Patriots Training Camp: Notes From A Rainy, Busy Sunday For Tom Brady
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Any Tom Brady injury news should take a back seat at this point.
The rain steadily fell as practice unfolded for the New England Patriots on Sunday in Foxborough. As opposed to an isolated three-minute torrential downpour, like last time, the team dealt with a consistent but relatively light shower. It might’ve even felt pretty good, compared to the 90-plus-degree heat they’ve faced in previous sessions.
Notable on Sunday was the greatly increased workload for quarterback Tom Brady, who had stood out in recent days with his lack of snaps in 11-on-11 drills. Brady got the vast majority of the reps on Sunday, and his back doesn’t look to be any semblance of a concern right now.
Here’s what else we saw on Sunday’s practice…
Absent: RB Rex Burkhead, OT Marcus Cannon, LB Harvey Langi, RB Sony Michel
— DE Trey Flowers, CB Ryan Lewis, OT Jason King, and WR Matthew Slater went to the lower field after warming up with the team. Flowers later moved back up to the main field and worked on his own with pass rushing consultant Joe Kim.
— Brady was 17-of-22 in 11-on-11 drills, his biggest workload in over a week. His back certainly seems fine. Brady was sharp, completing passes to 10 different receivers. Highlights included a wide-open catch by Chris Hogan, who juked Cyrus Jones out of his cleats, and a perfect seam pass to Rob Gronkowski that snuck over the shoulder of Dont’a Hightower. Brady also completed a deep ball to Julian Edelman that somehow had Kyle Van Noy in coverage, and a rainbow to James White with no one within 20 yards of him. White appeared to badly burn rookie CB J.C. Jackson on the play.
— Brady had what looked like a positive chat with WR Eric Decker between drills. It ended with a nice little fist bump. Decker should have a legitimate shot at the 53-man roster, but he’s clearly competing with the guys at the bottom of the depth chart.
— Interestingly enough, rookie Isaiah Wynn got a look at right tackle, playing a lot of snaps with the starters. LaAdrian Waddle mostly got bumped down to the second unit.
— WR Kenny Britt worked in 1-on-1 drills with the cornerbacks and receivers, indicating that he continues to make progress in his return from a hamstring injury. Ostensibly, the Patriots still have high hopes for the big receiver.
— Rookie WR Braxton Berrios had a good day. His top highlight was a deep post from Brian Hoyer, which he dove forward and reeled in for the catch.
— CB Jonathan Jones broke up a pass intended for Riley McCarron near the end zone.
— Undrafted rookie DT John Atkins appeared to jump offside during a 2-on-2 drill, and had to run a lap for the miscue. He’s a long shot to make the roster, and that’s certainly not going to help his case.
More practice coverage coming on Monday.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
