It was another strong day for the New England Patriots in their second official outing at mandatory minicamp. The offense wasn’t a catastrophe, and the defense looked like a potential juggernaut in the making.
As far as attendance is concerned, it wasn’t much better on Tuesday, but most of the players were accounted for on the practice field.
Veteran defensive tackle Lawrence Guy, who is believed to be holding out for contract reasons wasn’t on the field, and the team was also still missing offensive guard Michael Onwenu, along with wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton.
The list of absences are as follows:
- WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
- WR Tyquan Thornton
- G Michael Onwenu
- WR Kayshon Boutte
- EDGE Keion White
- DT Justus Tavai
- CB Quandre Mosely
The Patriots have one more minicamp practice remaining on their schedule before the team breaks until training camp in late July. Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s practice:
1
Offensive tackle could be a problem spot
ESPN’s Mike Reiss noted a play in particular on Tuesday where four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon blew right by offensive tackle Calvin Anderson.
Trent Brown was back on the field, but he wasn’t a full participant in practice. If anything, it’s a reminder that the Patriots’ offensive front could be an injury away from disaster.
Trent Brown was present today but didn’t last long out on the field. Participated in one drill (video below). Watched the next. Was soon thereafter brought to the lower field.
Patriots without their most talented OT for their first two (maybe their only two?) minicamp practices. pic.twitter.com/3geQMh8Wai
— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) June 13, 2023
The other starter across from Brown will likely be 34-year-old Riley Reiff, who didn’t even start every game for the Chicago Bears last season. Outside of Anderson, the Patriots also have Conor McDermott, along with rookie guard Sidy Sow, who has tackle experience at the collegiate level.
The team also brought veteran tackle D.J. Fluker in for a workout on Monday, which could hint at them looking for other ways to fill depth at the position. It’s a bit concerning at this point that the team has to consider an aging veteran that hasn’t taken a meaningful snap of football in nearly three years.
2
Don't forget about Jack Jones
With all of the Christian Gonzalez talk, it’s easy to forget about the hype Jack Jones had in his rookie season last year. There was a stretch when he was being praised as the newest diamond in Bill Belichick’s long line of defensive draft steals.
That has continued to be on display throughout the spring practices, and it was once again the focal point on Tuesday with Jones being one of the key defensive playmakers on the field. He even came away with an interception on quarterback Mac Jones in 7-on-7s.
Patriots CB Jack Jones had another nice practice.
He logged an INT on Mac Jones during an extended play. Jones gravitated toward the intended target even if that wasn't his assignment.
And Jack picked off Mac.
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) June 13, 2023
Jones has been so good, in fact, that the Patriots might feel comfortable putting Jonathan Jones back into his natural slot cornerback position. That would leave the two outside spots to both Jack Jones and Gonzalez.
3
DeVante Parker is trying to give the Patriots something to think about
DeVante Parker must hear the noise surrounding DeAndre Hopkins’ upcoming visit with the Patriots. That meeting could potentially impact his place on the roster, especially if the Patriots need to free up more space to make the splash free agent signing.
The talented but oft-injured Parker could see himself become a cap casualty and be without a team ahead of training camp. On Tuesday, he continued his effort in giving the Patriots something to think about by hauling in a couple of deep catches in 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s.
Good day for DeVante Parker, who hauled in a contested deep ball from Mac Jones in 7-on-7s and another in 11-on-11s.
Standout play on defense came courtesy of Jack Jones, who ranged over to pick off a heave to Hunter Henry in 7s.
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) June 13, 2023
Perhaps the team will consider saving the money and sticking with what they already have if the negotiations with Hopkins get too rich for comfort.
4
Tight ends will be a big part of the offense
The Patriots made the splurge on Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith in an effort to revamp their tight end position in 2020. There was hope that the team could get back to where it was when it had the best one-two punch in the league at the position with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.
But the Smith experiment was nixed and deemed a failure. New England has since brought in Mike Gesicki to try and fill the secondary role behind Henry, and so far, at least in the earlier practices, it appears to be paying off. Both made multiple catches on the field on Tuesday and seemed much more involved in the offense.
Whether that’s more about Gesicki or the offensive coaching changes remains to be seen. But the tight ends are clearly seeing more targets on the field, especially with wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton currently sidelined.
📈Mike Gesicki has been targeted at a high volume this spring, particularly on Monday in minicamp.📈
What might he and Hunter Henry do for the Patriots offense?
(Hint: Big things.)https://t.co/71ZR9yVNXs
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) June 13, 2023
5
The defense could be special
The Patriots were already one of the best teams in the league defensively last season, and they’ve leveled up significantly through the 2023 NFL draft.
Christian Gonzalez already looks like a No. 1 cornerback on the roster, and rookie linebacker Marte Mapu has been a terror at both linebacker and safety. New England is on the verge of putting the finishing touches on a hard-hitting defense capable of suffocating opposing offenses.
They were once again the better unit on the practice field on Tuesday. Even for a Patriots offense that looks much-improved, they still look like a struggling group at times when constantly being matched up against an elite defense.
