The level of intensity went up a notch on Friday as the team donned shells under their jerseys for the first time in camp. The weather was also on the rise as the players worked under bright sunny skies in front of a healthy crowd in Foxborough, but that was about the extent of the improvement – at least as far as the offense is concerned.
Both Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye had trouble making any substantial completions for most of the day, particularly when it was 11 on 11. Other than short throws and check downs, the defense either disrupted plays with immediate pressure or displayed tight coverage on downfield throws and forced the quarterbacks to look elsewhere.
One problem for Maye came on plays when quick pressure materialized, and he was forced to lean on his considerable athleticism. At times that resulted in impressive throws off his back foot, but others he wasn't as fortunate.
The most glaring example of the latter came when he looked for a deep shot and pumped before trying to come back late to a sideline throw. Instead of a receiver he found Matthew Judon, who made the easy pick for a would-be touchdown.
Maye admitted it was a rookie mistake, but unlike some young players facing adversity he responded with some nice throws immediately following. Brissett offered some praise for the rookie's resilience when he spoke after practice, and overall sounded more optimistic about the direction the offense is headed.
"It's been getting better every day," Brissett said. "I think we maybe had just one pre-snap penalty today and more or less we're progressing. It's an offense that's all about rhythm and timing and it's starting to come."
Maye struck a similar tone, admitting there are things they need to fix but that the work has been great.
"I feel like we have a pretty good grasp on things and day by day it's been going pretty good," Maye said.
He was able to connect on a deep ball to fellow rookie Ja'Lynn Polk earlier in practice. Polk split defenders Azizi Hearn and Jaylinn Hawkins and went up in traffic to make the catch. Maye said later he didn't feel like it was a particularly well-thrown ball but wanted to give his receiver a chance to make a play and gave Polk credit for doing just that.
Prior to practice Jerod Mayo was asked about Maye's willingness to run, which has been prevalent throughout the practices thus far, and whether or not the coaches would like to see him remain in the pocket more often in a training camp setting.
"All those guys are taught and told to continue with the play," Mayo said. "When you look at the good offenses, take K.C. for example, they have what is on the piece of paper, but a lot of that stuff is just improvisation on the field. So, being able to continue that play, you never know what's going to happen. You could have a free runner and he misses the sack, and now everyone has to get to a spot where he can find him. It's not just Drake, I would say that entire quarterback room, they operate under the same rules."
Beyond Judon's pick and Maye's response, here are one man's observations from Day 3 of training camp.
*The big news of the day was the extension for Jabrill Peppers. ESPN reported the veteran safety had agreed to a three-year deal worth up $30 million with about $24 million guaranteed, and Mayo confirmed the news during his pre-practice press conference.
"I'm the head coach, I can confirm it," Mayo said. "I will say this, I'll confirm it, but I am very happy for Peppers and for his family, and also for our team and the organization. He really embodies everything that we want on the field, you know, he's very selfless. He's out there flying around all the time and it's good to get that deal done."
The deal gives the Patriots the potential to have Peppers and Kyle Dugger, who signed an extension earlier in the offseason, a formidable tandem at safety for at least the next three years.
*No changes to the PUP list as Kendrick Bourne (knee), Cole Strange (knee), Sione Takitaki and Jake Andrews all remain out. Antonio Gibson was once again present and in uniform but did mostly conditioning work on the lower rehab field, as was the case on Thursday. He and fellow running back Terrell Jennings continue their rehab work during practice.
*Christian Barmore and Marte Mapu made their first appearances about 30 minutes into practice. Both were in uniform but rarely donned helmets and didn't take part in any of the various drills. Mapu remained on the practice field working with a medicine ball while the majority of the team ran on the conditioning hill on Thursday. Barmore reportedly has been dealing with an illness.
*Davon Godchaux, who was missing for the first hour of practice Thursday, was present from the start on Friday. He was in full uniform and took part in all drills and was part of a group that included Armon Watts and Daniel Ekuale at the start of the first 11-on-11 work.
Mayo was asked if his slow start to camp was related to his displeasure with his contract but downplayed that angle.
"It has nothing to do with the contract," he said. "He had a little bit of tightness, but he's another guy who you want to reward the players that embody or encompass what we're trying to create here from a cultural perspective. And also, at the end of the day, it's all about wins and losses and he helps with that."
Godchaux spoke after practice and struck a different tune. He said he was "frustrated" about the lack of guaranteed money on his deal while adding that was excited for his teammates that have reached extensions. He mentioned some defensive tackles like Grover Stewart and Dalvin Tomlinson who, like him, don't play on all three downs and felt his value should be similar. It's definitely a development worth watching.
*DeMario Douglas continues to take part in position drills but works out on his own during 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s. Mayo said he's working through something that's not serious and is considered day to day.
*Three days and three different looks for the offensive line. The latest man to take reps with the first group was rookie Caedan Wallace, who worked at left tackle while Chuks Okorafor switched to the right said. This came after Calvin Anderson (Wednesday) and Vederian Lowe (Thursday) manned the right tackle position on the first two days while Okorafor was on the left side. The interior three spots remained the same with Sidy Sow, David Andrews and Mike Onwenu. The second group featured wholesale mixing and matching throughout the reps with the tackles and Onwenu getting some extra reps. The constant changes in the lineup back up Mayo's advice of not reading too much into "starting" groups because the situation will be fluid. That's certainly been the case up front thus far.
*No position has featured more interchanging personnel than wide receiver and on Friday JaQuae Jackson took advantage of some of his opportunities. Jackson, an undrafted rookie out of Rutgers, was active throughout practice and came up with a handful of catches. He was on the receiving end of a few tosses from Maye late in the workout and did a nice job of getting open.
*The kickers closed practice for the first time in camp and Chad Ryland and Joey Slye both appears to be perfect on field goals ranging from 30-40 yards. It can be difficult to know for sure if the kicks were good from our vantage point but both celebrated with high-fives for holder Bryce Baringer after each attempt.
*In addition to Maye and Brissett, fellow quarterbacks Joe Milton and Bailey Zappe also spent time chatting with the media after practice. Godchaux and Joshua Uche also met with the media.
*The players will get their first day off of camp on Saturday before returning to the field for a workout Sunday morning. The players are expected to be in shells once again with practice set to begin at 11 a.m. The session is open to the public with gates opening at 10 a.m.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
