Latest news with #Diggs
USA Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
First image of Christian Gonzalez facing Stefon Diggs at Patriots camp
The New England Patriots showed off the first image of All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez lining up against four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs in a social media post on Thursday. Gonzalez admitted earlier in the week that he was excited to match up against Diggs in practice. Iron sharpens iron, as the saying goes. Gonzalez is on the rise as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and Diggs is looking to climb back into the elite tier of wide receivers, following an ACL injury last October. Before the injury, Diggs was coming off six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons. There's hope that he can get back to that same level in New England. One way for Diggs to test himself is frequent head-to-head matchups against one of the top corners in the game. Gonzalez recently made ESPN's top-10 cornerbacks list, which polled votes from executives, coaches and NFL scouts around the league. The former Oregon standout landed at No. 6 in the rankings with one NFL assistant comparing him to the No. 1 player on the list, Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II. "I think Gonzo is the next great one," a veteran NFL assistant said, via ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "Skills, patience, length. He's the closest thing to Pat [Surtain II]. Smooth, big athlete, travels a lot, can matchup against the best guy." Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Christian Gonzalez's seven-word reaction to facing Stefon Diggs
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez is excited about potential training camp matchups with four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and he said as much while meeting with media members earlier in the week. Diggs, who was recently cleared for training camp, was one of the Patriots' newest receiving weapons acquired in the offseason. He signed a three-year, $69 million deal with the team in free agency. Meanwhile, Gonzalez is a third-year cornerback coming off his first All-Pro season. He'll be looking to solidify himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL this year. 'I'm excited for that. It'll be fun," Gonzalez said on the training camp matchup with Diggs, via NBC Sports' Phil Perry. This is a classic case of iron sharpening iron with the upcoming training camp battles between Gonzalez and Diggs. Before going down with the ACL injury, Diggs was coming off six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons. If he returns to form, it could turn into an incredible matchup against Gonzalez, who locked down some of the best receivers in the league last year. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook. This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Christian Gonzalez's seven-word reaction to facing Stefon Diggs
CBS News
a day ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Patriots training camp takeaways: Efficient Day 2 as Drake Maye, offense focuses on shorter passes
The New England Patriots held the team's second practice of training camp on Thursday, and it was much different than Wednesday's opening session. For starters, there were no puppies on the field, which was slightly disappointing after Wednesday's incredibly adorable Pet Adoption Day in Foxboro. As for football, the Patriots' offense focused mostly on its short game after Drake Maye let the ball fly on Wednesday. Here are the takeaways and observations from Day 2 of Patriots training camp. After Wednesday saw Maye take -- and connect on -- a number of deep balls, Thursday was more about the short attack with a lot of quick throws and screens. It worked out well for Maye, as he began Day 2 by completing his first 14 passes. He finished 14-for-15 and spread the love, hitting Stefon Diggs, Demario Douglas, and Rhamondre Stevenson on a number of short passes. Maye did a good job staying in the pocket and took what the defense gave him all morning, but there were a few issues. He fumbled a snap early, and the line jumped on one play. He would have been sacked a few times if those happened during training camp, and Maye's final pass of the day fell incomplete after it was tipped at the line. But overall, it was an efficient day for the offense. Now they just need to clean up some things and keep building. We saw the same starting offensive line as Day 1. From left to right, it was Will Campbell, Cole Strange, Garrett Bradbury, Michael Onwenu and Morgan Moses protecting Maye to start the session. It's clear the 34-year-old Moses is on a snap count this summer, as Demontrey Jacobs rotated in at right tackle. Rookie Jared Wilson also rotated in and saw time at both center and left guard. There was one point in Thursday's practice where New England's top four draft picks -- Campbell, running back TreVeyon Henderson, receiver Kyle Williams, and Wilson -- were all on the field with Maye in team drills. It was pretty neat to see a potential glimpse of the future in New England. Catch of the Day honors go to Pop Douglas, who made an excellent leaping catch along the sideline with safety Marcus Epps in coverage. Stefon Diggs has been extremely involved over the first two days of camp. Not only is he participating, but he's locked in when his teammates are going through drills so he can offer up any advice on their technique. I got to speak with Williams after practice, and the rookie said Diggs has been an incredible teacher and mentor to him