Patriots Beat: Day 5 Training Camp Recap: First Day of Pads + New Injuries

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Join 98.5 The Sports Hub's Alex Barth and Pat Pulpit's Brian Hines on another LIVE episode of Patriots Beat! Alex and Brian discuss their observations from Day 5 of training camp where New England put the pads on for the first time this offseason.  This episode of the Patriots Beat Podcast is brought to you by:  FanDuel Sportsbook, the exclusive wagering partner of the CLNS Media Network. Get a NO SWEAT FIRST BET up to $1000 DOLLARS when you visit https://FanDuel.com/BOSTON! That’s $1000 back in BONUS BETS if your first bet doesn’t win.  FanDuel – Official Partner of Major League Baseball.  Major League Baseball trademarks used with permission.   21+ and present in MA. First online real money wager only. $10 Deposit req. Refund issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at fanduel.com/sportsbook. Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800)-327-5050 for 24/7 support. Play it smart from the start! GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234.  #Patriots #NFL #NewEnglandPatriots

Transcript

00:00 Welcome back in another live edition of the Patriots beat podcast right here on the CL network

00:06 Brian Hines from Pat's pulpit joined as always by 95 and sports hubs Alex Barth

00:11 day five of Patriots training camp in

00:14 Books, which also marked day one of pads

00:18 But it wasn't as

00:21 Physical as we might have expected, you know some basic install with the run we did expect but they really only had one physical session

00:29 at the end there down by the goal line, which we'll get into but the big kind of takeaway from the day was

00:36 The injury bug kind of bit up to them here and you expect as the pads come on and the physicality rises

00:43 People are gonna get hurt, but they used to half dozen bodies

00:47 Either limp it around the field today or down in the athletic training garage back in the in the back of the practice fields

00:55 The Cole strange came up pretty early in a one-on-one run drill against Lawrence guy

01:00 they immediately took that left knee brace off and he spent about a half hour with Jim Whalen and the rest of the

01:08 training staff going through

01:10 agility and mobile tests and and the good news was it looked like he

01:14 They gave him his helmet and he rejoined the team on the sideline

01:19 Didn't come back on the field, you know, probably precaution, but it looks like they got some good news from Cole strange there

01:25 And I don't think anyone else that was banged up throughout the day left the field early. So it might have

01:32 They might I got got a good news early on here. Yeah, it sounds like Christopher Price reported that the injury was not serious

01:40 So that's encouraging and they might have dodged a ball. But you know those agility drills anytime you see that especially for alignment

01:46 That's you know, ACL MCL PCL stuff. So

01:49 Glad Cole strange. Okay on his birthday - not his 25th birthday, but I

01:53 Think - look he it sounds like he's fine

01:57 All the reports are that he's fine will operate as though he's fine until he's not until if we find out he's not you know

02:03 What I mean, and and he's gonna be there left guard as long as he's healthy. I think the bigger thing is it showed you

02:08 Where things are at with this team at the tackle position because it really the whole offensive line because you had

02:16 Andrew Stuber playing significant reps today along with Mac Jones

02:19 You had a Tony Omafi stepping in it right at left guard for Cole strange. Obviously Bill Murray's been in there

02:25 You saw them having a split Riley reef and Connor McDermott on both sides because Trent Brown was limited Calvin Anderson still not practicing

02:33 Look, they'll get guys back. I'm not saying they're gonna go out there week one with the group that they had today

02:38 they should if they do that's a massive massive problem, but

02:42 it shows you kind of where they're at after Trent Brown and how quickly that drops off before we're saying this guy's out there with

02:48 the ones and

02:49 Again, they'll get Calvin Anderson back. But Trent Brown's a guy who is he gonna stay healthy? That's obviously a question

02:55 I Riley reef

02:57 I think you have that question about two with his age and

02:59 you really got to see what they're working with in terms of the offensive line because on

03:04 One hand none of these guys should play significant reps this year on the other hand

03:08 It wouldn't be the most surprising thing if some of them did

03:11 Yep

03:13 Brown Brown as you mentioned was limited look just like a day off, right?

