FOXBORO, Mass. — Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch was present at practice Friday morning, and he was joking around with head coach Bill Belichick during the stretching portion of the session, which was held inside Gillette Stadium.
Branch popped up on Thursday's injury report as a limited participant in practice due to a hamstring issue, so his attendance in Friday's workout is a good indication that it was a minor issue.
Running back Fred Taylor (knee), safety Jarrad Page (left calf) and practice squad wide receiver Darnell Jenkins (unknown reason) were all missing from Friday's session that was held in sweats and shells. Before practice, Belichick said Taylor was making "significant" progress, which is good news for the 13th-year running back who hasn’t practiced since Sept. 24.
Jenkins received a raise this week, presumably due to another team's interest in signing him to its active roster, so his absence from practice raised some eyebrows. However, Jenkins was at the facility earlier Friday morning, for whatever that is worth.
Defensive lineman Mike Wright, who missed Thursday's practice with a knee injury, returned Friday. Safety Patrick Chung (knee) and wide receiver Matthew Slater (ankle) were limited Thursday, but they were both in attendance for the media portion of Friday's practice.
