FOXBORO, Mass. — Some assorted notes and nuggets from Thursday’s New England Patriots practice outside Gillette Stadium:
— Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (broken collarbone) and running back Ty Montgomery (ankle) remained sidelined. There also was one new absence: starting right tackle Isaiah Wynn, who was not spotted during the open media portion of practice.
Wynn was limited in Wednesday’s practice and missed time during last week’s joint practices in Las Vegas, though he returned to play in last Friday’s preseason finale.
The 2018 first-rounder’s status bears monitoring ahead of next Sunday’s regular-season opener against the Miami Dolphins. If he can’t go, Justin Herron or Yodny Cajuste likely would fill his spot in the starting lineup.
— Wide receiver Lynn Bowden made his Patriots practice debut after signing to the practice squad earlier in the day.
Bowden, who was released by the Dolphins during final roster cuts, will wear No. 80 for New England.
A versatile player who played both receiver and run-first quarterback in college at Kentucky, Bowden was viewed as a potential Patriots target ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft. He wound up going in the third round to the Las Vegas Raiders, who traded him to Miami before the end of his rookie preseason.
— Offensive lineman Leroy Watson had a stall in the Patriots’ locker room during Thursday morning media availability, but he did not participate in practice. It’s possible Watson, a converted tight end who was cut by the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday, had not yet arrived in Foxboro.
— New number alert: Rookie cornerback Jack Jones has switched to No. 13, per the Patriots’ official roster, though he still was sporting his old No. 34 at practice. Jones wore No. 0 in college at Arizona State, but that’s not an option in the NFL, even after the league relaxed its jersey number regulations ahead of last season.
— Former Patriots fullback James Develin was a special guest at practice. He spent the open media portion chatting with retired running backs coach Ivan Fears, who’s been a frequent practice attendee even though he no longer has an official role on New England’s coaching staff.
— This was the Patriots’ final practice in Foxboro before they head to Miami for Week 1. In a rare move, the team will practice in Florida next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before taking on the Dolphins next Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
