Football is back in Foxborough. On Wednesday afternoon, the 2023 New England Patriots took the field for their first training camp practice.
It was a non-padded practice, as the first few will be this summer. As Bill Belichick reminded the media on Tuesday, these non-padded practices are more of an extension of the spring than anything else, with the real evaluation not beginning until the pads come on.
That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to take away from Wednesday’s practice. As was the case in the spring, player usage and groupings certainly stand out, especially since these are often ‘install’ practices.
Keeping that in mind, what stood out from Day 1 of Patriots training camp? Here’s a look at the highlights…
Situational football
Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien at Patriots training camp. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
The Patriots got right into working on one of the staples of a Belichick-coached team – situational football. All of the team drills (7-on-7s and 11-on-11s) were run in the low red zone, which means inside the 10 yard line.
Over the past few years, the Patriots have spent significant time working in the red zone in camp. But it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see it be a key focus on Day 1 after the team finished 32nd in the NFL last year with a 42.2 percent touchdown rate in the red zone.
Mac making calls
Jul 26, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws a pass during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
A few times during practice, quarterback Mac Jones seemed to be making various checks, calls, or other changes at the line of scrimmage. Last year’s Patriots offenses featured less changes at the line of scrimmage than previous years, so this could be a sign that Bill O’Brien is putting more power in Jones’ hands pre-snap – something Jones was very good at in college.
It will take much more than just one practice to see what kind of changes the Patriots are making to their pre-snap routine. But this is something to watch throughout camp.
A tough day for the QBs – kind of
QBs Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, and Trace McSorley at Patriots training camp (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
By the numbers, it wasn’t the best passing day for any of the Patriots’ three quarterbacks. Jones was 5-of-10 with an interception and a sack taken. Bailey Zappe was 4-of-11 with multiple passes batted down, including an 0-for-4 mark in 11s. Trace McSorley was 3-for-10.
It is important to take these numbers with a grain of salt though. The QBs were regularly throwing from deep in the red zone, upping the congestion in the middle of the field and limiting the room to work with, with no threat of the run. That’s not to say there isn’t room for them to improve – there certainly is – but it’s too early to start ringing the alarm bell for the entire season. If the numbers continue to look like this throughout the week, then it becomes a different conversation.
Busy early and often
Patriots WR/RB Ty Montgomery at training camp (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
With all of the team drills being done in the red zone on Wednesday, it’s not like the Patriots were airing the ball out to their wide receivers. Instead, it was a (sort of) running back and tight end that saw most of the offensive attention during the day.
Ty Montgomery picked up where he left off last summer before getting hurt, and was one of the most-targeted players in practice. He caught multiple touchdowns, lining up as both a running back and wide receiver. During individual drills, he spent most of his time with the receivers.
Tight end Hunter Henry also stood out in the red zone. He caught a couple of touchdowns, including one from Mac Jones along the end line of the end zone on which he made an impressive hands catch away from his body.
Trent Brown makes his 2023 debut
Patriots OT Trent Brown takes the field at training camp (Jim Louth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
Trent Brown didn’t take the field with the Patriots at all this spring. After skipping OTAs, a weather-related issue caused him to miss both Minicamp practices. After reporting to camp early, Brown was on the field with the team for the first day of training camp practice on Wednesday.
Brown’s presence is important for a team whose biggest question is at the tackle position. Brown will likely start at one of the two tackle spots, but his positional versatility made any lineup without him incomplete. To start camp he returned to the left tackle spot he played for 17 games last year, opposite Riley Reiff on the right side.
Play of the day
Safety Kyle Dugger at Patriots training camp. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
There weren’t too many highlight plays on Wednesday, but the big play from the defense came right away. In the first team rep of training camp, Kyle Dugger quickly closed a window between himself and Mike Gesicki to intercept Jones in the back on the end zone.
Dugger wasn’t the only defensive player to make a play on the ball on Wednesday. Mack Wilson had a leaping pass breakup on Zappe’s first throw of the day, and rookie Isaiah Bolden made a nice play on a back-corner fade to knock a pass away from fellow rookie Kayson Boutte, who had done a good job of getting himself in position to make a catch.
Marte Mapu check-in
Jun 12, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Marte Mapu (52) pulls a sled at the Patriots minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Third-round pick linebacker Marte Mapu was the star of the Patriots’ spring practices. Is that going to carry over to training camp?
In his first training camp practice – with the full complement of linebackers on the field – Mapu’s role remained expansive. He was lining up across the formation, and continued to hold his own against the veterans on the team.
When it comes to Mapu, the question still remains how he’ll look in fully-padded practices. He’s still wearing a red non-contact jersey like he was in the spring, so whether or not he’ll be able to participate in those padded practices when they begin also remains up in the air.
Malik Cunningham’s position
Jul 26, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Malik Cunningham (64) makes a catch during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Speaking of rookies and their jersey color, let’s check in on Malik Cunningham. The former Louisville quarterback played some wide receiver in the spring, making it look like a position change was in the works for him.
Based on the first day of training camp, that change looks everything but official. Cunningham was in a white offensive jersey – not the red jerseys worn by the quarterbacks – and worked exclusively with the wide receivers. However, the team roster still has him listed as a QB.
Joe Judge’s role
Patriots assistant head coach Joe Judge works through a drill at 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
A lot was made about Joe Judge’s placement with the defensive coaching when the Patriots released their 2023 coaching assignments last week. Based on Wednesday’s practice, that seems like a design choice and nothing more.
Judge worked exclusively with the special teams on Wednesday. While he and special teams coordinator Cam Achord both did a bit of everything, Judge seemed to spend more time with the coverage players while Achord worked more with the kickers and punters, alongside assistant special teams coach Joe Houston.
Attendance
Jul 26, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (7) runs a drill during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
There was only one minor surprise attendance-wise for the Patriots on Wednesday. Linebacker Matthew Judon was in attendance, but limited.
The only players not spotted were already on either the PUP list or NFI, with safety Cody Davis and guard Mike Onwenu fitting into the prior group and tackle Calvin Anderson and defensive end/special teamer DaMarcus Mitchell part of the latter. With Onwenu out, Bill Murray saw significant time at right guard.
Meanwhile, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton were both in attendance after being significantly limited this spring. Neither player seemed to be restricted to any extent – a good sign for a team thin on wide receiver depth. Jack Jones was on the field as well following his legal trouble this offseason.
What’s next?
Bill Belichick writes down a note during Patriots training camp practice. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
The Patriots will be back on the fields on Thursday for their second training camp practice. It will be another non-padded session. Practice is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m., with gates opening for fans at 8:00.