03:18 Which they've seemed to be doing here with the Stevenson also was limited

03:22 Two guys you saw Stevenson kind of fade down the stretch last year and Brown obviously has injury history

03:28 So it looks like they might be doing a little load managing their judan was in that group, too

03:33 Whether that's how much of that is contract related. We might find out if they give him some a little pay bump here

03:39 But yeah that offensive line

03:42 It was our biggest thing going in here and then you saw I mean no unit in the NFL is gonna look good with

03:49 three backups in which was what they were pretty much running with today, but

03:53 you have question marks there with

03:56 some guys with injuries histories and the guy like even David Andrews is getting up there with age and it could drop off pretty

04:03 Significantly there and that's that's a worry here early on and it was highlighted today

04:08 I think another important thing

04:10 To remember within that is I completely just lost my train of thought

04:16 Started we're only two days into the six-day thing the other important thing

04:21 To remember with the offensive line

04:26 Just keep going. I'm I totally lost it. It was something about Riley reef

04:30 Oh, it was like even the guys that route though, like it's not just oh these guys are out there. Hey, it's weird

04:35 They're out there. Like I didn't think rather like Riley reef struggled today again in

04:38 We talked about maybe the foot speed when they're not in full pads and when he's able to get his hands on people it'd be better

04:44 Kinda not really, you know, I thought the defensive line definitively won the day that shouldn't come as a surprise

04:50 Based on who was out there

04:52 But it it was kind of what we expected from the offensive line

04:57 I think I maybe have been more down on the offensive line than most but

05:00 What we saw today I think kind of explained why

05:04 Yep, and make Dermot opened again at right tackle. I thought he looked he's might have been their best lineman today

05:11 which again low bar with the bodies they had but

05:14 he seems like the front runner early on front runner for that right tackle spot and

05:18 It's it just it's not a position as we've discussed a lot that you can just go out and add reinforcements to right?

05:25 So this this is pretty much what they're working with. I know they had

05:28 Four guys in for workouts today two tackles two guards, but these are guys

05:33 from there was one from like the USFL and you know, that's kind of where they're scraping at if they want to

05:40 Bring in extra bodies here. So

05:43 This is kind of the unit they have Jake Andrews was out again for his second straight day. We'll kind of see what happens there

05:49 We still don't know when Michael when he was coming come back here off that ankle surgery

05:53 We don't know where Calvin Anderson's been on the non football injury list. So

05:58 This is pretty much it and chasing Hines - he went he spent some time in the athletic training tent today. So

06:04 it was getting pretty barren there for a while today and that's

06:08 Still we said it biggest issue entering and it just becomes the biggest issue more as we go along here

06:15 I will say this though

06:16 I I think they know because they hosted for alignment after practice today and that that says something like they need bodies

06:23 it's not I

06:24 I know people will start talking about DJ fluker and Taylor the one and sign a title I

06:30 Top of the depth chart. I think they're going with the guys they have I

06:33 Really don't think any of those guys are as much of a risk as the guys they have right now

06:38 and I think they feel good about their group and

06:40 bringing somebody in at this point having them learn the offense and getting synergy with the rest of the line and all of that is

06:45 Not they don't

06:47 They could do it. I don't think it's the help people think it's gonna be but

06:51 You need enough bodies to get through camp. That's the other side of it and you know running back to right?

06:56 They were in a drill today and look it wasn't like

06:58 High intensity or anything?

07:00 It would have been busy work for the running back that was doing it

07:03 but they had one period where they're way in the back corner with the offensive line and

07:07 They're running, you know

07:10 It was run fit drills and here's where you line up and then they had the quarterbacks back with the wide receivers doing it seven on seven

07:18 They did one of those seven on seven plays required

07:20 play fakes and

07:23 Because all three running backs are down on the other side normally back of the roster guy guy

07:29 That's you know camp body is gonna stay and take those play fakes and run a couple patterns instead

07:33 It was Ross Douglas who's the wide receivers coach who was a running back in college at Michigan very briefly before he changed positions

07:38 Maybe Ross Douglas would have been doing that anyway, but it it felt weird

07:43 It looked weird that they had him doing that. He had some nice moves though

07:47 Yeah, yeah, he was moving like like credit to him. He was moving but it kind of came out of nowhere

07:52 They also I don't know if you noticed in some of the 11s

07:55 I was talking to Phil Perry and he said he's never noticed this either

07:59 only one half of the defensive line would rush at times and the other half would just

08:04 Be on a knee for the whole play

08:07 And we said maybe that's just because they don't have bodies on the offensive line that go every single rep like that

08:13 so so the one thing I

08:16 Might have noticed like massive caveat caveat on this might because I caught it late

08:20 I was trying to watch something else and I saw it out of the corner of my eye and they snapped I

08:24 Think maybe Johnny Lumpkin took a couple snaps to tackle

08:28 I may have miscounted and he was at tight end with his hand in the dirt, but like quick glance

08:34 I thought he was the second guy off the center

08:36 And that was one of those reps like you mentioned where the defensive line on that side didn't do anything

08:42 I noticed what was if it was down by the goal line. I think he was a tight end there

08:46 But if I know it was further back it was it was like a pure run drill

08:51 So he might again, I don't don't put it in sharpie. I was looking very quickly, but I

08:56 It it it looked like it it gets tough sorting through all those bodies

09:01 It's tough cuz like I was looking I whoever was was I was trying to watch like the running back and I just wanted to see

09:08 You know the exchange and where his eyes and I believe the running back was Kevin Harris

09:12 On this specific snap and I kind of so like I'm in the binoculars, right?

