May 23, 2019; Foxborough, MA: New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during organized team activities at Gillette Stadium practice field. (Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
The defending Super Bowl champions are back at it, and they’re supporting another potential Boston champ in the process.
Bruins hats peppered the practice field as the Patriots headed to work on Thursday, marking the first time in the 2019 season that they were available to the media during and after an OTA session. Bill Belichick donned an Eastern Conference championship hat during his post-practice press conference, while players also wore various spoked B’s during their interviews on the field after the session ended.
But there was some actual football as well. This week’s OTAs count as the team’s first major passing camp so the quarterbacks were busy – without Tom Brady in attendance, of course. We already knew that tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins would be an excused absence, and safety Patrick Chung wasn’t out there as he’s not expected to be ready until the start of training camp at the earliest.
There was a long list of absences on Thursday. By Felger & Mazz standards it was a bloodbath, a catastrophe. Gotta wonder how the hell they’ll win even eight games with all these players out:
P Ryan Allen
DE Michael Bennett
RB Nick Brossette
OL Yodny Cajuste
LS Joe Cardona
S Nate Ebner
RB Sony Michel
WR Demaryius Thomas
LB Kyle Van Noy
DE Deatrich Wise
OL Isaiah Wynn
Because of all these absences, it’s hard to glean too much from players’ roles in team drills. But there were still some notable things to take from the first day of media availability on the practice field. Here are some leftover notes and observations…
Offense
May 23, 2019; Foxborough, MA: New England Patriots wide receiver N’Keal Harry catches a pass during organized team activities at Gillette Stadium practice field. (Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)
— First-round rookie N’Keal Harry was arguably the best player on the field. He stood out with his size and ups. He showed it off on an eye-popping back-shoulder catch where it looked like J.C. Jackson had him blanketed, but Harry leaped what looked like three and a half feet in the air and went up and got it. He also notably beat second-round rookie Joejuan Williams 1-on-1 on one play, beating him on a slant with a strong first step to the inside. The play drew loud cheers from the offense after the battle of the early-round rookies. Harry did also have a drop, but he looked like the most explosive and athletic offensive player for the team overall.
— Quarterback Jarrett Stidham looked decent with his movement in the pocket as he bought time during 11-on-11s. It seemed to me that he held on to the ball a little long in spots. He also had one overthrow that looked about five feet too high. But his spiral comes as advertised. He also delivered a strike to Harry in the end zone over the middle and stood tall in a collapsing pocket on the play.
— Dan Skipper, Cedrick Lang, and Cole Croston are among those who lined up at left tackle at times. But as previously mentioned, the absences of Wynn and Cajuste make it hard to tell where these guys stand. But assuming Wynn is penciled in as the starting LT and Marcus Cannon remains entrenched on the right side, the two backup tackle spots are up for grabs.
— Rookie fourth-round pick Hjalte Froholdt lined up at left guard. Prior reports indicated that the Patriots may view him as a center long-term. James Ferentz was the No. 2 center behind starter David Andrews.
— Fullback Jakob Johnson worked as both a traditional fullback and in-line tight end during running game drills. Looks like he’ll get a fair chance to beat out mainstay James Develin. But I’m not betting on him making the team at this point.
— There was a mystery receiver out there wearing No. 72. He was not listed on the official roster. He was on the smaller side and also participated in return drills. (UPDATE: The mystery man has been identified as rookie free agent Gunner Olszewski. The 22-year-old played four years at Bemidji State in Minnesota. The Patriots have officially announced his signing.)
Defense
May 23, 2019; Foxborough, MA: New England Patriots defensive back J.C. Jackson catches the ball during organized team activities at Gillette Stadium practice field. (Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)
— Notable players who appeared to get reps with the starting defense: DE Derek Rivers, LB John Simon, DT Mike Pennel, S Obi Melifonwu. The absences of likely starters like Michael Bennett and Patrick Chung probably contributed to this. But it’s interesting to see Rivers and Simon getting extensive work on the edge, as well as the opportunity for Melifonwu.
— The play of the day went to defensive tackle Adam Butler during 11-on-11 drills. He tipped a Brian Hoyer screen pass into his hands then kept running all the way to the other end zone, despite the whistle. Butler looked lean and fast on the play. He has a chance to take another step forward as the team’s primary interior pass rusher this season.
— The returning Jamie Collins worked with the outside linebackers and new position coach Demarcus Covington during at least one drill.
— Much like Harry, Joejuan Williams also stood out with his size and length. He mainly lined up on the outside. The rookie picked off Brian Hoyer during 11-on-11s at one point.
Special Teams
May 23, 2019; Foxborough, MA: New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski walks onto the field during organized team activities at Gillette Stadium practice field. (Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)
— If Harry stood out the most among the Patriots’ new faces, punter Jake Bailey might be a close second. The kid hits moon shots. He regularly booted it between 75 and 90 yards down the field on return drills, and way up in the air too. He probably needs to refine his touch on the ball, but his power is legit. It looked like returners had trouble tracking the ball with its hang time.
— Participants in the punt return drills included Julian Edelman, Harry, Phillip Dorsett, Rex Burkhead, cornerback Jonathan Jones, and the mystery man wearing No. 72. It’s possible that Edelman will once again be the primary punt returner, but kick returner is ostensibly an open competition after the departure of Cordarrelle Patterson. Braxton Berrios, Maurice Harris, and undrafted rookie Ryan Davis also participated in an earlier return drill.
— It’s unclear why Ryan Allen and Joe Cardona were not present. It’s possible that they were working on the game field at Gillette Stadium, which the specialists have done before. But that’s just speculation; they were not spotted on either field.
Miscellaneous…
The New England Patriots work on the practice field outside Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. on May 23, 2019. (Matt Dolloff/WBZ-FM)
— Practice playlist during 11-on-11s: Here’s what the Patriots absolutely blasted during team drills in order to simulate crowd noise for the offense. Some of the songs had actual crowd noise in them because they were live versions.
Guns N’ Roses, “Welcome to the Jungle”
Dropkick Murphys, “Shipping Up To Boston”
AC/DC, “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)”
Ozzy Osbourne, “Crazy Train”
U2, “Sunday Bloody Sunday”
Van Halen, “You Really Got Me”
The Who, “Baba O’Riley”
The Who, “Join Together”
The next expected day for Patriots practice to be open to the media is on June 10. But before that will be mandatory minicamp, which should be the first time we see Brady in action.
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.