Ochocinco spent a good chunk of the first portion of practice speaking with Tom Brady and the quarterbacks, and then he hovered behind the offense as they conducted walkthrough drills, crossing his arms and intently focusing on the plays.
Third-round pick Ryan Mallett attended his first practice of camp after signing his contract, leaving tackle Nate Solder, cornerback Ras-I Dowling, running back Shane Vereen and offensive lineman Marcus Cannon as the only draft picks who have yet to sign.
Veterans BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Logan Mankins, Kyle Arrington, Alge Crumpler, Myron Pryor, Nick Kaczur and Marcus Stroud were missing. Kaczur and Stroud have reportedly been released, but the transactions have not yet been made official and they're still on the roster.
Mankins can report to the facility at 6 p.m. Friday if he signs his franchise tender, as he's expected to.
Tight end Aaron Hernandez watched practice in sweats. Linebacker Brandon Spikes and wide receiver Brandon Tate were in jerseys, which was notable because they each appeared to suffer mild injuries at the end of Thursday afternoon's session.
Click here for photos of Chad Ochocinco's first practice with the Patriots >>