09:16 So I'm just looking at Kevin Harris and then I see it's in the little corner my binoculars and like, all right

09:21 That's lumpkin like how and I started counting

09:23 Right said one or two guys between him in the center and there's obviously

09:26 You know, they're coming at us

09:28 so the defense is between us and the offense and I got to see through bodies and

09:31 Then I'm like, all right

09:32 Let me see if he lines up the next nap if they do it again and he went off the field

09:35 So that's the thing about camp. You can't see everything. Yeah, but it maybe

09:41 We'll keep an eye on that tomorrow with what yeah all the offensive line health

09:45 That'll be a big thing entering tomorrow, but mentioned Kevin Harris

09:49 He was kind of first back up with Ramon dress Stevenson limited throughout the day and I thought he was pretty pretty impressive. He had

09:57 Looked like we got in on one of those down by the goal line and he does look noticeably

10:03 Skinnier a little bit, but he's still built but I thought it was getting a lot of reps there with only three backs

10:11 But I thought Kevin Harris it was kind of a good start for him as they kind of lay this

10:15 Bill O'Brien run game for the first time

10:18 And as a practice Kevin Harris should be very involved right full pads contact runner

10:23 I do think it was interesting that it felt like for a couple days there was trending towards Pierre strong

10:27 Being that second running back and then heavy dose of Kevin Harris said mixed results. He had some nice runs

10:33 he did drop a pass for Mac Jones, but

10:35 It it still feel like they still feel bought a body short at running back, right?

10:40 I didn't look at Kevin Harris saying, you know for mantra goes down. That's your number one running back

10:44 I haven't felt that way about him. I haven't felt that way about strong now

10:47 They're they're committing to these guys and they're giving these guys a shot and I think that's excellent because

10:50 You drafted them, especially strong you drafted in the fourth round

10:53 these are guys that you need to play and you need to find out if they can play but

10:56 It does still feel like there's a missing element to that running back room

11:00 Yeah, so Zeke still on the radar. Maybe we'll see what happens. Yeah, Dalvin. I still think

11:08 Yeah, I was surprised by the Henry

11:10 reported that they were working on the finer points and they

11:14 I'm not to make fun of him like that was the he quoted finer points in his tweet of a deal

11:19 so who knows what that means, but I

11:21 Still think with the running back as I said the other day

11:25 I think they want to see what they have in these two guys and

11:28 After joint practice, you know after this week, maybe after joint the first joint practice with the Packers

11:33 They'll they'll reevaluate and say all right, you know, we need another body

11:37 Yep, I'd agree there but

11:39 First do you have any big first takeaways from O'Brien's run game? I know it was just one day

11:46 It looked like mostly zone stuff out of you know, two tight end sets

11:49 But maybe that's probably the first order progression here before they get into that more gap

11:55 Downhill stuff now the pads are on but any big takeaways from day one

11:59 It's tough because it almost feel like it feels like they were ramped back because of the personnel

12:03 It almost feels like they you know, cuz earlier in practice there was a little more and then less I

12:09 Yeah, I it's it's tough to take anything away from that. It looked better than it did last year. So there's that but

12:16 No, nothing

12:18 again, just with the personnel like for a first day of pads

12:21 You want to dive into the offensive defensive line?

12:24 And when you have essentially the third string offensive line against the starting defensive line, it's really tough to to go out make any sweeping

12:31 Proclamations about it. Like yeah, I thought

12:33 Dietrich wise Christian Ball more both and we didn't get the offensive defensive line one-on-ones either but in the context of 11s

12:41 I thought Dietrich wise had a couple definitive wins

12:43 I thought Christian Ball more had a couple definitive wins

12:45 But those are against guys that if they're on the team, I don't know if they're gonna be dressed on game day

12:49 So it's yeah good. They're beating the guys. They should be

12:52 excellent

12:54 After that, I you know, I'm not gonna dive into it and start projecting forward off of it

12:59 Yeah, and maybe the injuries bill had that meeting right before that last period he gathered the whole team together

