The joint practice winds are a-blowin’ again in New England, and this time they brought the Philadelphia Eagles up to Foxborough. On Wednesday and Thursday, they and the Patriots will share the fields behind Gillette Stadium for a pair of joint sessions.
Here is everything you need to know about the first of the two practices on Wednesday.
Schedule
For the first time since the preseason opener, the Patriots will be practicing in front of an audience again. As usual, attendance and parking are free.
- 9:30 a.m. ET: Mike Vrabel press conference
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Joint practice No. 1 with Eagles
- ca. 12:15 p.m. ET: Player availability (WR A.J. Brown, WR Mack Hollins, DT Christian Barmore, DT Milton Williams, ED Gabe Jacas, S Kevin Byard)
As always,
the schedule is tentative and subject to change. For more information, please visit our Pats Pulpit Training Camp Guide.
Story of the day
How will A.J. Brown perform against his former team? After some apparent unhappiness with the Eagles, they traded Brown to the Patriots this offseason. Since arriving in New England, he has looked the part and served as a classic WR1 for quarterback Drake Maye. How far their chemistry has grown so far, however, will be on display against a defense that surely will be motivated to throw whatever it has at the veteran wideout.
Injuries to monitor
PUP/NFI: ED Harold Landry III, S Brenden Schooler
DNP (8/18): CB Christian Gonzalez, ED Xavier Holmes, LB Chad Muma, OL Ben Brown, WR Kyle Dixon
Christian Gonzalez is the biggest name on a Patriots’ absentee list. With full pads and a heavy dose of competition on the menu against the Eagles, it would not be a surprise if the star cornerback remained out again. That might prompt some writers to fire off takes somewhere between hot and unreasonable, but it should not be a cause of concern yet: unless his contract situation has suddenly prompted a holdout — which does not appear to be the case — the goal is to have Gonzalez physically and mentally ready for Week 1, not a mid-August practice.
Players to watch
QB Drake Maye: With the exception of a late interception, the Patriots’ starting quarterback looked good during last week’s joint practice with the Colts. On paper, however, the Eagles are a tougher opponent and therefore a more relevant measuring stick for where Maye and the offense currently are.
WR DeMario Douglas: Douglas has been one of Drake Maye’s favorite targets this summer, but the fourth-year wide receiver has not maintained his frantic early pace. Was that a result of practice scripts or the emergence or A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs? Or has Douglas simply not taken a next step in his development, much like last year? Wednesday could provide some answers to those questions.
LT Will Campbell: The Patriots’ starting left tackle has generally looked good this summer, but the Eagles’ defensive front is the biggest challenge he will have faced so far. Campbell competing at a high level would be a promising sign heading into his second season.
ED Elijah Ponder and ED Gabe Jacas: The Patriots’ edge remains a major question mark both in the pass rush and the run defense departments. While Dre’Mont Jones is a fairly proven commodity as the starter on one side, the other remains unsettled. Now going against one of the best tackle pairings in football, the youngsters in that spot — Ponder and Jacas — will be facing a major test.
CB Kindle Vildor: Unless Christian Gonzalez returns to the field, the expectation is that Vildor will see prominent snaps as an outside cornerback opposite Carlton Davis. The offseason signing has settled down a bit after a rollercoaster start to his first training camp in New England, and appears to be on his way to earning the CB5 role. Wednesday will be another a big hurdle to clear, though.
Pats Pulpit will have you covered throughout the day, so please make sure to regularly check back to patspulpit.com for all the latest news from camp. Credentialed Patriots beat writers Brian Hines (@iambrianhines), Andrew Guindon (@NestPgs) and Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) will bring you live updates from camp on their Twitter/X feeds, so please make sure to give them a follow.
