The New England Patriots were back to work on Monday after their first day off of the summer. Their fifth training camp practice of the year also marked their first time in full pads which shifted the focus to the ground game.
Here is what went down on the fields behind Gillette Stadium.
Setting
Attire: Full pads
Duration: ca. 90 minutes (10:30-12:00 p.m. ET)
Conditions: Sunny, temperatures in the 80s
The Patriots’ first padded practice of the summer took place on a hot Foxborough day. It stretched just about
90 minutes with much of the padded work coming in the red area.
Attendance
Absent: LB Jahlani Tavai, CB Carlton Davis, WR Mack Hollins (PUP), OT Vederian Lowe (PUP), TE Austin Hooper (PUP),
Limited: DL Christian Barmore
Returnees: WR Ja’Lynn Polk, S Josh Minkins (NFI)
Injured: CB Christian Gonzalez
On the second rep in competitive team periods, cornerback Christian Gonzalez came up visibly hobbled after covering Stefon Diggs across the field. Gonzalez, who appeared to grab his left leg/hamstring, limped back to the medical shed with trainers and did not return.
After leaving Saturday’s practice early, linebacker Jahlani Tavai was absent on Monday, while cornerback Carlton Davis remained sidelined. New England did see the return of UDFA safety Josh Minkins from the non-football injury list, while wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk made his first appearance this camp after dealing with muscle tightness.
Christian Barmore was limited for the second time this summer as part of the team’s plan for him to return from blood clots. He worked on 1-on-1 drills off on the side field for much of the practice.
Takeaways
Campbell competitive: Fourth overall draft pick Will Campbell was quickly welcomed to life in pads, as his first 1-on-1 rep against Keion White ended with the tackle pushed down to one knee. But, the rookie bounced back in team periods with several impactful blocks in the run game — including caving in Milton Williams.
While Campbell did end the day on the ground, his work as a run blocker was impressive for his first padded practice in the pros. He also held up in pass protection in team work for the minimal passing attempts called on Monday.
Trench work: Next to Campbell, New England’s top offensive line from left to right remained Cole Strange, Garrett Bradbury, Mike Onwenu, and Morgan Moses. They were quick to rotate, however, with Jared Wilson coming in at left guard after two plays and then moving to center two plays later. Caedan Wallace then saw time at left guard with the top unit. Wilson did muff another exchange with quarterback Drake Maye under center but also had several nice pulls in the run game.
While it was a competitive back-and-forth battle for both sides in the ground game, the pass protection remained spotty in the few pass plays throughout practice. K’Lavon Chaisson in particular continued to give any right tackle issues along the edge and ended up registering two would-be sacks.
1-on-1 work: During 1-on-1s, Milton Williams powered through Cole Strange for a win while Jared Wilson and Sidy Sow had a pair of strong wins for the offensive line along the interior.
In the pass catcher group, Kayshon Boutte beat Christian Gonzalez twice — including an end zone fade on the final rep — while Antonio Gibson gave Christian Elliss problems out of the backfield. Efton Chism also had a clean win against Alex Austin working with Joshua Dobbs.
Polk’s return: After missing the first four practices of the summer with muscle tightness, second-year wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk returned to action on Monday. Polk was part of the eight-receiver rotation — which also continued to include Efton Chism and Javon Baker — that worked in with Drake Maye.
He then ended the day with a touchdown from Maye in the back left corner of the end zone off a well-executed play-action fake.
Romo takes charge: In a change during the kicking period, Parker Romo handled all six attempts instead of the usual back-and-forth rotation between him and rookie Andres Borregales. Kicking from 32 and 50 yards, Romo was a perfect 6-for-6 as he continues to kick the ball well this summer.
Other notes: It was an overall quiet day for Drake Maye and New England’s passing offense with the priority on the run game. ... Maye ended his day by finding Ja’Lynn Polk in the end zone, while Joshua Dobbs ended with a score hitting Gee Scott Jr. on a play-action boot. … One ball ended up on the ground on an exchange between TreVeyon Henderson and Dobbs. ... With Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis both out, Alex Austin and Marcellas Dial Jr. ended up manning the outside down the stretch; Marcus Jones continued to work in the slot. … Khyiris Tonga was the next man up behind Christian Barmore.
Preview
The Patriots will be right back to work on Tuesday for their sixth session of the summer. Gates will open at 9:15 a.m. ET with practice set to start at 10:15 a.m. ET. A select group of players will be made available to talk to the media afterwards.
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