NEFJ Nuggets from Patriots training camp: Day 7

FOXBOROUGH – One week from the first official game under Jerod Mayo, the Pats were back out behind Gillette on Thursday morning for the seventh training camp practice.

It was brutally hot – something Jonathan Jones said the team “needed” – but the Pats were not in pads after a day off. We got a lot of red zone work though and there were some more encouraging signs for the offense.

Here’s everything I saw from the hill…

-As has been the case since minicamp, Michael Jordan was first out, alongside Sidy Sow. Much smaller crowd today too, probably the smallest of camp, but if this wasn’t our job I absolutely would not have sat on the metal bleachers out there today either. The fans that did fight through it got rewarded with some entertaining stuff though,

-Matthew Judon was back out on the field, but participated sparingly. He also didn’t come up the usual stairs all players come up from, going in through the back entrance to the practice fields. Other players including Tom Brady have done this before, but it did add a little bit to the drama surrounding him and the team right now.

-Jerod Mayo addressed everything going on early this morning, starting his 10:30 press conference at 10:16. Mayo said he and Judon had a “good meeting” and that everyone was moving forward, but conversations between the two would stay in-house. While it’s not what fans want to hear, that’s the way it should be, it just doesn’t help anyone that things played out the way they did publicly on Monday.

-Dan Koppen was in the house signing autographs for fans and checking out practice. Jaheim Bell and tackle Tyrone Wheatley were not in attendance. David Andrews was there but did not participate in team drills, noting after practice that he had dealt with a family health issue over the weekend. Kendrick Bourne was also back out there, but without his helmet. Jonathan Jones acknowledged Bourne’s leadership and energy have been important despite not playing right now. Jabrill Peppers was out there but didn’t have a helmet either.

-Got some 1-on-1’s in the red zone with different position groups after another lengthy team indy period following stretching. Receivers and DB’s faced each other on one field, tight ends and backs matched up with safeties and linebackers. The QB’s rotated between both fields. I was down at the at the TE/LB/S/RB end zone…

*Kyle Dugger locks up Austin Hooper on a ball to the back of the end zone from Brissett.
*Easy TD on a quick out to Rhamondre Stevenson against Raekwon McMillan. Stevenson burned him.
*Brissett hits Henry on ball to the back left corner after he beat Jaylinn Hawkins.
*Maye finds Mitchell Wilcox on a nice route to the left side of the end zone against Brendan Schooler.
*Maye hits a quick pass to Kevin Harris, but Joe Giles-Harris keeps him out of the end zone.
*Maye TD to Jacob Warren on a quick comeback in front of Dell Pettus.
*Brissett hits JaQuae Jackson on a diving grab on the other field, didn’t see against who.
*McMillan shuts down Stevenson with Brissett at QB.
*Great ball from Bailey Zappe to Antonio Gibson in the back corner against Giles-Harris.
*Joe Milton fires a dart to Hooper in front of Hawkins.
*Brissett back shoulder TD to Henry against Dugger.
*Milton hits a quick out to JaMycal Hasty against Jahlani Tavai.
*Milton slant to Wilcox in front of Schooler.

-First team period just after noon, already two waters and a Gatorade in. Brissett and Maye each got three snaps here…

*Brissett short to Hooper.
*Brissett slant to Tyquan Thornton – who also torched Christian Gonzalez twice on the day – would have had a lengthy TD run after the catch if it was live.
*Brissett incomplete pass over the middle intended for Demario Douglas (ball was high).
*Maye finds Henry on play action.
*False start and a lap by Calvin Anderson followed by a Maye dart on a slant to Ja’Lynn Polk.
*Maye hits Douglas on a ball over the middle, Pop made a sick leaping grab. He looks good despite currently being in a red non-contact jersey.

-On to a 7-on-7 red zone period a few minutes later. Impressive stuff from the offense given A. the talent on this defense and B. the fact that it’s usually a lot harder to score in the red zone…

*Brissett incomplete to Thornton after having to wait a while, receivers couldn’t get open.
*Great PBU by Jonathan Jones in the end zone against Douglas.
*Brissett completion to Henry short of the goal line.
*Brissett TD on an out to Henry against Hawkins.
*Brissett TD to Thornton in the back of the end zone against Joshua Bledsoe.
*Maye incomplete to the back left corner intended for KJ Osborn against Shaun Wade.
*Maye tucks and run as receivers can’t get open.
*Maye TD on a dime to the back right corner for La’Michael Pettway against Pettus.
*Marcus Jones wrestles the ball away from JuJu Smith-Schuster in the back of the end zone for a PBU.
*Maye makes arguably his best throw of camp, going side arm and (I think) no-look while on the fun, finding Osborn in the back of the end zone for a TD.
*Joe Milton fires in a bullet  to the back of the end zone for a TD to Kayshon Boutte against Schooler.
*Milton incomplete pass (low throw, didn’t see who it was intended for).
*Milton TD to Polk on an out against Marcellas Dial Jr.
*Milton makes one of the best throws from any QB this camp for a TD to Baker against Azizi Hearn. Ball was an absolute dime to the back right corner where literally only Baker could snatch it. It was coming towards us on the hill and a handful of people thought for sure the ball was just going out of bounds from our view. Turned out to be a pin-point throw.
*Milton had one more incompletion and then one more completion to David Wallis.

-Kick off coverage work up next. Pop, Marcus Jones and Polk returned.

-More team red zone a little after 12:30…

*Brissett quick out to Stevenson.
*Dugger PBU against Osborn.
*Brissett TD to Antonio Gibson in front of Dugger.
*Short run for Gibson.
*Would-be sack for Dugger.
*Maye hits Warren on a quick out.
*Oshane Ximines stuffs Stevenson on a run.
*Maye incomplete to Pop. It looked like Douglas stopped running, but Maye patted his chest as if to say ‘my bad.’
*Maye quick TD throw to Gibson. We got what I believe was our third scrum of camp already after this. Tough to see exactly what happened, but Henry and Jennings ended up having to be separated out of the small pile. No one was ejected from practice.
*Defense comes up with a run stuff on Maye’s last snap.
*Zappe had a TD to Boutte while getting some rare team snaps. Josh Uche also had a would-be sack and Javon Baker had a nice toe-tap grab against Mikey Victor.

-Reset of team period with different field position. Short possessions for both Brissett and Maye.

*Brissett hits Osborn short,
*Great bounce out side and run for Stevenson. The zone scheme may have been a disaster a couple years ago, but it doesn’t appear to be the case this year. This team may struggle to pass protect but it looks like the running game is going to be good.
*Brissett finds Pop outside after having to hold the ball for a long time.
*Maye hits Wilcox on the left sideline for a toe tap grab.
*Nice cut and run for Gibson.
*Maye scramble.

Joe Slye goes 3/4 and Chad Ryland goes 4/4 during a field goal period just before 1:00. I’m terrible at figuring out distances (I write so I don’t have to do math) but they probably ranged from 35-50ish. Right now, it feels like Ryland’s job, but it’s a thin margin. I also wouldn’t be shocked if the team ended up bringing in another kicker at some point in camp.

-Mayo calls the team up at 1:01. No conditioning since the guys did quite a bit of running and some other stuff at the beginning of practice.

We’re officially one week from the first game against Carolina. Presumably, the pads will come back on for Friday’s practice. The team has one more Saturday and then two more next Monday and Tuesday before the preseason kicks off.

All of those sessions are open to the public starting at 11:00 with gates opening at 10:00.