FOXBORO, Mass. -- There was a bit of a throwback feel to Thursday's Patriots training camp practice.
First of all, the offense put together its second consecutive strong performance, something we haven't been able to say since the summer of 2021. There also was a special guest: retired franchise legend Julian Edelman.
The longtime New England receiver was on hand for the entire session, bouncing around from Joe Judge to Bill Belichick to players young and old. He also spent time talking with quarterback Mac Jones, who after practice revealed Edelman sends voice memos instead of texts.
That Jones and Edelman communicate somewhat regularly shouldn't be overlooked. Last season, Edelman was among a handful of former Patriots who harshly criticized Jones for his on-field behavior. So, it appears there are no hard feelings.
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To the surprise of no one, Edelman then conducted his own media availability. He was asked to share his updated thoughts on Jones, who had some uneven moments Thursday but otherwise played very well.
"I've seen a lot of good things," Edelman said. "I mean, what people don't realize, in this part of training camp, it's not always drawn up to look like it should be a great play. A lot of times they're testing guys, and the defense has multiple different looks, and the offense isn't game-planning for certain looks. So, you go in for controlled chaos. You kind of want to see how guys react to certain looks and things. So, it's pretty good. And I'm excited to see him continue to work with Billy (O'Brien)."
Despite all of the pre-summer talk of a potential quarterback competition, Jones through Thursday was the clear top QB in New England's offense. Yes, Bailey Zappe got a few looks with offensive starters over the last week-plus, but it would be a major stretch to say Jones' job is in any danger.
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The Patriots will hold an in-stadium practice Friday night before taking Saturday off. They'll return to the field Sunday and practice through Tuesday before hosting the Houston Texans for the preseason opener next Thursday night.
Featured image via Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports Images
