**Joe McDonald** of ESPN Boston writes that Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower is making great strides following February shoulder surgery. Hightower was able to participate in the first training camp practice on Thursday.
"There's still no timetable when he'll be cleared for full contact and game action," adds McDonald.
**Pat Bradley** of NESN.com shares a video of Tom Brady's one-handed touchdown grab from yesterday's practice.
**Christopher Price** of WEEI.com reports that Patriots LB Dane Fletcher is "likely" to start the season on PUP, according to a league source. Â He's currently recovering from a torn ACL that was suffered late last season.
**Phil Perry** of CSNNE.com writes that Bill Belichick is unsure about the **impact of using virtual reality **technology in coaching.
"So the Patriots may simply be giving the virtual reality avenue a tryout. If it's practical, if it's functional, then it sounds as though it has a good chance to stick," adds Perry.
**Adam Kurkjian** of the Boston Herald notes that rookie offensive linemen Tre' Jackson and Shaq Mason have been getting a lot of reps on the practice field.
"With last year's starting left guard Dan Connolly retiring and right guard Ryan Wendell recovering from shoulder surgery, Mason and Jackson took a good number of snaps," writes Kurkjian. "Both rookies selected in the fourth round of this year's NFL draft, Mason out of Georgia Tech and Jackson out of Florida State, have made big strides since arriving in Foxboro."
