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6 observations from the second day of Patriots minicamp
New England's defense dominated during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills on Tuesday afternoon.
FOXBORO — The Patriots were back at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday morning for the second day of their mandatory minicamp.
After a productive first day in Foxboro, Bill Belichick and his coaching staff continued to install plays and schemes more than a month ahead of the team’s full training camp.
Here are six observations from Day 2 of camp.
1. Defense wins the day
After a strong showing from Mac Jones in both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills Monday morning, the Patriots’ defense answered with a dominant showing on Day 2 of minicamp.
Whether Jones or Bailey Zappe, New England’s offense struggled to gain traction throughout Tuesday’s session, due in large part to some heads-up play in the defensive backfield and plenty of pressure up front.
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Mac Jones’ initial 11-on-11 drill was less than spectacular, with Jack Jones blowing up a screen and Christian Barmore batting down a pass at the line.
Jack Jones was all over the field for New England, snatching an interception during 7-on-7s after Mac Jones tried to hit Hunter Henry down the right sideline.
Marcus Jones also had a pick during 11-on-11s after Kendrick Bourne couldn’t corral a pass, while Jabrill Peppers and Joshuah Bledsoe both registered a pair of pass breakups.
It’s tough to make any sweeping conclusions in a minicamp practice where live contact is not allowed. But New England’s offensive line routinely struggled to stay in front of an effective pass rush, leading to plenty of check downs and short-yardage plays from both Jones and Zappe.
2. Both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe earn reps with the starters
Mac Jones has logged most of his reps during OTAs and minicamps with New England’s expected starters, but the team opted to switch things up a bit on Tuesday.
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Even though Jones opened 11-on-11s with New England’s first unit, Zappe also earned a round of 11-on-11 reps with the Pats’ projected starters. During that practice period, Jones worked with the backup grouping.
Even though Zappe completed five passes during his snaps with the starters, all five plays resulted in short gains due to the pressure schemed up by New England’s defense. Zappe did struggle during 7-on-7s, completing just 6 of his 11 pass attempts.
Even with his initial struggles during 11-on-11s, Mac Jones did have some impressive throws that resulted in touchdowns. Along with a corner fade throw that DeVante Parker reeled in, Jones hit Mike Gesicki for a potential score after the tight end slipped past Adrian Phillips.
In what has been a recurring trend this offseason, both Gesicki and fellow tight end Hunter Henry have factored heavily into New England’s offense with Mac Jones under center.
3. Trent Brown returns … sorta
After missing Monday’s minicamp due to reported travel issues, starting left tackle Trent Brown was back in Foxboro on Tuesday morning.
But the 30-year-old offensive lineman only took part in individual drills, opting to work on the lower field and get in some conditioning reps once 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s began.
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With Brown still not slotted into New England’s offensive line, Calvin Anderson (LT) and Conor McDermott (RT) were once again New England’s starting tackles on Tuesday.
For now, it seems like McDermott has leapfrogged veteran Riley Reiff on the depth chart. Reiff primarily served as the Patriots’ backup left tackle on Tuesday, with Sidy Sow in as the backup RT.
Even though Brown was back on the field in some capacity on Tuesday, a number of other Patriots were still not spotted on Day 2.
Here are New England’s absences on Tuesday:
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR Tyquan Thornton, WR Kayshon Boutte, OL Mike Onwenu, DB Quandre Mosley, DL Keion White, DL Lawrence Guy, DL Justus Tavai.
4. Play of the day?
On a dominant day for New England’s defense, Jack Jones stole the show with his interception on Mac Jones’ deep throw to Henry during 7-on-7s.
After getting suspended late in his rookie season while on injured reserve, Jack Jones is putting himself in a good position for a bounce-back second season in the NFL ranks. He earned a number of snaps as an outside corner on Tuesday, where his ball-hawk instincts were on full display.
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On offense, DeVante Parker had a strong day by using his 6-foot-3 frame to reel in a couple of contested catches. His snag off a corner fade throw from Mac Jones was impressive, considering that Jonathan Jones was in tight coverage in front of him.
5. Parker, Judon don’t offer much on potential Hopkins addition
Ahead of DeAndre Hopkins’ expected two-day visit with the Patriots, both wideout DeVante Parker and linebacker Matthew Judon were asked about the All-Pro receiver’s potential addition to this roster.
Unlike some of their other teammates, both Parker and Judon didn’t take the bait when fielding questions about Hopkins’ impact in Foxboro.
The exchange between Parker and a reporter went as follows:
Reporter: “What would you think about him coming aboard?
Parker: “I don’t know. I’m just focused on us right now, you know? Great player, but I’m just focused on us.”
R: Have you ever met him or talked to him at all?
Parker: “Focused on us.”
R: Do you feel like this group could use some help?
Parker: “Focused on us, man. Next question. No, no — next question.”
Even Judon, who has made multiple pitches to Hopkins on Twitter, didn’t elaborate much on the free-agent receiver.
“In the NFL, he’s a great player. He did amazing things, and wherever he lands, he lands,” Judon said. “If it’s here, it’s here. Then we can talk about him.”
6. Julian Edelman spotting
After Devin McCourty, James White, LeGarrette Blount, and Aaron Dobson were all spotted on the sidelines Monday, another former Patriot was on hand for Day 2 of minicamp.
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Former star receiver and Super Bowl LIII MVP Julian Edelman was on hand for Tuesday’s practice, spending a good chunk of the session chatting with coaches and his old teammates.
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