13:06 Yeah, and kind of just said like let's be smart about this. We can be physical, but let's not have bodies on the ground

13:14 Let's get the work that needs to be done without being over physical

13:17 And so that might have played a hand and kind of dialing it back and not getting into the real competitive

13:22 physical stuff throughout the day

13:26 Yeah, I did think is interesting bill had to have that meeting though

13:30 I don't remember anything like that and

13:32 You know, there's been times so like you start getting fights and he'll pull the team together be like hey cut it out

13:36 But they were they were going for it today. It was

13:40 it first day of pads and then some it felt like I don't know if it was specifically

13:46 targeted at some of the younger players

13:49 But real peppers kind of like he's like look

13:52 I was like that in my like first two years just wanting to come out and go like guns blazing

13:58 But he's like you'll learn like that's not how you practice. So well and then meanwhile he comes out like the next period and

14:04 so

14:06 It for whatever that's worth. Yeah, he so that one session where they really did get physical which

14:13 They've done that they've usually open with that right on the first day of padded practices that full contact goal line session

14:21 But they didn't do it last year for whatever reason but they did it this year for plays

14:26 I had the offense two for four. Are you there to yeah

14:29 for

14:30 Kevin Harris because I didn't count the Mac the Mac scramble. I didn't count. Yeah. Yeah, that's a win for the defense. So it was

14:37 Kevin Harris looked like he got in the first one and then the second one

14:41 Which appeal peppers came in and blew up?

14:44 Jelani to buy who was playing fullback if we can get into met Kevin Harris right in the backfield for a stop and then

14:51 They went play action on the third with Mac floated one to Henry looked like a bit of a miscommunication

14:56 on the route or

14:58 Ron shoulder or something there and complete and then they let Bailey's a P come in and hand the ball to Pierre strong for a

15:04 Touchdown so that that was the real one competitive session. Yeah

15:10 Yeah, I mean I think the most interesting thing from it other than that peppers hit which was awesome

15:15 Yeah, and I get I I've said like that's my guy this year. I think he's the breakout, you know, Gonzalez is a rookie

15:21 That's its own thing in terms of the guys that are back peppers is the breakout player on the defense this year

15:27 He's fully healthy, which he wasn't last year. He's now had a year in the playbook

15:30 He's his role is gonna be more diverse with Devin McCordie no longer in the building

15:35 Which I actually think is gonna suit peppers a little bit better. I think he's due for a big year so far in camp

15:39 He's done nothing to dissuade me of that but

15:42 The Jelani to buy fullback stuff's interesting before people freak out about it. I think we just let's put that in context

15:48 They're not bringing back a full-time fullback. I if they're gonna do that, they would have rostered a fullback

15:53 We're not getting James Devlin 2.0

15:55 But even the teams that don't have a fullback occasionally you get down on the goal line to get into fourth and one

16:01 You want a lead blocker out of backfield? Sometimes those teams use offensive linemen. Sometimes those teams use tight ends

16:08 Here we go. I think maybe and that might have been an experiment that might have been a hey

16:11 Let's see if he can do it cuz or they they you know, they were down too many linemen

16:15 Maybe that is something that a guy like Jason Hines is gonna do or a guy like Jake Andrews is gonna do and they didn't

16:21 Have them today. So it you know, maybe device the emergency pullback

16:25 I wouldn't read too much into that in terms of a big picture of the offense. I forget which player

16:29 After practice, but one of them kind of hinted that he was doing it throughout the spring to a little bit

16:35 So that was peppers. Yes peppers kind of did yeah

16:38 So it kind of looked like if they're going that route it might be Tobias role

16:41 But but I I don't think this is a thing where remember Landon Roberts would like play for lack. Yeah, this is like there's the

16:47 Situational package down by the goal line because they had like three tackles in there just like yeah

16:53 This is a no

16:54 So when Roberts is playing fullback they had installed their entire offense with a fullback and that all the fullbacks got hurt

16:59 So they had to have somebody do it on an emergency basis

17:03 This where the repping at this this early on to me. This feels like we'll see it a handful of times this season

17:09 This is like Mike variable at tight end kind of thing

17:11 Not a you know few times a season occurrence not a few time a game occurrence. Yep

17:16 But um, that's part of the bill O'Brien offense, right?

17:21 It's kind of taking shape here a lot of different personnel packages and I know it was a lot of run game focus and short

17:28 passes but

17:29 You continue to kind of see the creativity that he brings a lot of motion a lot of what?

