Logan Mankins lived up to his word, as he was the only member of the Patriots not present for the first day of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday at Gillette Stadium.
Safety Patrick Chung, who's been wearing a red, non-contact jersey throughout optional workouts, remained in his red jersey. Wes Welker also practiced for a half-hour.
Mankins' absence was expected, as the disgruntled offensive guard turned down a deal worth a reported $35 million over five years. The restricted free agent said he wants to be traded, putting the Patriots in a difficult position.
Bill Belichick was asked about the Mankins situation on Tuesday morning but did not divulge any information.
"All contract situations are between the player and the club," Belichick said.
The practice session — which was attended by 82 of the 83 players on the roster — ran for an hour and 45 minutes, with the team spending a good amount of time working on underneath throws in the offense. Tom Brady was accurate with his passes throughout the day, at one point hitting wide receiver Randy Moss in perfect stride with a deep throw down the left sideline.
Cornerback Terrence Wheatley had the defensive play of the session, snuffing out an out-route to Moss along the left sideline. Wheatley undercut the route to swat the pass to the turf, drawing a wave of cheers from his defensive teammates.
The Patriots hold two more mandatory sessions in the next two days before breaking for six weeks. Brady was scheduled to speak to the media after Wednesday's practice, but the team announced that session has been canceled. They did announce that the first practice that will be open to the public will take place on July 29th.
