The Patriots second workout of the day was much more low key than the first as the team came out wearing shorts, helmets and shells during the two-hour session. Situational work highlighted the evening practice with an emphasis placed on specific late-game scenarios.
Tom Brady dressed for practice but didn't do any throwing, evidently resting his right (throwing) shoulder. Damon Huard took the reps with the first unit with Rohan Davey stepping in behind him. Brady did take part in some drills but only handed the ball off.
The Patriots worked on the running and passing games during the team portion of practice with several personnel groups getting reps. Huard opened things up with a couple of short throws to new fullback Larry Centers, who looked right at home on his first day with his new team. Working against a nickel unit comprised of Ty Law, Eugene Wilson, Lawyer Milloy, Rodney Harrison and Tyrone Poole, Huard was sharp utilizing the short game.
The offense then switched ends of the field, starting in the shadow of its goal posts and working the running game. Antowain Smith took a few handoffs off tackle, although it's always difficult to assess running plays when the team isn't wearing full equipment.
The defense looked sharp, snuffing out a couple of potential screens. Roman Phifer in particular came up big, blanketing Daniel Graham on a misdirection screen, forcing Davey to fire the ball at the tight end's feet to avoid a potential safety.
Later, the offense went to work on the two-minute drill and desperation situations in particular. The defense once again was up to the challenge, with Phifer and Milloy teaming up to stop Centers on a screen. Huard got his revenge two players later when he hooked up with Dedric Ward deep down the sideline for a long gain to set up a potential field goal.
Camp notes
Running back Michael Cloud was not on the field during the workout. The team made no official announcements regarding his whereabouts and his status remained unclear. …
Linebacker Chad Lee changed his number from 42 to 46. That number became available Wednesday morning when linebacker Jason Hunt was released to make room for Centers. … Brad Seely worked on punt blocking drills to start the special teams period. After a pair of blocks, the team focused on returns with Troy Brown, Asante Samuel, Kevin Faulk, Wilson and Ward rotating as the return men. Brown looked to be in midseason form, fielding one short Ken Walter kick on the dead run and exploding down the right sideline. Walter followed his shorter kick with back-to-back bombs. Both he and free agent Daniel Pope are kicking well thus far. … Practice closed with the offense working on Hail Mary passes with Huard heaving a pair of bombs to David Givens and Ward with a host of potential receivers close by. The defense seemed to play these loosely, intentionally allowing the catch to be made. … For the third time in eight days of practice, the entire defense was forced to take a lap when the unit ran a play with only 10 men on the field. Bill Belichick did not appear to be pleased and addressed the blue shirts when they returned from the run. … Attendance continues to be strong at Gillette Stadium with 2,662 on hand for the morning session and 2,183 taking in the night practice. The Patriots have one practice scheduled for Thursday (2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.), which will be open to the public, weather permitting. As always, be sure to check patriots.com or call the information hotline at (508) 543-1776 for the most up-to-date information.