17:35 You know bill Belichick calls a continuation of the run game almost a lot of screen passes today

17:40 so I think it's just

17:42 What we've kind of wanted them to do with Mac the last few years and we're kind of seeing that come to fruition here with

17:49 Bill O'Brien on the practice field, which is just all positives going into this all-important third year

17:55 It does feel like they're they're they're they're building up. I think the last two days they had that off day

18:01 Which is probably film day and they've come out and we knew they weren't gonna install the entire offense right away

18:08 And the entire offense still isn't installed nor should it be but you are starting to see some more of that motion

18:13 We saw what - Mario Douglas today that orbit motion that they ran with Marcus Jones a ton last year. That was exciting

18:19 But yeah, you're starting it was all very vanilla the first few days and that's what it is. It's a teaching period

18:25 It's an install period you expect it to be vanilla those days

18:28 The thing the difference to last year is they never got out of vanilla. It was vanilla through January

18:34 You're starting to see them now mix in some of these more complex concepts and it this is just scratching the surface

18:41 They're gonna build and build and build from here and they'll build throughout the season

18:44 But it is nice to kind of some of that stuff. We speculated you mentioned the motion

18:48 They were 26 in motion right last year. I doubt you know, ten point eight percent

18:53 I really doubt that number is gonna be that low this year based off what we've seen so far

18:57 Yeah, there was a lot of motion heavy in the spring too. So just building that building that and hopefully

19:02 We get those downfield RPO packages that we've all been clamoring for I guess Mac was so good at those

19:09 At Alabama those the slants those kind of seam routes because they've only run

19:15 Bubble screens off those RPOs for the most part. I think they attempted like two last year and neither of them work. So

19:23 Hopefully O'Brien in that Alabama background. They keep building off that and they don't just keep it

19:28 You know like that vanilla like you said throughout the year and we'll see that kind of develop as summer goes on

19:33 Yeah, yeah exactly they'll they'll keep it going with that

19:39 Sorry, I just I got caught up a little bit little tiny bit of breaking news here

19:43 Jeremy found for me SPN after spending Sunday with the Jets Dalvin Cook is headed back to South Florida

19:50 By all accounts his meeting with New York went. Well, he remains a free agent

19:53 So at least for now no meeting with the Patriots and it kind of made sense when they said he's planning the meeting with Patriots

20:00 He's in New York. He then goes to Boston boom. Boom

20:03 It appears he left the Northeast without a meeting with the Patriots

20:07 So I didn't expect him to sign here

20:09 Anyway, didn't expect him to get out of New York without a contract but now now we have that that was the most surprising

20:14 I thought him on the practice in the local delis or whatever

20:18 it looked like he was kind of a walk to you know sign there with the Jets, but

20:22 That's home the Florida right not home or for a Dalton's visit

20:27 Yeah, yeah. So yeah, I know he's he lives and he's from South Florida. He lives in South Florida

20:33 Yeah, but I mean some of these other teams starting to need running with Zach Moss went down today and obviously the Jonathan Taylor

20:40 Situation whatever yeah, all that will be interesting

20:44 It's in the watch unfold and then I all had a few running back injuries

20:48 so maybe this market will start to pick up pick up a little bit, but so

20:53 Keep keeping an eye on those guys

20:56 Should we hear from our pals of fan duel and get into the rest of practice?

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21:59 All

22:01 Right, so you mentioned them a little bit before

22:08 our fan go out there, but I got to bring up the Mario Douglas again the star of

22:14 Camp early on here six round Rudy, but we kept saying after the first few days. Let's see it when the pads come on

22:21 Let's see it when the pads come on because he's five eight one nine

22:24 90 right that's and he has that type of to really dominate

22:28 In a non padded practice, but I thought he passed his first test with flying colors with the pads on

22:35 He was still getting open Jones again, but the pass was high didn't get to him. And I think the big thing was

22:41 When they were doing those wide receiver

22:44 Screen drills he had really good blocks and those drills showing this kind of physicality

22:51 And they drew some pretty good applause from the coaching staff and his teammates

22:56 So this the Mario Douglas hype train kind of keeps rolling here

22:59 Even as we get the pads on and this was the day that it was gonna Peter out these guys

23:05 I always use Maurice Harris as the example

23:07 I just did my podcast with Andrew Callahan from the Boston Herald which people can find on 98 father sports

23:12 I've got calm. He mentioned Trey Nixon's been this guy in the past last spring

23:15 These small quick guys that when the pads come on and corners can really get their hands on them

23:20 They disappear but tomorrow Douglas was getting open at the top of the route through contact today. You mentioned the blocks

23:26 That's I don't want to say unexpected, but that's a big step

23:29 he's got to do it again and again and again like we got to see it through joint practices and in preseason games, but

