Patriots Shrine Bowl Day 4: Bill Belichick Talking to Which NFL GM?

LAS VEGAS — New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick described the Las Vegas Raiders practice facility as the “Taj Mahal” of all such venues across the NFL.

But on Tuesday, it was the place of another day of work for Belichick and the rest of the Patriots staff as they finished up the fourth and final day of practice ahead of Thursday’s East-West Shrine Bowl.

Belichick, serving as a supervisor while receivers coach Troy Brown leads the West team, spent much of his time in the facility chatting with Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler, once the director of player personnel for the Patriots.

It’s not the first time this week that Belichick and Ziegler spoke on the practice field but was certainly the longest - thanks in part to little on-field action.

New England opted to have a lighter day, going without pads and largely doing install activities, skipping one-on-ones for the first time all week.

Here’s a rundown on the final day of practice from Las Vegas …

Risers

LSU cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse wrapped up a solid week of practice with an interception on Illinois signal caller Tommy Devito during the team redzone period.

After a turnover-filled outing on Monday, UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson responded well Tuesday, showing precise ball placement and avoiding turnover-worthy throws. His decision making wasn't lightning quick but remained much improved from the day before.

Oregon State tight end and fullback Jack Colletto was a consistent target during the team portion; he often created space and finished at the catch point.

Toledo defensive lineman Desjuan Johnson was consistently the first off the ball in get-off drills, highlighting his impressive explosiveness. Johnson, like Bernard-Converse, hasn't been overly flashy but put together steady performances throughout the week.

Fallers

Michigan kicker Jake Moody had no problems getting the ball to the goalpost from 50-plus yards but had a pair of misses to the right during the team portion. Moody finished his practice session on a roll off to the side but wasn't as consistent as preferred with a live rush coming at him, though his stout college career suggests this isn't an issue.

Georgia Tech linebacker Charlie Thomas weighed in at just 207 pounds and scouts believe he absolutely has to get stronger. While Thomas is an easy mover, he didn't necessarily stand out in coverage drills during the week and allowed a few receptions in the 11-on-11s in walkthrough

Notes

Belichick spent much of the second half of the session on the field away from the one his team was practicing on, far more interested in his conversation with Ziegler than the walkthrough.

Albany tight end Thomas Greaney, who had an impressive week while making the transition up, was in sweatpants and did not participate in the session.

The same is true for Louisiana-Lafayette receiver Michael Jefferson, who told Patriots Country earlier this week the turf at UNLV's facility was the hardest he'd ever played on and caused pain after day one.

The East-West Shrine Bowl is set to kick off at 8:30 p.m. (EST) on Thursday night inside Allegiant Stadium.

You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter at @DFlickDraft

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