After a weeklong buildup, the New England Patriots will strap the pads on Tuesday morning for their first full-contact practice of training camp.
Here are five things we'll be watching for on what should be the most competitive day of the summer to date:
1. QB competition
Intensity across all roster battles ratchets up once the pads come on, including the one behind center. Cam Newton and Mac Jones won't need to worry about getting hit until next week's preseason opener against Washington, but these full-contact practices will present some additional challenges, like a more aggressive pass rush and tighter throwing windows.
Neither QB has definitively outperformed the other through five non-padded practices, with Newton showing better consistency on Days 2 and 3 and Jones delivering the stronger showing on Days 1 and 5. Jones saw his reps increase Friday -- during one stretch, he took 16 consecutive snaps -- but Newton has led off every competitive period dating back to the spring.
Head coach Bill Belichick has said the starting job is Newton's to lose. We'll see if the performance gap between the two signal-callers widens at all this week.
2. Trench play
We're about to learn a lot more about the Patriots' offensive linemen and front-seven defenders, who, more than any other positions, are stifled in non-padded settings.
"I think we both want to put the pads on at this point," linebacker Josh Uche said Monday.
We're not expecting much drama along the O-line -- barring injury, the top seven spots seem pretty well set -- but the battle on the D-line bubble should be fierce, with Montravius Adams, Carl Davis, Akeem Spence and Byron Cowart potentially fighting for just one roster nod. There could be some tough cuts among edge rushers, too, after the Patriots added Matt Judon, Kyle Van Noy and rookie Ronnie Perkins this offseason.
"I'm definitely excited," Perkins said over the weekend. "It's a different type of football when you put the pads on."
3. Ground game
Along those same lines, it's difficult to properly evaluate ball-carriers without real contact, especially in goal-line situations. We'll now get our first true look at fourth-round draft pick Rhamondre Stevenson, who's looked smooth as a pass-catcher since being activated off the non-football injury list last week.
How Stevenson performs in training camp and the preseason could determine which running backs the Patriots choose to carry this season. The rookie's a roster lock regardless, but if he looks capable of serving as the No. 2 being Damien Harris, would the Patriots consider trading Sony Michel?
The Patriots have six backs worthy of roster spots (Harris, Michel, Stevenson, James White, Brandon Bolden and J.J. Taylor) and typically keep no more than five.
4. 1-on-1s
Both varieties: D-linemen/edge rushers vs. O-linemen and receivers/tight ends versus defensive backs. These tend to produce some of the most entertaining battles of training camp.
5. Injury watch
Ted Karras, expected to be the Patriots' top interior O-line reserve, missed the last two practices after suffering an apparent knee injury last Friday. Versatile D-lineman Henry Anderson was shaken up late in Monday's practice. We'll see if either is able to go Tuesday.
A total of nine players have yet to take the field in training camp:
Physically unable to perform list: QB Jarrett Stidham, CB Stephon Gilmore, TE Dalton Keene, OLB Chase Winovich, LB Terez Hall, DT Byron Cowart
Non-football injury list: LB Cameron McGrone, S Joshuah Bledsoe
Reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Devin Asiasi
Gilmore, the biggest name on that list, is both rehabbing an injury (partially torn quad) and in the midst of a contract dispute that has yet to be resolved. Keene, Winovich, Hall, Cowart and Asiasi are missing out on valuable reps in competitive position battles.
