New England Patriots
From DeAndre Hopkins’s presence to an update on Christian Gonzalez’s contract negotiations, there was a lot to take in on Day 1.
AP Photo/Mark Stockwell
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FOXBOROUGH – Drake Maye saw the matchup that Patriots fans had been anticipating all summer and tried to start training camp off with a bang.
It was A.J. Brown vs. Christian Gonzalez one-on-one on the first snap of 11-on-11 drills. Brown reached up to snag a one-handed catch, but wasn’t able to secure it. The pass fell to the ground incomplete.
“I’ve got to make a better throw for him,” Maye said after practice.
But, that didn’t mean that there weren’t any fireworks on Day 1. News broke at the beginning of practice that New England had signed rookie linebacker Gabe Jacas to a multi-year contract, ending his lengthy absence from the team.
Plus, team owner Robert Kraft told reporters that the Patriots are prepared to make Gonzalez the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
New England has already made an offer to Gonzalez, Kraft said, and it is worth more than any other deal in team history including the 4-year $104 million contract that Milton WIlliams signed last offseason.
Football is back in Foxborough. The pads aren’t on quite yet, but the Patriots got back in the swing of things on Saturday in front of a big crowd at Gillette Stadium.
Here are five takeaways from the first day of training camp.
It’s not clear when Landry will be back
With edge rusher Harold Landry beginning training camp on the physically unable to perform list, coach Mike Vrabel says he’s not ready to make any predictions about whether last year’s team sack leader will be ready to go for Week 1.
“I’m not going to pretend to predict that,” Vrabel said. “We’re going to talk about injuries that could happen, they’re 100% in football. At some point and time everybody’s going to get hurt. The expectation is they all work extremely hard to get back. That they’re where they’re supposed to be when they’re supposed to be there.”
Landry, 30, had been hampered by a knee injury during the second-half of last season. He played in 15 of the 17 regular-season games and in three of the four playoff games. He recorded zero sacks in the playoffs after leading the team with 8.5 during the regular-season.
He missed OTAs and minicamp while focusing on his recovery, and he has yet to be cleared for training camp practices.
“They focus on what they can do as opposed to what they can’t do. I’m very confident with our return‑to‑play,” Vrabel said. “Where Harold is at the start of the season — I wouldn’t be able to tell you right now. He won’t be practicing, but he’ll be working, and hopefully we’ll get him back.”
Maye, Wilson building chemistry under center
New England traded Garrett Bradbury in the offseason, clearing the way for Jared Wilson to take over as the team’s starting center.
Maye said Wilson, who spent his rookie season starting at left guard, is handling the switch to center like a “natural.”
“Jared, he’s smart. He’s real smart,” Maye said. “I wanted him to play with me in college. He went to the SEC. I don’t blame him, but, I think he’s done a great job of understanding what comes with playing center.
“You got to be loud. You got to be, ‘me and you, it’s our show.’ So, I think he’s done a great job. Just getting used to little things under center, how he likes to do silent cadence and stuff like that. But he’s got a great feel for the cadence. And he saw Garrett do it last year, which is a great look for him.”
Play of the day: Kayshon Boutte’s diving catch
There has been a lot of talk about how crowded the wide receiver room is and whether or not Kayshon Boutte factors into the Patriots’ plans.
Well, the fourth-year LSU product started off training camp with a diving 40-plus yard catch on a deep ball from Maye.
Maye was anything but surprised and said he couldn’t picture a much better start.
“I mean, it’s nothing new. I mean, you guys see it,” Maye said. “I mean, all year last year and the year before, and he just keeps doing things right. And I’m proud of him for getting in there, jumping in there.
“He understands if he’s got something down the sideline and a ball down the field, he’s got a chance it’s coming his way. So, great catch, and I think that was the better start off camp with a little bit of a deep one. So, we are one-for-one to start.”
Players getting used to DeAndre Hopkins’s presence
Five-time Pro Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins is spending time with the Patriots this summer as he considers a potential coaching career.
Maye said growing up watching Hopkins and drafting him in fantasy football was one thing. Meeting him and shaking his hand were another.
“Just having him be out here, share some information and just be a young adult and a great player in this league, a legendary player to play at a high level and share some information’s awesome.”
Romeo Doubs said Hopkins’s presence is already adding something different to the receiver room.
“This is my first time seeing D-Hop in person,” Doubs said. “I know he’s been an amazing receiver in this league, so just to have his aura, his energy around is a huge help.”
Gonzalez’s efforts appreciated
Gonzalez is not done negotiating his new deal, but he was out there participating in drills anyway.
The effort was not lost on his teammates, including Maye.
“Gonzo’s someone I look up to, even at the same age,” Maye said. “I look up to how he does things, how he handles himself and his swagger he has in his own way. I think it’s great to see him out here playing around.
“And I think you saw it in the locker room before. Everybody was wondering, “what’s Gonzo going to do?” And he’s coming out here, and first play, he’s guarding A.J. in man coverage. So, that’s the Patriots.”
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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