FOXBORO, Mass. — The return of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski headlined Day 1 of New England Patriots minicamp.
Brady and Gronkowski both made their offseason practice debuts Tuesday after sitting out voluntary organized team activities. Both were full participants in the Patriots’ first mandatory session of the spring.
Five players were absent from practice: wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell, running back Brandon Bolden, tight end Jacob Hollister, guard Joe Thuney and safety David Jones.
Defensive tackle Malcom Brown, offensive tackle Marcus Cannon. safety Nate Ebner, wide receivers Braxton Berrios and Cody Hollister and cornerbacks Cyrus Jones and Jonathan Jones attended practice but worked out away from the team on a separate field, indicating they’re recovering from injuries.
Isaiah Wynn and Trent Brown — the leading candidates to replace Nate Solder at left tackle — were part of that group during OTAs. They remained on the main field for the duration of Tuesday’s practice but sat out competitive full-team drills.
Wide receiver Kenny Britt appeared to suffer an injury during practice. He remained on the sideline for the final few drills and could be seen limping.
