5 standouts from Day 6 of Patriots training camp practice
They had some great news on the injury front with Christian Gonzalez watching practice from the sideline with a sleeve on his leg. The All-Pro cornerback went down with a hamstring injury on Monday, but it reportedly isn't expected to cause him to miss any games.
His absence has opened the door for other players to climb the depth chart in the defensive backfield.
On the offensive side of the ball, veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs came alive after a couple of quiet practices, and one second-year wideout had the play of the day.
Here were the five standout Patriots players from Day 6 of training camp practice:
CB D.J. James
With both Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis sidelined, second-year cornerback D.J. James has stepped up in a big way. On Tuesday, he led the Patriots' defense with two pass break-ups, including one against veteran wideout Kendrick Bourne and another against Javon Baker. James is starting to look like a legitimate dark horse to make the final roster.
C/G Jared Wilson
Rookie interior offensive lineman Jared Wilson had an impressive stretch where he went 3-0 in one-on-one pass rushing drills. The former Georgia standout has worked in at center and left guard with no true home along the offensive line yet. His involvement as a rotational piece shows the team is intrigued by his talent. It's worth noting he worked with the starting offense at left guard during 11-on-11s on Tuesday.
WR Stefon Diggs
Four-time Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs had an impressive day of practice with three receptions and two touchdowns. Quarterback Drake Maye delivered a perfectly placed dot over rookie safety Craig Woodson into Diggs' awaiting arms. The chemistry between Diggs and Maye has continued to come together on the practice field in a natural progression.
WR Javon Baker
The play of the day belonged to second-year wide receiver Javon Baker, who tracked a ball at its high point and snatched a reception over cornerback Marcellas Dial. He even showed the concentration to get both feet inbounds for the would-be score. If Baker can eliminate some of the mental mistakes, he could make a push in the ongoing wide receiver competition at training camp.
K Andres Borregales
Kicker John Parker Romo put some pressure on rookie Andres Borregales by going 6-of-6 kicking in the first padded practice on Monday. However, the young kicker answered the challenge by matching Romo's Day 5 performance by going 6-of-6 kicking from areas ranging between 30 and 52 yards on Day 6. The kicking battle between Romo and Borregales is starting to heat up.
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Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
There's not much positive to look back on from the 2024 Patriots season, except these two Drake Maye highlights
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UPI
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- UPI
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CBS News
6 hours ago
- CBS News
Patriots-Vikings joint practice prompts plenty of reunions and valuable tests, with no tussling
Soon after Mike Vrabel was hired as head coach of the New England Patriots earlier this year, his counterpart with the Minnesota Vikings, Kevin O'Connell, called with an invitation. Joint practice, our place. Just like we did it before. Two years after Vrabel brought the Tennessee Titans to Minnesota for some valuable training camp work against another team, he took the Patriots this week for two days of drills against the Vikings in advance of their preseason game. "There's a reason why the Patriots are here: It starts with their head football coach and their organization itself," said O'Connell, who's starting his fourth year in Minnesota. "I've got so much respect for Vrabes and our relationship over the years." O'Connell was a rookie backup quarterback with the Patriots in 2008, the last of eight seasons Vrabel played outside linebacker for them. Vrabel, a 14-year NFL veteran, coached the Titans for six seasons and spent 2024 as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns. Asked about his impression of O'Connell as a player, Vrabel was ready with a quip before the teams took the field on Wednesday afternoon. "He wasn't as good as Tom Brady," he said, with a deadpan expression. Vrabel and O'Connell were far from the only connections between the two teams. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores spent 15 years with the Patriots organization in various roles. Stefon Diggs is the highest-profile Patriots player who previously was with the Vikings, but that list also includes backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs and center Garrett Bradbury. Bradbury, like his former head coach O'Connell, mentioned the word "relationships" when assessing his return to a facility where he trained for six seasons after being drafted in the first round in 2019 out of North Carolina State. "On one hand, it feels like I never left. On the other hand, I've got another jersey on and some new teammates," Bradbury said. "A lot of people here mean a lot to me and helped me the last six years, so it's good to see everyone again." Bradbury was released with one season left on his contract, part of Minnesota's push to revamp the interior of the offensive line after it was overwhelmed in the wild card round loss to the Los Angeles Rams that left O'Connell's playoff record at 0-2. He didn't want to leave, but he's found invigoration in his new surroundings. "I think it should be mandatory that everyone play for at least two organizations because you get to re-prove yourself, reinvent yourself," Bradbury said, recounting advice he received from a former player after he was let go. "You get to meet a lot of people, make awesome friends and see different ways of doing things." NFL coaches have grown to much prefer the controlled setting of joint practices over exhibition games during which to test their players against different opponents. When the Patriots hosted the Washington Commanders last week, a couple of fights occurred — and Vrabel even jumped into one scrum to try to break it up before emerging with a bloodied nose. The Patriots and Vikings had no such trouble, perhaps a sign of the respect between the two organizations. Because he felt the energy level was lacking, Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins said later, the eighth-year journeyman decided to punt the ball into the bleachers after a long touchdown pass from Drake Maye. Maye had plenty of pressure in full-team drills that likely would've resulted in sacks during games, but with no tackling allowed he was able to let several deep passes rip down the field that hit their intended targets. Former Vikings wide receiver Diggs caught one of them at the sideline with Pro Bowl cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. in coverage. Another one of the highlights went to rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson on a well-designed wheel route that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels might well like to dial up again this season. "It's hard to catch him when he's in the open field," Maye said.
