The New England Patriots logged their mellowest practice session on Friday, with coach Bill Belichick enjoying the laid-back day to chat with his buddy, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz.
Of course, New England isn’t slacking. The team is just pacing itself for what will be a marathon of practices, including two-a-days, over the next month. So Friday’s session was slower than the other two practices. It’s possible — and likely — that Saturday’s session will be the slowest, with the team stepping into pads on Monday for their first contact practice. That’s the moment the players, coaches and media have been waiting for. That’s when positional battles begin.
So here’s what we saw on Day 3.
The top takeaway: The Patriots aren’t afraid to experiment with their defensive backs
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The Patriots seemed to give safety Devin McCourty a rest day. Combine that with the team’s uncertainty at the cornerback position and New England was messing around with its top defensive unit on Friday. Safety Joshuah Bledsoe spent a lot of time at safety alongside Kyle Dugger and Adrian Phillips. Cornerback Marcus Jones was getting work in the slot with the top defensive unit. Jones even played some safety with the second defensive group. They were featured heavily as New England scales up practices.
It’s clear they’re unsure of how their secondary will come together, particularly with Jonathan Jones still not practicing.
Attendance
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David Andrews and Jake Bailey returned to the field in shells. Andrews was a full participant. Newcomer Josh Hammond, a receiver who signed on Thursday, was present for practice. Rookie running back Pierre Strong started the practice in conditioning but joined the team in a walkthrough for the first time this camp. He only watched, but perhaps he’s nearing a return.
The following players were not practicing.
Undisclosed: Deatrich Wise, Brian Hoyer.
PUP: James White, Jonathan Jones, Jabrill Peppers.
NFI: Myles Bryant, Chasen Hines, Andrew Stueber.
Notable presence: Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. More on that later.
The little details
The weather: Heavy clouds. Heat climbed to 90 degrees. Fairly humid.
The pad level: Shells. No pads until Monday. No contact.
The energy: The practice was more subdued. Though Jonnu Smith and Kyle Dugger had a heated battle that seemed to get…
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