sessions strong after a slightly disappointing minicamp in which he completed just 55 percent of his passes and threw an interception.

Here’s a full list of observations from Tuesday’s practice.

— Quarterback Tom Brady went 35-of-43 overall in team drills and 27-of-34 in 11-on-11s. Jacoby Brissett went 23-of-37 with an interception overall and 16-of-29 with an interception in 11-on-11s. Brissett ended the practice 3-of-9 with the pick.

— Rookie linebacker Harvey Langi picked off a Brissett pass in 11-on-11s. Langi also made a pass breakup in minicamp, so his coverage skills are showing up early in his NFL career.

— Cornerback Malcolm Butler had two pass breakups — one against Brady and one against Brissett. Butler also was beat on an impressive catch by wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Butler probably is happy he only has to cover Cooks in practice these days.

— Wide receiver DeAndrew White dropped two passes, and tight end Dwayne Allen and wide receiver Matthew Slater had one drop apiece.

— Running back D.J. Foster and wide receiver Devin Lucien each made diving catches.

— Safety David Jones, cornerback Cyrus Jones, wide receivers Andrew Hawkins and White, and cornerback William Likely practiced kick returns. Cyrus Jones muffed a catch. Jones and Allen must be happy the spring is almost over, as it’s been a tough go for both players. They’ll have to hope the five-week break before training camp can cure their catching woes.

— Offensive tackle Andrew Jelks and defensive linemen Lawrence Guy, Kony Ealy and Alan Branch were absent from the session. Garoppolo, linebacker Dont’a Hightower, safety Duron Harmon and wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell worked on a separate field. Butler returned after missing Thursday’s minicamp session.

— LaAdrian Waddle, Jamil Douglas, Ted Karras, Chase Farris and Cameron Fleming are playing over rookies Tony Garcia and Conor McDermott on the second-team offensive line.

— The defense had to take two laps around the field. Defensive tackle Josh Augusta lagged behind and had to walk to complete his second lap, which also happened Thursday. It was over 90 degrees during practice, but the lap came early in the session, so his conditioning appears to be a major issue.

— The Patriots have been rotating cornerbacks in the slot all spring. Eric Rowe is in the mix, even though he’s taller than a typical slot cornerback. He has the agility, and he’s definitely the third most talented cornerback on the team.

Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images

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