Three Studs, Three Duds After First Stage Of Patriots Training Camp

FOXBORO, Mass. — The Patriots have cleared an important summer checkpoint as they march toward the 2023 season.

New England conducted four non-padded training camp practices over the last five days, offering fans and reporters their first looks at the new-look offense and defense. However, according to Bill Belichick himself, the first week of training camp served as an extension of OTAs and minicamp, with the Patriots working on things — especially red-zone work — they didn’t get to during the spring. So, some practices were relatively uneventful from a viewer’s perspective.

As multiple players said after Sunday’s practice, “real” football starts Monday when the pads come on. That said, the first week of camp hardly was useless, and some players stood out for good or bad reasons.

Here are three studs and three duds from New England’s four non-padded camp sessions:

STUDS
WR Demario Douglas
You could make a strong case that Douglas was the Patriots’ most impressive receiver during the first week. Yes, most of his work came with Bailey Zappe at quarterback, but the rookie receiver also saw some time with the offensive starters each day. A sixth-round pick out of Liberty, Douglas — who prefers to be called “Pop” — caught four of his five targets Sunday with one touchdown in team drills.

It’s been a while since New England has featured a short, quick slot receiver such as Julian Edelman or Wes Welker. The same goes for an explosive jitterbug who can take short screens and turn them into first towns (James White and Dion Lewis come to mind). Douglas has a long way to go — but could fill both roles.

OT Trent Brown
The monstrous left tackle was one of the biggest question marks entering camp. Brown was out of shape during the spring, when he essentially held out, and sure looked like someone who was upset about his contract situation. Maybe he was, and maybe he still is.

But Brown showed up to camp in noticeably better shape and looked great at left tackle during the first week. Moreover, he said all the right things about his contract and status with the Patriots while meeting with reporters. It can’t be overstated how important it is for Brown to be healthy, committed and playing well for New England’s offense. So far, so good.

Cornerbacks
We couldn’t pick just one. Rookie Christian Gonzalez remains a fixture at the No. 1 cornerback spot and looks like a Day 1 starter. Veteran Jonathan Jones saw time at multiple defensive back spots but looked like his usual, rock-solid self when playing both on the boundary and in the slot. Sophomore Marcus Jones scuffled a bit Sunday but otherwise played well the previous three practices.

And then there’s second-year corner Jack Jones, whose future with the Patriots remains unclear following his mid-June arrest. He was relegated to backup duty the first few days, but finally saw time with the starters Sunday. Regardless of where he played, Jack Jones looked explosive and energetic — as he did last season before suffering an injury. If Gonzalez plays like a first-rounder and Jones still is on the team and contributing, the Patriots could have one of the NFL’s top cornerback rooms.

Honorable mentions: RB Rhamondre Stevenson, TE Hunter Henry, LB Josh Uche, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, QB Mac Jones

DUDS
OT Riley Reiff
If you’re looking for a big area of concern, look no further than right tackle. Reiff, 34, was given starter’s money during free agency and entered camp as the presumed top option at right tackle. But he struggled mightily the first two days before being replaced Friday by Conor McDermott, who kept the job Sunday and didn’t look much better. As for veteran Calvin Anderson, he’s been a no-show while on the non-football illness list. Rookie Sidy Sow (a guard in college) is being used as a right tackle but only saw time with the third team last week.

It didn’t look good regardless of who was at right tackle. We’ll see if a switch flips once the pads come on.

WR Kendrick Bourne
This has been a bit confusing. Bourne, who was in the doghouse all last season, is in the best shape of his career — his words and ours — and looks rejuvenated. Belichick said the energetic receiver had one of the Patriots’ “best” offseasons, and Bourne sounded just as pleased with his work over the last six-plus months.

But it still hasn’t translated onto the field. Bourne didn’t have a single catch during competitive drills in the first four practices and basically was a non-factor in the red zone. We expect that to change in short order, but right now, his lack of production is a bit alarming.

Red-zone offense
Don’t panic — yet. The defense always has the advantage in red-zone work at this stage of training camp. There aren’t any pads — meaning running plays basically are off the table — and the field is condensed, essentially creating extra defenders. Plus, Mac Jones, Bill O’Brien and the rest of the offense still are getting their ducks in a row.

But it wasn’t pretty. When the top offense went against the top defense, the Patriots struggled to do much of anything. Jones faced pressure on a regular basis, and when he had time, his receivers weren’t getting open. One sequence Sunday saw Jones sacked three times and throw one pass away. Zappe faired slightly better, but he also got sacked multiple times.

Things improved when the Patriots finally got out of the red zone and ran a two-minute drill near midfield. When they had more room to operate, they were able to move the ball. But they stalled out once play was reset in the red zone. Again, none of this was surprising given the circumstances, but the offense must show signs of life this week.

Honorable mentions: WR Tyquan Thornton, G Chasen Hines, WR Kayshon Boutte, RB Pierre Strong, QB Trace McSorley