The New England Patriots’ preseason is fully underway following their opener against the Indianapolis Colts. Work now transitions back to the practice fields where intensity will pick up with a pair of joint practices against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Before we focus on what lies ahead, however, let’s take one final look back at the week that was. Welcome to the latest installment of our Sunday Patriots Notes.
With Drake Maye and the Patriots regulars sidelined in the team’s preseason debut, New England’s younger players received the bulk of the reps. That meant extensive action for their first three draft picks: Caleb Lomu, Gabe Jacas, and Eli Raridon.
OT Caleb Lomu: The Patriots first rounder played all 39 of his snaps at right tackle Thursday night. New England didn’t ask him to handle many traditional drop backs in the passing game as the game plan featured plenty of quick games and chip help. Lomu looked mostly comfortable in those situations and a did not allow a pressure in the passing game. As a run blocker, his athleticism was seen during a fourth-down conversion but the rookie struggled at times moving defenders.
OLB Gabe Jacas: It was also a mix of good and bad for Jacas, who was challenged by Vrabel on special teams during the game. Jacas showed his power on numerous occasions in the run game while also pushed a defender into Anthony Richardson’s lap on an early interception. The outside linebacker was a bit too aggressive at times which led to big plays in the option and screen game, but more experience should benefit him in those situations.
“Keep coaching and keep working with Gabe, knowing that some of those things that’ll translate from special teams have to translate to defense, and we try to explain to him that whatever it was in the joint practice, it’s going to be faster in the game. Things happen quicker,” Vrabel said.
TE Eli Raridon: The box score was measly for Raridon as he finished with just one catch on four targets for eight yards. But, a 24-yard gain off of a catch in the flat (a staple for Raridon this summer) that showcased his athleticism was negated due to Lomu being illegally downfield. Raridon then had a great block working to the second level on New England’s longest run of the night. As for the rest of his night as a blocker, Raridon often got in the way but didn’t seem to generate much push.
“I mean, we want to move him as far as we can possibly move him. I thought it was okay,” Vrabel said. “I think he continues to improve blocking and he’s willing, and so that’s the one thing that I really think I’ve been pleasantly surprised with, just his willingness to do that.“
The Seattle Seahawks made Devon Witherspoon the richest cornerback in NFL history on Saturday inking the star to a four-year, $132 million contract — a deal that may now serve as an outline for Christian Gonzalez, who shares an agent with Witherspoon.
Witherspoon’s $33 million average clears Denzel Ward’s $31.1 million, while his $101 million guaranteed is also the most by any cornerback in NFL history:
- Witherspoon: $101 million guaranteed
- Trent McDuffie: $100 million (signed this offseason)
- Derek Stingley: $89 million (signed last offseason)
- Sauce Gardner: $85.6 million (signed last offseason)
Kyle Williams showcased his impressive release package throughout his rookie year. That was on display in Thursday’s preseason opener on multiple occasions — including his 12-yard touchdown where he easily beat Jonathan Edwards off the line of scrimmage. Williams has watched wide receivers like Davante Adams, Keenan Allen, Doug Baldwin, Stevie Johnson, etc. to hone his craft, which he finds himself thinking about often.
“I have dreams about releases,” Williams said. “It’s something that I just do in my sleep.”
With A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, and DeMario Douglas not playing in the preseason opener, the Patriots opened the night with Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins out wide. The duo played 16 and 13 snaps, respectively, as they worked in with Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III before ceding the way to players further down the depth chart.
Boutte’s playing time was notable as he remains uncertain about his Patriots future, while his lack of a target across three drives could also highlight why he requested a trade back in the spring as he looks for more volume in a contract year.
The Colts, who got a look at Boutte in Tuesday’s joint practice and in the preseason opener, remain active in the wide receiver market as Alec Pierce remains sidelined with an ankle injury.
As Mike Vrabel stated, Efton Chism III found a role on the football team last year and made it easy for the Patriots to keep him around. This summer, that role has seemingly expanded.
Chism has worked in with the first-team offense at both the Z and slot positions — even sharing the field with DeMario Douglas at times — and has often been called upon in run situations and in the red zone.
“I think he’s got a good skill set of being able to get in there and block, but also marry some of that with some of the run action passes,” Vrabel explained. “He competes. He always takes care of the guy. He protects the guy with the ball the best that he can, and I always see him looking to finish when he does not have the football in his hands, and continues to make big plays and show up when we need him.”
The Patriots’ new New Balance Athletics Center features a virtual room that each position room opens into. Inside is a 20-yard turf field painted with lines that is the standard width of an NFL field. Virtual screens at the front of the room can then simulate looks from the classroom.
Carlton Davis, who returned to practice on Saturday, was a frequent visitor in the room the last few weeks as he was sidelined with a hamstring injury that he suffered on July 28.
“It’s always good to have the technology to be able to keep up with what’s going on and get the virtual learning going on,” he said.
John Saunders signed to New England’s practice squad midway through last season on Nov. 19. Upon his arrival, the Patriots’ practice intensity surprised the rookie, which led to a message from his head coach three weeks into his tenure: practice harder.
The safety took the advice in stride and eventually needed to be told to “dial it back a little bit,” as Saunders joked he was trying to cause havoc on the practice fields. But the 24-year-old has continued to practice hard this summer, which has led to a pair of interceptions and another one in Thursday’s preseason opener.
“It feels amazing now — second year with the guys, the coaches,” said Saunders. “And they know how to teach here. So, it’s amazing to just learn from them and just continue to build each and every day.”
The Patriots will remain busy on the practice fields this upcoming week with multiple joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles before taking on the Birds in their second preseason game. From an install standpoint, Mike Vrabel noted this will be an important week.
“This will be a big week for us,” he said. I think we talked yesterday about where we’re at, the list of stuff that we like, that we don’t like, that we would still like to investigate a little bit. So, we have to do some of that here in the next couple days.“
The practice schedule for the coming week looks like this:
- Monday, August 17: 10:15 a.m. ET (Closed to the Public)
- Tuesday, August 18: 10:10 a.m. ET (Walkthrough, Closed to the Public)
- Wednesday, August 19: 15 a.m. ET (Joint Practice with Philadelphia)
- Thursday, August 20: 10:15 a.m. ET (Joint Practice with Philadelphia)
- Saturday, August 22: 7:00 p.m. ET: Eagles at Patriots preseason Week 2
For more information on the Patriots’ training camp, please make sure to check out the Pats Pulpit Training Camp Guide.
