The New England Patriots will trade the familiar environs of the Gillette Stadium practice fields for the fresh grass of Philadelphia’s NovaCare Complex this week as they join the Eagles for a pair of joint practices.
The Patriots and Eagles will share a practice field Monday and Tuesday before squaring off Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 2 of the NFL preseason.
Here’s what we’ll be watching for:
1. QB competition continues
Through 13 training camp practices and one preseason game, the battle between Cam Newton and Mac Jones remains unresolved. Will we see either signal-caller begin to separate himself this week? Jones acquitted himself well last Thursday in his NFL prseason debut, but Newton started that game and took the majority of first-team reps in Sunday’s practice. The distribution of quarterback reps will be especially notable over the next two days, as Patriots coach Bill Belichick tends to rest most of his starters in games played after joint practices.
2. Tight end trouble?
With Hunter Henry (shoulder) and Jonnu Smith (ankle) recovering from injuries, the Patriots could be without both of their big-ticket tight ends this week. Neither player’s ailment is considered serious — Henry was able to practice in a limited capacity Sunday — but it remains to be seen whether either will practice or play in Philadelphia. If not, expect heavy workloads for Matt LaCosse and Devin Asiasi, both of whom should see significant reps with the first-team offense. LaCosse currently is ahead of Asiasi on the depth chart, with the latter slowly reintegrating after a positive COVID-19 test delayed his arrival to training camp. Troy Fumagalli rounds out the Patriots’ tight end room.
3. Other injuries of note
Defensive back Myles Bryant missed the team’s latest practice after leaving Thursday night’s game with an injury. Defensive tackle Lawrence Guy also was out Sunday after playing Thursday. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore, linebacker Terez Hall and D-tackle Byron Cowart have yet to take the field this summer. Long snapper Joe Cardona has been sidelined since last Sunday. Nick Folk hasn’t kicked since Aug. 4. Rookie D-tackle Christian Barmore didn’t play against Washington, nor did centers David Andrews and Ted Karras. We’ll be closely monitoring all of those players’ participation levels.
4. Roster battles intensify
Cam versus Mac is the obvious headliner here, but there are several other intriguing Patriots positional battles underway, including wide receiver (N’Keal Harry versus Kristian Wilkerson), running back (Sony Michel versus Brandon Bolden versus J.J. Taylor), cornerback (Joejuan Williams versus Michael Jackson), defensive tackle (Carl Davis versus Akeem Spence versus Montravius Adams) and kicker (Quinn Nordin versus Folk).
5. Ex-Eagles in the spotlight
It’s reunion week for wide receiver Nelson Agholor and defensive back Jalen Mills, who each played five seasons with the Eagles before joining the Patriots this offseason. Neither has enjoyed a banner summer thus far, with Agholor battling an undisclosed injury and going nearly two full weeks without a catch in 11-on-11 drills and Mills struggling as Gilmore’s replacement at outside cornerback. Agholor is coming off an encouraging Sunday practice, though — his long touchdown catch from Newton was the play of the day — and the need to fill Gilmore’s spot has prevented Mills from playing the multipositional jack-of-all-trades role that better suits his skill set. Both surely will be motivated as they square off against their former club.
6. Brotherly love
This is a minor subplot, but speaking of reunions, Michel’s older brother, Marken, is an Eagles receiver. Philadelphia claimed the elder Michel, who played his college ball at UMass, off waivers from the Carolina Panthers last week.
7. Finding future Patriots
The short-term benefits of joint practices are obvious: Players get to practice against different opponents and unfamiliar schemes, which helps their preparation for the upcoming regular season. The team-bonding aspect is valuable, too, especially for the squad that’s traveling. But these sessions also can contribute to the success of future Patriots teams. How? By offering Belichick and his staff opportunities for up-close, in-person scouting. Since 2012, the Patriots have eventually signed or traded for at least one player from all 13 teams they’ve practiced against. Two such players are on their current roster: Smith (Tennessee, 2019) and cornerback Dee Virgin (Detroit, 2019). So, you can all but guarantee at least one Eagle they see this week will one day wind up in Foxboro.
