Physicality is a clear part of football.
On the joint practice field, with coaches working to maintain a productive, structured environment the physicality can sometimes cross the line.
That has been the case in each of the first two days of joint sessions with the Bears as Bill Belichick has had to kick one of his players off the field for getting into it with a Chicago player. A day after Malcolm Butler was sent from the field early for a fight with Alshon Jeffery, New England center Bryan Stork suffered the same treatment after a lunging head butt at a Bears linebacker at the end of a practice play on Tuesday.
The Boston Globe's Patriots notebook highlights the second day of chippy practice with Chicago, saying that once again push came to shove in the joint session. The Globe also offers up a detailed report of the workout. The Globe profiles undrafted rookie cornerback Cre'Von LeBlanc, who just might be making a run at a roster spot.
Beyond another day of feistiness, the Boston Herald promotes Julian Edelman's return to 11-on-11 action on the practice field, looking sharp as ever in both his cuts and his catches. The Herald writes that Stork "fights to win the center job, and that's bad news." Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks was notable on the practice field, and the Herald notes that he's grateful for the time he spent in New England last fall.
[wysifield-embeddedaudio|eid="460861"|type="embeddedaudio"|view_mode="full"]The Providence Journal says that Chris Hogan is taking nothing for granted with his new team, despite the fact that he is New England's highest-paid receiver. The ProJo looks at David Andrews fighting in a more tame sense to win the starting center job, a spot where he was a surprise contributor a year ago as an undrafted rookie. The paper also notes LeBlanc's efforts early in the preseason process.
ESPNBoston.com says Bears kicker Robbie Gould -- one of Belichick's greatest personnel regrets -- has enjoyed practicing in New England this week, the place where his career began way back when. With Stork's practice ejection yet again, ESPNBoston.com says the Patriots "have to wonder if they count on" the third-year center. The site also notes that Martellus Bennett, the Patriots tight end who played for the Bears the last two seasons, declined to speak with the media after joint practice action in Foxborough.
WEEI.com passes along Hicks saying the Patriots organization is "something every team in the NFL can emulate." WEEI.com also says that New England needs to trade for a running back.
The site relays Edelman's dominant performance in his full return to joint practice action.
NFL.com has word that the Bills will be without suspended defensive lineman Marcell Dareus for the first four games, including a matchup with the Patriots. The site also has a story on former Patriots receiver and now-Bengals target Brandon LaFell dealing with a torn ligament in his hand that could require surgery, although it may not cause him to miss any regular season games.
The Chicago Sun-Times says the Bears are establishing a "brash identity" on defense and that's part of the reason defensive back Harold Jones-Quartey ended up being kicked out of joint practices with the Patriots on Tuesday for a hit on Edelman. Various fights have apparently been almost a daily occurrence in Chicago's practices this summer.
NESN.com offers its joint practice observations.
FoxSports.com says the Long Brothers – Chris for the Patriots and Kyle for the Bears – plan to play key roles for their respective teams this season.
