Jerod Mayo stepped up to the microphone to begin his pre-practice press conference on a rainy Monday morning and had a very simple message for the media.
“Hey, this is real football, right? This is real football. We’re going out there today with pads on,” he said, expressing excitement about his team’s first foray into physical play this summer.
The overcast workout in Foxborough included more than its fair share of ground play, with mixed results, but there were some signs of contact and actual football on display, so there was an energetic vibe to the proceedings. Each of the 11-on-11 periods saw at least a handful of runs with Rhamondre Stevenson getting the bulk of the work early while Antonio Gibson and Kevin Harris filtered in behind him.
The offensive line, working without David Andrews, who missed his first practice of camp, was able to create some space and open holes at times. Stevenson found space on the right side on the first drive, and Harris was able to run into daylight later when he tried his luck at left tackle.
It wasn’t perfect, as there were a handful of runs that were thwarted in the backfield as well, some on zone reads and on pass sweeps. But for starters, it was a good start to the next level of camp.
“It’s the old saying: It’s never as good or as bad as you think it is,” tight end Austin Hooper said. “You know, you might think you wrecked the guy with protection and you realize you only moved him a few inches, but it was good enough to create a hole. So it can be hard to judge without watching the film. I will say there are some good things and there are some things that are not part of our standard.”
Hooper wasn’t just referring to missed blocks or dropped passes, but rather the prevalence of mental errors that dogged the offense periodically throughout the day. There were at least a half-dozen penalties before kickoff and a couple of instances where the offense had to regroup to catch up. Several linemen had to circle around, and just before practice ended, Mayo had the entire offense run.
“We had some issues before the snap,” Hooper began. “Those are things that don’t require talent. There’s a lot to fix and I’m sure if I watched the film I could tell you ten other things, but on the face of it it was a step forward. Was it perfect? No, but it was a step in the right direction.”
“I’m trying to say what I can tell you,” Hooper continued. “You just have to focus on the details. It’s about being mentally focused, and I know the pads are on and everyone is ready to hit, hit, hit. But you have to calm your mind and remember the details, like when the ball is thrown. So we just have to keep holding each other accountable and keep taking steps in the right direction. We just keep jumping offsides. So, let’s run until we figure it out. So, is it going to be a cross country team or is it going to be a football team? I’d rather be a football team. So it’s good that Coach Mayo is doing that.
“But overall, it was a solid first day.”
Beyond first impressions on the pads, here are one man’s observations from Day 5 of training camp.
*Mayo offered little additional information on Christian Barmore’s health status. After Sunday’s practice, the Patriots issued a statement explaining that the defensive tackle is dealing with blood clots and will be sidelined indefinitely.
“Over the weekend, Christian Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots. The doctors at Mass General Brigham treated him appropriately, testing, evaluating and treating him. Our primary concern at this time is Christian’s health and well-being. Fortunately, Mass General Brigham offers some of the best healthcare in the world. While there is no current timetable for his return, we know Christian is receiving excellent care and we look forward to his full recovery.”
Mayo spoke before practice but did not provide many more details.
“I just want to thank the medical professionals at the hospital and also Mass General for the care they gave Barmore,” Mayo said. “Obviously, it’s unfortunate, but to me, it’s not even about football. When you talk about things like that, it’s about the man. He’s getting excellent care and I hope he comes back.”
Mayo said there is no timetable for Barmore’s return and that when they spoke he said the defensive tackle was in good spirits.
The Patriots are no strangers to blood clot issues, as David Andrews was forced to sit out the 2019 season when he dealt with clots in his lungs. He was able to receive proper treatment and returned the following year. Hopefully, Barmore’s situation can be rectified as well.
*The list of players ineligible to play remained intact, as Kendrick Bourne (knee), Cole Strange (knee), Sione Takitaki and Jake Andrews did not participate in practice. Shaun Wade continues to wear a red, non-contact jersey, while Marte Mapu remains a spectator. The safety once again came in at 30 minutes of practice and watched most of the time from the sideline. In addition to David Andrews, rookie Jaheim Bell also missed practice. Bell was on the field, but not in padding.
*Another player who did not participate in the workout was Matthew Judon. Judon was one of the first players on the field, but he was not in uniform or wearing any visible protective gear. He spent some time with fans early on and then had a long conversation with Mayo on the sideline of the left practice field. Judon then spoke with Eliot Wolf and Matt Groh, but did not practice. The linebacker is entering the final year of his contract and is scheduled to make just $6.5 million in base salary in 2024.
*Contract-wise, Davin Godchaux was in full uniform and at his usual nose tackle position at the start of the first 11-on-11 drill. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was present and watched the proceedings from the friends and family tent. The agent then spoke with Mayo for several minutes after practice.
*Jabrill Peppers, who had just signed a contract extension last week, left practice early with an apparent injury. He spent time in the rehab area at the other end of the field but was unable to continue practicing and eventually left for the locker room.
*With Andrews not in the middle of the offensive line, veteran Nick Leverett took his place at center. Otherwise, the group was the same as we’ve seen in recent practices with Caedan Wallace, Sidy Sow, Mike Onwenu and Chuks Okorafor flanking Leverett. Continuity is a good sign for the players up front, though Sow downplayed the importance of working with the same players.
“In some ways, it’s never the same,” Sow said. “We all have a job to do and, in the end, we’re all replaceable, so getting used to one player isn’t always the best thing.”
*Joshua Uche was involved in a fight after an 11-on-11 replay and appeared to want to attack Okorafor. The fifth-year linebacker was sent to the locker room shortly after and missed the remaining 30 minutes of practice.
*Tyquan Thornton made a pair of strong catches during practice. The first came in a 7-on-7 game, when he ran a deep pass down the left sideline and made a tough catch behind Marco Wilson. Later, in an 11-on-11 game, he again broke free on the right sideline and made a nice diving catch. Both catches came off throws from Jacoby Brissett.
*Speaking of Brissett, the veteran quarterback enjoyed his best day of training camp. He was able to find some rhythm at the start of practice and seemed to maintain it throughout the day. He connected with tight ends Hunter Henry and Hooper on back-to-back plays to start a team period, and then found Javon Baker in traffic on a play where the rookie did a nice job of high-pointing the pass. Baker then had a tough dropped pass as well.
*The Patriots worked on kickoffs for the first time in camp. The new rules were on display, but there were no changes to the actual kickoffs. All of them landed inside the 10-yard line and were returned by Jalen Reagor, Marcus Jones, Ja’Lynn Polk, KJ Osborn and Antonio Gibson. We likely won’t see any innovative ideas regarding the new kickoffs until the regular season.
*In addition to Hooper, Sow, Osborn and Gibson, Chad Ryland and Armon Watts also spoke to the media after practice.
*The Patriots are expected to be back in gear for Tuesday’s practice in Foxborough. Practice is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and doors will open at 10 a.m. Once again, the session will be open to the public.