23:37 Didn't disappear didn't disappear when the contacts started and that's always a good sign

23:42 Yeah, still working in with math to pretty consistent. Yeah, which is good sign

23:47 But as Bill always says training camp, it's a marathon on a hundred yard sprint here

23:52 So you've got to keep stacking show up in the preseason. He's gonna have plenty of opportunities

23:56 Keisha booty was back to in that rookie wide receiver room after missing yesterday with an undisclosed injury

24:03 He kind of got involved in their red ball when Mac and Bill O'Brien go on a separate field with some of the receivers

24:11 He was involved for the first time there and he had a really I

24:14 Don't know if he got a second foot that really nice adjustment to haul on a back shoulder catch along the sidelines

24:20 So maybe he can start building some momentum to

24:23 Yeah, and then he had that really nice play on the sideline where he got himself open and I mean trace mix early

24:33 overthrow him like what 10 yards 12 yards out of bounds and

24:35 tends to have

24:37 and I'm exaggerating there's like, you know, two feet three feet, but I

24:41 Don't know that he caught it or not

24:44 I thought he got the second foot in some other people said no we kind of had a draw

24:48 Voting on it up on the media hill but to make it as close as he did for what the throw was in itself is

24:54 impressive so

24:56 Didn't have a great start had those two drops on whatever was Thursday Friday, but starting to fight back a little bit

25:02 That's a guy with a lot of natural ability and he's physical so the pads coming on

25:07 He's a guy that should start to shine here and I thought he had a good day today

25:10 Yeah, that it's why dress and you know what Jalen heard made another nice catch today, too

25:15 I I still think he's behind those other two and he may be behind Trey Nixon as well, but

25:19 that fifth wide receiver battle which

25:22 Watch it's gonna be what it was last year where we're gonna get all hot and bothered over this fifth wide receiver battle

25:28 They're gonna keep four guys, but that fifth wide receiver battle is really starting to heat up

25:32 Yeah, and unfortunately heard I don't know if you saw he ended in the training area. He got baned up

25:39 I didn't see what happened, but he was back there which obviously it has been the story of his career, right?

25:44 there yeah pick hasn't played in the NFL snap are three straight years, so

25:48 something else to monitor when they come out tomorrow, but

25:52 That was you know boot

25:55 B Douglas good good starts to do you very involved again?

25:58 He was max probably favorite target again. Not much in the passing game, you know all short stuff, but

26:04 Juju still looks like that all high volume could push for you know

26:10 89 new catches that we kind of expected when he signed here early on

26:14 The important thing there. I think you know tutors been in this league long enough that we know what he can do

26:20 I don't think he's gonna surprise anybody with this skill set. Yeah, I don't mean that as an insult

26:24 It's just he's a well-established NFL player same thing with Devante Parker last year. Oh, he's catching jump balls

26:29 Who saw that coming the bigger thing is after he wasn't on the field in the spring?

26:33 Where was his chemistry gonna be at with Mac Jones talking about Judas in the shoestring here first year working together?

26:38 that's an

26:42 Important development is those two working together building that chemistry because we saw it with Mac and in Jacoby Myers for two years

26:49 How well they work together and some of those timing patterns and Mac could throw the ball before Jacoby looked and he just be ready

26:55 For it and if you're gonna run that slot role in New England and run a lot of those option routes

27:00 It's all about being on the same page as the quarterback. I mean, that's the whole story. So

27:04 Lim, I don't want to say like limited reps actually for for Mac in in Juju because they're working together now

27:10 and it did sound like they threw together a little bit but

27:13 Making up for missing time in the spring. It seems like they're starting to get on the same page

27:17 Yep, and and Juju mentioned they worked a lot off the field, but you got to see it on the field how that chemistry

27:24 there so any other

27:27 Little details offense defense he had I had Isaiah Bolden keeps kind of pushing for a spot. He had a nice pass

27:34 Pick up on type build

27:36 We'll get into the MVP of the day Bryce Berenger in a second. But any other offensive or defensive takeaways you got?

27:42 So I'm not sure what to make of this yet. Actually Brian. I'll love this question to you

27:48 I just thought this was interesting and maybe it means nothing

27:51 But I mentioned before when we were talking about the running backs. They had those those two drills going on simultaneously

27:57 So in the back corner

27:59 they're doing run fits and it's the offensive line and the running backs and trace mix orally and

28:04 Then up in front of us like complete opposite into the field

28:07 It was a seven on seven with Mac zappy in the wide receivers. What position does that leave out tight end?

