After three straight days of padded contact, Mike Vrabel shortened things up on Thursday as the Patriots conducted a walkthrough. Since there wasn't much in the way of notable activity, it's time to take a look at the first week of camp and offer some thoughts on what has transpired thus far.
Players who have stood out
DeMario Douglas – The slot receiver has been active every day thus far with multiple targets and catches. He's shown improvement in his awareness running routes against zone coverages, showing a feel for finding openings between defenders. He's also shown great hands on passes away from his body.
Kayshon Boutte – The third-year wideout has been with Stefon Diggs to open all team periods and Douglas joins them in three-receiver sets. Boutte has been productive as a receiver and shown a willingness to block as well. Mack Hollins' return from the PUP list on Thursday could change things, but Boutte appears to have a role.
K'Lavon Chaisson – The veteran pass rusher is coming off a solid season with the Raiders after a slow start to his career with the Jags. The former first-round pick has shown excellent quickness off the edge and has given both tackle trouble with his athleticism. He looks like a definite pass-rushing option.
Alex Austin – With Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis missing plenty of practice reps, Austin has taken advantage and been the most consistent of the group searching for a role behind the projected starters. Austin's coverage has been noticeable virtually every day.
Jared Wilson – The rookie offensive lineman's athleticism is apparent to everyone, even his teammates. Caedan Wallace was effusive in his praise of Wilson, and the third-round pick appears to be putting on a charge to earn a starting role at one of the interior spots.
Other thoughts
Offense – Drake Maye and the offense haven't done it consistently but there have been more signs of life in this camp than in the recent past. Maye specifically looks much more comfortable, which is noteworthy because he's learning an entirely new offense under Josh McDaniels. On Wednesday he showed great poise in the pocket, often being forced to navigate some traffic around him. He said early on that one of the things he's worked on the most is trying to remain a passer while scrambling. That has been evident thus far.
Defense – At times the unit's added speed and aggressiveness has been apparent. Harold Landry and Chaisson have been active off the edges. Same could be said of inside linebacker Robert Spillane. The one drawback thus far has been the health of the corners. Assuming that doesn't spill into the regular season, it will be an interesting unit to watch.
Here are some observations from Day 8 of training camp.
*Hollins returned from PUP and was immediately taking reps with the first group on the outside. He spent some time working with wide receivers coach Todd Downing during positional drills, then took snaps on the outside and some in the slot as well. Vederian Lowe remains on PUP and has yet to be activated. With the practice serving as a walkthrough it was tough to determine the exact nature of the attendance list. Gonzalez, Antonio Gibson, Jahlani Tavai, Sidy Sow and Garrett Bradbury were not spotted. Gibson and Sow appeared to be injured during Wednesday's practice while Tavai (fourth) and Bradbury (second) have missed multiple days. With Gibson out, rookie Lan Larison took some reps behind Rhamondre Stevenson.
On the positive side, Carlton Davis took part in the walkthrough and joined Austin at corner in the 11-on-11 work. Davis missed five days of practice and has only been present for the two walkthroughs, but clearly he's not dealing with any serious injury.
*The Patriots announced some roster moves late Wednesday, adding a pair of tight ends Tyler Davis and Cole Fotheringham and made the signing of center Alec Lindstrom official. To make room for the trio of players, the team waived-injured tackle Yasir Durant and released running back Trayveon Williams and wide receiver Demeer Blankumsee.
The 28-year-old Davis originally entered the NFL with Jacksonville as a sixth-round pick in 2020 out of Georgia Tech. The 6-5, 252-pound tight end was released by the Jags and signed with the Colts practice squad in 2021. Green Bay signed him in September of that season, and he appeared in 39 games with the Packers and has eight receptions for 61 yards. He spent the last two seasons on the Green Bay practice squad.
The 6-4, 245-pound Fotheringham was an undrafted rookie out of Utah in 2022 and spent two seasons on the Raiders practice squad before being elevated for two games late in the season. Fotheringham also spent time on the practice squad in Houston in 2024.
*There were members of the national media on hand for practice as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garofalo joined CBS' Evan Washburn on the sidelines.
*In addition to Maye, Austin Hooper, Kyle Williams, Efton Chism, Morgan Moses and Parker Romo all spent time with the media after practice.
*The Patriots will hold their annual in-stadium practice on Friday for season-ticket members inside Gillette Stadium. Practice will begin at 6 p.m. and is a ticketed event. Vrabel said earlier in the week that the workout will feature "a little scrimmage."
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
