Socci’s Notebook: Thursday was the Cam & Mac show at Patriots’ OTA’s

Author Bob Socci

May 27th, 2021 9:03 PM

Unlike the last time local media was privy to a Patriots OTA practice in 2019 or even more recently for counterparts covering another upper-echelon NFL franchise located in the upper-Midwest, the focus Thursday in Foxborough was on those in attendance rather than others in absentia.

While a number of notable longtime Patriots were among the players unaccounted for, eschewing OTA’s the way Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski did two years ago and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers did just two days ago, Thursday’s practice featured two kickers, a pair of long-snappers and, yes, all four quarterbacks.

There in the red jerseys were Cam Newton, coming a 7-8 record in 15 starts last fall; first-round pick Mac Jones, whose rookie status is marked by the No. 50 he currently wears; Jarrett Stidham, who in a year’s time has gone from competing for the starter’s role to fighting for a job, period; and Brian Hoyer, a vet viewed these days as a mentor with a ‘master’s degree’ in the Pats’ offense.

Following the team’s stretch period, they warmed up together in the middle of the practice field closest to Gillette Stadium. Newton played catch with Jones initially, before joining Hoyer and Stidham for a series of throws.   

They continued the first half of practice passing to a mix of receivers and tight ends and long tossing toward a bucket near the corner of an end zone. Later, the quarterbacks split up. Newton and Jones were paired together on one half of the field, while Hoyer and Stidham headed to the other end for some red zone work.  

The second half of practice featured 7-on-7 reps. Included was a relatively low-intensity series featuring extra offensive players defending their position mates, reminding one that we’re a long way from training camp competition.

As Bill Belichick says annually in the spring — including Thursday morning on a video conference — OTA’s are about teaching more than evaluating.

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  Nonetheless, as the team’s third OTA practice overall, it was the first opportunity for reporters to see if Newton had refined his mechanics after struggling to an 8 TD vs. 10 INT finish to 2019. And, of course, it was an initial live look at Jones, outside of his press-conference introduction following the Draft.
  
  At first glance, Newton seems slightly slimmer than when he first appeared in Patriots’ shorts and shell last August. But, having just turned 32 after a full decade of service in the NFL, he looks similar in several ways from a fundamental standpoint. His left foot still steps somewhat sideways rather than directly at the target while releasing throws and his ball placement remains inconsistent. 
  
  Of course, even at his sharpest as a Carolina Panther, Newton wasn’t known for a textbook throwing motion or pinpoint accuracy. Success or failure in his second season in New England will most likely hinge on his grasp of the offense. Basically, it comes down to this: after signing late and experiencing a season interrupted by COVID-19 last year, can he now take advantage of a much improved surrounding cast with a much better command of the offense?
  
  After all, as we heard afterwards, Newton continues to exude the charisma that won over teammates even as the Pats were losing more than winning games in 2019.
  
  “It’s fun to be around him,” said tight end Hunter Henry. “He’s great in the locker room, great on the field, great off the field. So it’s been a blast.”

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  Regarding Jones, he looked a lot like his description in most pre-Draft scouting reports. To borrow baseball pitching parlance, he doesn’t light up the radar gun but he has good command of the strike zone. 
  
  Jones’s passes were repeatedly well placed, generally chest high, either out to the sidelines or down the middle of the field. Two of the latter that stood out in succession were a seam ball to Kristian Wilkerson and strike to Kendrick Bourne, who grabbed it in stride.  
  
  Bourne later said he’s caught something else from Jones that wasn’t necessarily in preliminary reports.
  
  “He has a swag to him that I didn't know that he had at first,” Bourne said. “He's out there confident and that's what you need in a quarterback, and in all our players. You've gotta have confidence. He's come in with that and I think that's going to take him a long way. If you can believe in yourself in all times, for any player, you'll have success anywhere you are. So I can just see the confidence."

• Oh, Henry

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  While tight end Jonnu Smith was absent, his fellow unrestricted free agent Henry was very visible.  Following practice, the former Charger was asked why he’s participating in OTA’s while many players at the urging of their union are staying away from team facilities.
  
  “I’m new to the team obviously, everyone knows that,” he explained. “But also, I honestly thoroughly enjoy this time of year. I’ve also had a bad time this time of the year too – one year getting hurt and losing my season. But at the same time, this time of the year is great for the team. 
  