28:13 Now they were split you had Hunter Henry Matt so Cole Anthony Ferg sir

28:20 back doing that run fit drill

28:22 It Johnny Lumpkin is back there too. And then you had

28:26 Mike is sicky and Scotty Washington in the seven on seven and I feel like I missed the tight end if I did he was

28:33 in the bat like

28:34 Kisiki Washington seven on seven

28:37 Okay, Kisiki Washington seven on seven every all the other tight ends run fits

28:42 We've talked about Mike is sick

28:44 He kind of being that hybrid wide receiver tight end and Washington obviously is a similar player type to he's essentially, you know

28:49 The second team version of Mike is sicky

28:51 But I do think it was interesting they split them up and maybe that tells you Mike is sick

28:55 He's not gonna be a big part of the run game and he's gonna be detached from the formation and he's gonna be more on

29:00 The field and passing downs

29:01 That's me sort of guessing I actually like I don't remember seeing them do anything like that

29:06 Even you know when they had other tight ends, you know, but they never really had tight ends with this sort of skill set

29:13 But I get what do you make of it?

29:15 Like I just I I found that fascinating because you rarely see them split up a position group like that

29:19 Yeah, except for maybe special teams. I'd say that's unusual, but they haven't like said they haven't

29:24 Had that type of skill you had so cool in the run fit group right there

29:30 Yeah

29:32 So it was again

29:34 I didn't see everybody in the back but it was cusickie in Washington in the front in the seven on seven everybody else was

29:40 In the back. Okay. Yeah, that makes no I keep pointing like that

29:43 Back there. Yeah

29:47 Yeah, I'd say that I

29:49 Mean that split makes sense with cusickie Washington same type of body type same type of skill set. I thought so cool has

29:57 Making a pretty good push for a roster spot. Maybe here. He's been that feels like it first tight end up when they go three

30:04 tight ends or when he's back and

30:06 He had a few nice catches non padded practices and it looked like he kind of held his own in the in the run game

30:13 today for the most part and

30:15 660 he's got the body type, you know to be that in one guy. So

30:19 He's making an early push here. We'll see again. We've talked about a lot

30:25 Will they keep a third or can they get these guys to the practice squad and just elevate one?

30:29 But yeah how they keep splitting up that tight end room. That'll be interesting to watch

30:34 Yeah

30:36 So again, I don't I don't know if that means anything, but that was just an observation

30:40 Other no other offensive defense observations Brian, but you do know what we have to get to

30:47 rice there under

30:51 the unreal

30:52 unreal, I don't so

30:54 Remember watching a punter and just being like wow. That is a moon ball like like can every single one it looked like but

31:02 So it reminded me of rookie Jake Bay like when rookie Jake baby when he first showed up and Ryan Allen was under contract

31:09 We were like Ryan Allen was just basically the MVP the Super Bowl

31:12 there's no way that this kid's gonna take his job and it was like I

31:17 Remembered so this is when I was still working full-time for CLNS and I was technically the camera guy

31:22 so like I could be kind of down closer to the field and

31:24 I remember one of the first days Jake Bailey was punting at Matthew Slater's like oh, yeah

31:30 Like Slater was fired up by what he saw. So and then obviously, you know, it fell apart two years later, but

31:36 Yeah, Beringer unreal day and I'll say this the hang times are impressive and they're on my twitter at real Alex Barth

31:42 They're in my notebook 95 the sports of calm

31:45 The hang times are not the most important most impressive part of Bryce Beringer's day today

31:49 It's the rotation

31:51 He puts on the football and there's he's got a little Tim Wakefield to it in a good way

31:55 Like you don't always want a perfect spiral. Sometimes you do

31:58 That's generally if you're going for bounce if you're going for roll

32:01 Like if you're punting from your own end zone

32:03 You probably want a spiral cuz gonna roll more if you're further down and you're punting where the other team is backed up

32:09 You might want to back spin it

32:11 so the ball will you know bounce back away from the end zone for a touchback or

32:14 Maybe you just want it to be hard for the returner to pick up on and I think you saw that today

32:19 He had two muffed punts one by miles Bryant one by Marcus Jones

32:22 That's what stands out to me there were and there was another one

32:26 I think it was Bryant again where like he caught it, but he was having a lot of trouble lining it up

32:31 He was having a lot of trouble getting under it and getting himself

32:34 I think it actually bounced like it bounced off him and then he caught it

32:37 so that

32:40 To me is more notable in the hang times

32:42 Is that the returners are having trouble catching the ball because that's what the Patriots like and you don't always see that on film

