Quarterback Jarrett Stidham is getting the first crack at throwing to some of the New England Patriots' newest pass-catchers.
Tight end Hunter Henry and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, both of whom signed with the Patriots last week in free agency, joined Stidham in Newport Beach, Calif., for an offseason workout Monday. Patriots wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson and tight end Matt LaCosse also were present for the session with New England's backup quarterback.
Quarterback Cam Newton and wide receiver N'Keal Harry will be present for Tuesday's session in California, John Aguero, a sports photographer/videographer for EBA Sports, told the Providence Journal's Mark Daniels.
Bourne and Henry met with the media Monday around the throwing session. Henry actually held his introductory video conference call from his car, fresh off the football field.
“Man, it’s awesome,” Henry added. “That’s the best part of football sometimes. Just the guys, the locker room, the guys you get to meet. All that kind of stuff is a blast. Looking forward to kind of immersing myself in that locker room, the culture, everything. It’s exciting. It’s good to be able to do that now even in the offseason.”
Bourne said Stidham direct messaged him on Instagram last week to welcome him to the Patriots and invite him to California for practice.
"He’s going to give me some tips, help me out and we’re just going to work out for the week," Bourne said Monday. "It’s going to be awesome. It’s going to get me right. The offense is probably complex. I haven’t seen the playbook. I haven’t seen everything, but football’s hard. … You’ve just got to have that mindset. I’m a hard worker. Work ethic has to be through the roof.”
Patriots signings were at Gillette Stadium last week to sign their contracts, but they likely won't be back until April at the earliest for the offseason workout program (if it will be held in-person at all this year). So, this is a good opportunity for the Patriots to get together and stay fresh with one another as they attempt to improve on 2020's 7-9 finish.
