Patriots Minicamp notebook: Cam Newton returns, Stephon Gilmore not in attendance

It was a busy day in Foxborough for the Patriots’ first minicamp practice. Monday saw the return of a number of key players who had missed or skipped OTAs, while those not in attendance made headlines as well.

We’ll start – as we did for most of OTAs – with the quarterbacks. Cam Newton participated in his first public practice since injuring his hand two weeks ago and suffering a reported bone bruise. Upon his return, Newton resumed his role as the team’s primary quarterback, leading the way through team drills. 

While Newton missed throws at times, he wasn’t any more erratic than the Patriots’ other three quarterbacks on the day, with all four struggling with the heavy rain that fell for the majority of practice.

Despite dealing with the rain, rookie Mac Jones had another solid day. As Jones himself admitted last week, he still has a lot of learning ahead of him, about both the Patriots’ offense and playing football at an NFL level. 

As that learning process continues, Jones’ development is apparent. He’s already throwing the ball with more conviction, seems to have a better sense of passing windows, and is utilizing more pump fakes. At this time of year, nothing is more important than progress, and Jones is making progress.

• Mac makes progress

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  Jones’ improved confidence is clear as well, and he’s starting to throw the ball more downfield in team drills. One such throw stood out on Monday, when he hit Devin Asiasi (who has had a nice few weeks himself) on a contested back-shoulder route about 15-20 yards up the seam. 
  
  Jarrett Stidham continues to keep the competition competitive. He opened things up a bit more today than the last time we saw him, including a deep pass to Nelson Agholor that he landed right in the bread basket - only for Agholor to drop it (there were a number of drops on Monday due to the rain). 
  
  Since being drafted, Stidham has seen the team constantly bring in competition at the quarterback position. Last year, they signed Cam Newton late in the summer, then drafted Mac Jones in the first round this spring. Still, he’s not counting himself out of the conversation. "My goal is to be the quarterback here and to start football games for a really long time in this league," he told reporters following Monday’s practice.
  
  As for Brian Hoyer, he continues to be the most aggressive passer of the bunch, as was noted last week. However, today his gunslinger ways got the best of him. More on that in a bit, but first, the other big story of the day.

• Notable absences

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  Three players weren’t spotted at the mandatory practice, highlighted by cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Karen Guregian later reported Gilmore’s absence is “over a contract dispute” and he’s not expected to be in Foxborough for the rest of the week.
  
  After his contract was restructured heading into training camp last year, Gilmore is due to make just $7.5 million this season - well below the market value for an elite outside cornerback. It’s also the final year of the contract.
  
  In addition to Gilmore, defensive linemen Chase Winovich, Byron Cowart, and Rashod Berry, as well as linebacker Terez Hall were also absent. Bill Belichick told reporters Monday morning that issues with “travel arrangements over the weekend” led to some players struggling to get to Foxborough, so we’ll see if either of those two show up tomorrow.

• Tight end duo debuts

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  Monday was the first time tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith took the field together as members of the Patriots (Smith elected to skip OTAs). Two of the team’s biggest signings this offseason, they factored in early and often. Both players seemed to be favorite targets of each of the four quarterbacks - perhaps a sign of things to come.
  
  Henry showed no signs of being limited after failing to finish last Thursday’s practice with what looked like an ankle injury. However, Smith started grabbing at the back of his leg at one point during practice, and after speaking with the training staff didn’t participate in another drill, although he stayed on the field. That line of events has been the case for the Patriots’ spring injuries so far between Henry’s ankle and Cam Newton’s hand.
• Defensive front dominates again

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  Like the tight ends, the Patriots’ defensive front showed just how much potential there is with new-look personnel. The highlight for the group was a Kyle Van Noy interception in 11-on-11’s. Lurking behind the line of scrimmage, Van Noy leapt up to snag a Brian Hoyer bullet pass over the middle. After dropping a potential INT last week, Van Noy’s grab got a loud cheer from the rest of the defense.
  
  Up front, Henry Anderson shined as a disruptive presence, repeatedly working his way into the backfield. While he applied the pressure from the interior, Josh Uche stood out on the edge. The second-year linebacker continues to impress and stand out among a crowded, talented group.
  
  It’s tough to really evaluate this group until they work in pads in July. That being said, they’ve laid a strong foundation this spring, and if the momentum carries over they could end up being the best unit on the team.

• Taking care of business

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  A successful performance in a practice setting can go well beyond being flashy. For some players, it’s not about standing out and making highlight plays, but just knowing where to be, what to do, and how to do it. Two players have embodied that sort of success thus far this spring - wide receiver Isaiah Zuber and safety Adrian Colbert.
  
  Zuber had a brief stint on the active roster as a UDFA last year, but spent most of the season on the practice squad. A standout kick returner in college who was used as somewhat of a gadget player in 2020, he looks like a much more well-rounded receiver in 2021. If he keeps it up, expect him to make a push for the final wide receiver spot on the roster.
  
  Colbert signed with the Patriots in the second wave of free agency. The first player onto the field on Monday by a few minutes, he showed up multiple times with tight coverage in team drills. The fact he’s one of the few safeties on the team who primarily plays deep instead of in the box, combined with his special teams experience, could lead to a roster spot with a strong showing in camp.

• Odds n’ ends

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  • The Patriots had a few players in attendance at practice on a tryout basis. Those players’ names haven’t been released, although one individual already stands out. That would be a wide receiver wearing No. 87 - the first time that number has been issued since Rob Gronkowski’s retirement in 2018. Given the league’s loosening of number restrictions, the team would have had other options, but elected to dust that one off. For what it’s worth, this player was built much more like David Givens than Gronk.

   

  
  
  • During team stretches before a game of practice, players are generally grouped by position. For the last few seasons of his career, Julian Edelman would stretch with the offensive linemen, not the wide receivers. It appears Cam Newton may be doing something similar, at least for now. On Monday, he and a couple of receivers were stretching with the specialists. 

   

  
  
  • With the rain coming down heavy, most players ditched their gloves early on in practice. That didn’t help much, and drops were a problem all around. Football gloves generally don’t work in the rain - that’s nothing new. But it is a little surprising with all the money invested in football and football equipment that there’s no specialized rain gloves yet, like there are in golf.

   

MORE: Recapping Monday’s minicamp practice with Zolak & Bertrand

• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)

• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)

• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)

• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)

• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)

• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)

• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)

• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)

• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)

• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)

• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)

• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)

• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
• Patriots Practice at 2021 Mandatory Minicamp

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  The New England Patriots practice during mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)

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Alex Barth is a writer and 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. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.