  “We get to build team chemistry at a slower pace sometimes early on, and then we get to continue to build. It’s a great time before training camp comes to just get a lot of reps in that maybe we can’t get back. I enjoy being here. It’s fun to be around the guys and to build this team chemistry as we go into the season.”
  
  Henry also confirmed that he intends to attend the upcoming ‘tight end summit’ being planned for this summer in Nashville by Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Greg Olsen. Kittle told ‘The Rich Eisen Show’ this week that nearly 40 players have already committed to join them. 
  
  “Looking forward to going,” Henry said. “It’s always good to (work with) some of the best tight ends in this game and (see) what they can offer. There are so many different ways to do things. It’ll be fun to bounce ideas and everything off those guys.”
  
  Henry also explained why chose No. 85 as a Patriot, after donning No. 86 in San Diego and Los Angeles.
  
  “I was never really tied to 86,” Henry said. “I’ve never really been attached to a number. Honestly I just want to go out there and play. But 85, I saw it. Obviously I played with one of the great “85s” to ever play the game and one of the best tight ends to play the game in Antonio Gates. So maybe it’s a little slight honor to him, and hopefully I can do the number right for him.”
• Opt-outs

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  On Thursday morning fullback Dan Vitale became the fifth player among the Patriots’ league-high eight 2020 opt-outs to either retire (Patrick Chung), be traded (Marcus Cannon) or be released (Vitale, Marquise Lee and Najee Toran) this offseason.
  
  Of the three remaining on the current roster, two find themselves competing in deep position groups. 
  
  Tight end Matt LaCosse, who struggled with injuries in 2019, is squeezed between two of the team’s most notable free agent acquisitions, Henry and Smith, and a pair of 2020 draft picks, Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene. Plus, another tight end, Troy Fumagalli, was added to the roster on Thursday.
  
  Meanwhile, Brandon Bolden, who has long been a core special teamer in his two stints in Foxborough, is part of a crowded running backs room.
  
  And then there’s Dont’a Highower, a subject of much speculation of late, especially after NBC Sports’ Peter King’s most recent ‘Football Morning In America’ column.
  
  “Will Dont’a Hightower resume his strong career in the middle of the Pats’ D, or will Belichick permanently opt him out?” King wrote on Monday.
  
  Prior to Thursday’s practice, Belichick was asked about Hightower’s status.
  
  “Well, with all the players that are on the roster and not here, then my expectations are that they intend to play, but we know things can change and that's always part of life and part of football,” Belichick replied. “So, we'll take it as it comes but the guys that are here are working hard. 
  
  “And again, each guy has his own circumstances, so I'm not going to get into that, but we'll see how it goes on for some of the players that aren't here, which there's a number of them that aren't, but we'll welcome them when they get here. It's all voluntary. So, when they're here, they're here and we'll work with them.”

• Four Downs

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  1. Bourne and Nelson Agholor each made a good impression on Thursday, one with his quickness and the other with his speed and ability to adjust. Agholor, who averaged 18.7 yards per reception with Las Vegas in 2020, raced down the right sideline past Jojuan Williams and was able to bend back and make an over-the-shoulder catch on an under-thrown pass from Brian Hoyer.
     
     
  2. There was a lot of love for second-year running back J.J. Taylor from teammates and coaches alike during portions of Thursday’s practice. With Damien Harris present but less involved, Taylor and Tyler Gaffney got plenty of work. In addition to his natural quickness, Taylor’s route-running was especially sharp.
     
     
  3. Incumbent place kicker Nick Folk wan’t on hand, but former Buccaneers’ second-round pick Roberto Aguayo and rookie free agent Quinn Nordin took part on Thursday. Without charting kicks, Aguayo appeared to struggle, slicing and hooking narrow misses, while Nordin showed off a strong leg. At Michigan, Nordin went 42-for-58 on field goal tries, including a long of 57 yards. He attempted only five field goals in a truncated 2020 campaign, converting just two kicks.
     
     
  4. Rookie safety Joshuah Bledsoe, the Pats’ sixth-round pick from Missouri watched Thursday’s practice with his right arm supported in a sling.

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Author Bob Socci

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Bill Belichick,Bob Socci,Cam Newton,dont'a hightower,Hunter Henry,Mac Jones,New England Patriots,NFL,OTAs,patriots