Patriots OTAs Observations: Everything We Saw At Second Open Practice

FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots eased into the post-Memorial Day workweek Tuesday, holding a rather subdued organized team activities practice on the fields behind Gillette Stadium.

Here’s everything we saw during that session, which lasted just over an hour:

ATTIRE
Helmets and shorts.

ATTENDANCE
The following players were not spotted at practice:

WR N’Keal Harry
OLB Matthew Judon
K Quinn Nordin
RB James White
LB Anfernee Jennings
OL Chasen Hines
OL Andrew Stueber
OT Isaiah Wynn
OT Trent Brown
DT Davon Godchaux
DT Byron Cowart

Brown, Godchaux and White were new additions to this list.

OTAs are voluntary for all players. It’s unclear which of Tuesday’s absentees missed practice due to injury and which ones chose to stay away.

Safety Jabrill Peppers, tight end Dalton Keene, linebacker Raekwon McMillan, edge rusher DaMarcus Mitchell and defensive back Brenden Schooler were present but limited.

A handful of Patriots defenders were back at practice after sitting out the first open OTA. Safety Adrain Phillips, defensive lineman Lawrence Guy, linebackers Harvey Langi and Jahlani Tavai, edge rusher Ronnie Perkins and rookie cornerback Marcus Jones all appeared to be full participants in Tuesday’s relaxed-speed session.

Some players who were limited last week also upped their participation level, including tight end Hunter Henry and 2022 draft picks Tyquan Thornton and Pierre Strong.

QB REPORT
No stats to report here, as this practice did not feature any competitive periods or offense-versus-defense work.

The most notable quarterback-related observation came during a mid-practice conditioning period, as starter Mac Jones placed at or toward the front of his group on nearly every sprint. That group consisted mostly of offensive and defensive lineman but also featured the Patriots’ rookies, including the speedy Thornton, who ran next to Jones.

Jones’ leadership and work rate during this stretch — which lasted about 15 minutes and featured straight sprints and suicides at a variety of distances — surely was appreciated by New England’s coaching staff. Teammates and coaches have raved about the second-year QB’s commitment and work ethic throughout the offseason.

ASSORTED NOTES
— The setup of practice was unusual. It began with regular positional drills, then transitioned into the aforementioned sprints before concluding with 11-on-11 walkthroughs. During the latter, offensive starters practiced against offensive reserves in pinnies, with the defense doing the same.

Players will tell you the Patriots run more than most, if not all other NFL teams, but it’s rare to see that conditioning take place in the middle of practice.

“The more we sprint, the more our body gets used to it, the more we’ll be able to dominate in the fourth quarter,” Phillips said after practice. “That’s the plan.”

— Most Patriots players split into two groups for these sprints (linemen, rookies and Jones in one; linebackers, defensive backs and offensive skill players in the other) but a select few ran separately, going through their own conditioning program that featured more long-range runs, including a handful of full-field sprints.

That group was a senior tour of sorts, made up of special teamers Matthew Slater and Cody Davis, kicker Nick Folk, safety Devin McCourty and backup quarterback Brian Hoyer. Folk, Slater, Hoyer and McCourty are the Patriots’ four oldest players. Davis, who turns 33 next week, is the sixth-oldest, one day behind offensive lineman James Ferentz.

— It’s been speculated that Joe Judge and Matt Patricia could serve as de facto pass game/run game coordinators, respectively, this season, and Tuesday’s practice gave more credence to that idea.

When the Patriots’ offense split for one period, Patricia, Vinnie Sunseri and Billy Yates worked with the offensive linemen and running backs on run-game concepts while Bill Belichick, Judge, Troy Brown, Nick Caley, Ross Douglas and Evan Rothstein repped routes and passing plays with the QBs, receivers and tight ends.

Belichick again spent the majority of practice working with the offense, as he did in the first open OTA. The head coach is expected to dedicate more of his attention to that side of the ball this season as the Patriots replace longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, though the specifics of his, Judge’s and Patricia’s responsibilities remain unclear.

— With Wynn and Brown both absent, the Patriots practiced without both of their projected starting offensive tackles.

Yodny Cajuste filled in for Wynn on the left side, with Justin Herron manning Brown’s usual spot on the right side. When Wynn missed last week’s open OTA, Brown bumped to left tackle and Herron played right tackle.

Wynn’s situation is worth monitoring. The Patriots aren’t especially deep at tackle — neither Herron nor Cajuste would be a preferable Week 1 starter — but they can clear $10.4 million in salary cap space if they trade the 2018 first-rounder, who’s entering the final year of his rookie contract.

The reason for Wynn’s absence from voluntary workouts remains unclear. Also unclear whether this cryptic tweet he sent Monday was Patriots-related:

— Top draft pick Cole Strange continues to look like a Day 1 starter at left guard.

— Roster spots at receiver will be hard to come by this summer, but keep an eye on second-year pro Tre Nixon. The Ernie Adams-selected 2021 seventh-round pick was active in the first open OTA and saw work with the Patriots’ top offensive unit during Tuesday’s 11-on-11s.

The chances of him sticking in a position group with DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor and Thornton are slim, but Nixon will be an under-the-radar player to watch in training camp.

— Patriots owner Robert Kraft watched practice alongside director of player personnel Matt Groh and director of scouting Eliot Wolf. Former running backs coach Ivan Fears again observed from the bleachers.

— Parker, Thornton, Strange, Phillips and cornerbacks Malcolm Butler and Jonathan Jones spoke with reporters after practice.

UP NEXT
The Patriots’ final two practices this week (Wednesday and Thursday) will be closed to reporters. The media will be back on site next week for New England’s three-day mandatory minicamp, which runs from June 7-9.