32:49 You can't necessarily see the rotation of the ball on film when it comes to watching punts

32:52 So I'm you know, we're seeing this for the first time now seeing a pint

32:55 So I had a bit in the spring and I like the rotation in the spring too. But

32:58 Yeah, that that was the hang times are great. They were impressive

33:02 I'm not saying they weren't but it's the rotation on the ball that I'm looking at today and saying Bryce Beringer just

33:08 I'd had that thing neck-and-neck right since the spring. This was a definitive Bryce Beringer day. Yep

33:14 And right we knew he had a really big leg coming out of Michigan State, but I think like four or five second

33:22 For four or five punts over five time, which was very impressive. But yeah, it was that rotation

33:28 I mean if Marcus Jones is having no issues catching the ball that that's you're doing something right so

33:35 Awesome. Oh and no kicking no no kickoff. So we didn't get any there but

33:39 Beringer still the show special teams will be it'll be fun to watch them. There should be a

33:44 Lot of kicking Friday's practice in stadium. So it'll be fun to watch them in that new stadium. See how that kind of works

33:52 Yeah, yeah, that's gonna be a big day for for a special team that it'll be interesting to talk to them after that

33:59 Yeah, what maybe we'll have another Quinn Nordine night or it was what was he 10th?

34:04 So great great moments in Patriots history

34:07 28 to 3, you know of this decade, you know the comeback against the Ravens

34:13 28 to 3

34:15 Beating the Chiefs on the road in the AFC Championship Game the Mac Jones practice against the Giants

34:21 Quinn Nordine's 10 for 10 in stadium practice and then Bryce Beringer on the first fully padded practice of 2023

34:30 They're all right there like just where you remember you always remember where you were when Quinn Nordine went

34:37 I that was a fun night what cuz the funny thing was about that night story time real quick

34:42 He was nine for nine

34:44 And then they were like, all right

34:46 You got to go down to the field if you want to media availability and they we thought they were like wrapping up

34:50 So we all go downstairs

34:52 I don't remember who it was but like we're all the meteor together walking and somebody must have been you know falling on their phone

34:57 So somebody - somebody goes he's 10 for 10

35:00 He's 10 for 10 see in another one

35:02 We were all down in the tunnel and everybody like freaked out as we're walking up to the media

35:05 so yeah, never forget where I was for for Quinn Nordine sent for 10 and it but

35:11 July 31st Bryce Beringer might have been better

35:14 Probably better mark the calendars Bryce Beringer day his cleats from today's practice will go in the Patriots Hall of Fame next to Quinn

35:23 or D actually

35:25 Next to his got to be in there, which I said at the time should go in the hall

35:29 I don't think they took me up on it, but I do believe I tweeted that that night

35:32 All right, yeah, I'm Bryce Beringer day but I was pretty much all I had from from the first day of pads

35:41 hopefully tomorrow

35:44 I'm not sure if they're gonna be in pads Dietrich wise made it sound like they're gonna be off

35:50 pads and then back in pads Wednesday

35:53 Godchild said we'll be in pads all week. So it'll be exciting. So we'll kind of see there but

35:59 So last things you had before we wrap it up here one of the next two days won't be pads. Yeah, it's it's just a matter of

36:07 Do they go out of pads tomorrow to reset what they did today?

36:11 Intense day Wednesday ramp down Thursday in Stadium Friday, or do they go pads tomorrow?

36:19 Ramp down Wednesday intense day Thursday in Stadium Friday that we'll have to wait and see the fact they move practice up

36:25 For what it's worth. I think maybe means it's another fully padded practice, but that's

36:30 That's like a very thin string of reasoning for that. Yeah, so if you're planning to go it's

36:36 945 I believe now instead of

36:39 noon, so it's moved up with probably because of the Beyonce concert at Gillette Stadium there, but

36:47 Guessing one of the next two days will be in pads Thursday should definitely be high intensity because that Friday session in Stadium is dialed

36:54 back that's usually just

36:56 operational stuff first time the whole teams in the stadium for the year you get through that and obviously emphasis on the kicking game, but

37:03 I guess with that we will see what happens tomorrow and we will be back of course to break it all down

37:10 So make sure you are subscribed to the Patriots press pass channel here and your notifications are turned on

37:16 So, you do know when we go live but until then go follow Alex on Twitter at real Alex Barth

37:22 Go read all of his training camp coverage over at 98 5 the sports hub comm

37:26 You can follow me on twitter at I am Brian Hines and go read all my training camp work over at pets pulpit calm

37:32 And thank you all for tuning in as always and we will see you tomorrow

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