FOXBOROUGH — Thuds filled the air on the backfields at Gillette Stadium for the first time since January.
After four practices ramping up, the Patriots were finally in full pads on Monday morning. The offense had another disjointed day, but one wide receiver popped, and linemen had their first one-on-one drills of the summer.
Here are 11 takeaways from the humid session:
1. DeVante delivers again
DeVante Parker impressed on jump balls last week, but the Patriots weren’t in pads and plenty of defensive backs were forced to wear mitts. It was going to be interesting to see if the veteran wide receiver’s dominance would continue when things were ramped up to full speed.
He answered that question resoundingly.
Parker opened 1-on-1 drills by leaping over Malcolm Butler for a reception, and later made the play of the day, as Mac Jones lofted a 50-yard bomb down the left sideline and Parker hauled it in, once again with Butler in tight coverage. He looked excellent at using his body to create separation.
“Mac threw a great ball and I was able to get it and come down with it,” Parker said. “Just a great play on his end.”
Whether in helmets, shells, or full pads, Parker says he’s going to be the same player.
“I’m a big physical receiver, so pads ain’t nothing to me,” Parker said. “I’m going to come out and play physical regardless.”
2. Offense looks disjointed
On the first play of competitive 11-on-11 drills between the starters, Isaiah Wynn false started.
On the next snap, Jones was intercepted by Terrence Mitchell. Looking for Tyquan Thornton on a crossing pattern, the quarterback didn’t see Mitchell sitting on the route and threw an easy pick. He then went over to chat with de facto play-caller Matt Patricia and put his helmet on his shoulder.
It was a run-heavy day in general — which was to be expected given all the passing game work last week — and there were definitely some bugs being worked out there, too. The newly-streamlined offense has been hitting some turbulence. Suppose that’s what the early days of training camp are for.
3. Malcolm: Still good on the goal line
After being picked on by Parker early, Butler bounced back and finished the practice strong.
The 32-year-old broke up a pass intended for Parker in the end zone, and later had tight coverage with Thornton on a deep ball, diving to break the play up by the goal-line. It almost went in the books as an interception, but the two late pass breakups speak to Butler’s unwillingness to fold after a rough start. The next-play mentality is a good lesson for New England’s rookie corners.
4. Tyquan roasts Joejuan
Thornton was impressive in 1-on-1 drills.
Matched up with Joejuan Williams, the rookie ran right past the cornerback to haul in a 50-yarder from Jones early in the period. On the next rep, Thornton shook Williams on a shorter route in the middle of the field, showing it’s not simply straight-line speed with him.
5. Godchaux starts strong
Lineman 1-on-1 pass rush drills began under Bill Belichick’s watchful eye on Monday morning.
Davon Godchaux was the most impressive at the start; it looks like he’s spent the offseason in the weight room. There was nothing fancy from the recently-paid defensive tackle, but Godchaux’s bull rush created problems for David Andrews.
6. Strange gets his feet wet
Cole Strange was also welcomed to the NFL in this drill.
Christian Barmore drove the first-round guard into the backfield, and Henry Anderson won a rep against him, too. Between reps, Strange worked on his kick-step technique and seemed to get some hands-on coaching from Belichick.
7. Snap count issues abound
Patriots linemen were very eager to get back into the action — too much so.
There were more than a half-dozen penalty laps doled out for pre-snap penalties, and three defensive linemen jumped offsides in the pass rush drill alone. It’s only the first day in pads, but that’s something that’s obviously going to need to be cleaned up.
8. Cavalry returns to secondary
Jonathan Jones (PUP), Jabrill Peppers (PUP), and Myles Bryant (NFI) all made their training camp debuts this summer, and Deatrich Wise returned in a limited capacity.
There were only four absences on Monday: Brian Hoyer, James White (PUP), Chasen Hines (NFI) and Andrew Steuber (NFI).
9. Opportunity arrives for J.J.
With White still on the PUP list, J.J. Taylor was the recipient of some of his third-down reps in 11-on-11 periods. If the 5-foot-6 back wants a bigger role in his third season, now is the time to shine. Not many balls came his way on Monday, but that should change when the passing game picks up again.
10. Uneven start for Bourne
Kendrick Bourne has been good in 1-on-1 drills to start training camp — he beat Jalen Mills cleanly in both reps — but hasn’t produced as much in team periods. Whether that’s something to watch or simply a small sample size will reveal itself in the coming days.
11. Bentley delivers a pop
During an 11-on-11 drill, Ja’Whaun Bentley caught Rhamdondre Stevenson cleanly running across the middle. The linebacker’s thud popped Stevenson’s helmet off, and with that sound, football was officially back in Foxborough.
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