so far. "He's taught me so much and has been a great role model, a mentor. Every day he's provided me game and I'm just adding it to my toolbox," said Williams. Diggs isn't just like that with his fellow receivers. He pulled Christian Gonzalez over to talk about and show him a technique, which involved the two lining up from each other between plays. There was also a point before practice where Diggs had a lengthy chat with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, as it appeared the two were discussing routes. After a scary bout with blood clots in 2024, Christian Barmore told us Thursday he's feeling great and is back to his normal self. He said he's in the best shape of his career and is lighter (about 305 pounds) and quicker heading into the season. He remains on track to play in Week 1. He did not take any 11 vs. 11 reps on Thursday though, and instead worked separately on the conditioning field. He spent time on the bike, and also worked on some different moves by himself. Jeremiah Pharms got a lot of the top reps in place of Barmore along the defensive line. Receiver Ja'Lynn Polk was once again absent for an unknown reason, along with receiver Mack Hollins, tight end Austin Hooper, tackle Vederian Lowe, safety Josh Minkins, and defensive tackle Jahvaree Ritzie. The biggest absence though was cornerback Carlton Davis, who was not on the field after he partook in Wednesday's practice. Alex Austin and Marcellas Dial got reps opposite Gonzalez in Davis' place. Efton Chrism, Kyle Williams, and Pop Douglas put in work with the kick-return unit on Thursday. Team owner Robert Kraft was here for a second straight day on Thursday. Elliott Wolf also had a visitor, as his father, Ron -- the former Hall of Fame GM of the Green Bay Packers -- attended the practice. The elder Wolf was also at practice last year. The Patriots will be back on the practice field behind Gillette Stadium against Friday morning. Practice will start 15 minutes earlier at 10 a.m., and we'll hear from head coach Mike Vrabel again before the session. The Patriots will practice again Saturday before they get their first day off of training camp on Sunday.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Stefon Diggs goes viral for nearly losing dog on puppy adoption day
Stefon Diggs almost lost the dog on puppy adoption day 😂The Patriots arrive for Day 1 of training camp-#patriots #newenglandpatriots Who needs a warmup when you have an excited dog like the one New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs carried onto the training camp practice field on Wednesday? The four-time Pro Bowl receiver broke a sweat before practice even started after carrying his puppy onto the field and setting him down on the ground. Within a second, the puppy took off and started sprinting away from Diggs, who could be seen chasing the dog around by the practice field entrance. Along with opening training camp, the Patriots hosted a "Pawtriots" pet adoption event, where fans could adopt a four-legged friend in need of a home. Multiple players, including Diggs, showed up to camp with their puppies in hand. The pre-workout from Diggs' four-legged friend must have helped considering he was the recipient of second-year quarterback Drake Maye's first training camp completion in competitive 11-on-11s. There is hope that the four-time Pro Bowler will serve as a top receiving option for the Patriots and a strong locker room leader for the other young receivers on the roster. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
5 biggest takeaways from Day 1 of Patriots training camp practice
After a long and eventful offseason, the New England Patriots finally opened training camp on Wednesday. It was an open practice held in shorts and helmets. In many ways, it felt like an extension of minicamp, minus the fan attendance. The team focused heavily on drills while also holding two team periods of 11-on-11s. Veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs participated fully for the first time after being officially cleared to practice on Tuesday. There was one unexpected absence on the field, and that was second-year wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk. With 12 receivers currently on the team, Polk has a tough road ahead to make the final roster. He has been recovering from a shoulder injury and was limited over the spring. Every practice is crucial in his bid to get a second opportunity in New England. Here's the full attendance report for the Patriots on Day 1 of training camp: Let's dive into the biggest takeaways from Wednesday's practice. Maye and Diggs connection picks right up It didn't take long for Drake Maye to find one of his new favorite targets, four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Maye found Diggs on a short crosser for his first completion in training camp during the 11-on-11 period. It was a positive sign that the two already appear to be on the same page. Diggs finished up the practice with two catches against the defense. Before going down with the ACL injury, Diggs had six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons. It isn't fair to expect a 31-year-old wideout to produce at the same level after a devastating knee injury, but Diggs could end up being the exception to the rule given his incredible work ethic and determination to be the best at his craft. He is clearly off to a strong start after his performance on Wednesday. Kyle Williams' stock already rising The Patriots have a long history of drafting the wrong receivers, but their luck might have finally changed with the arrival of rookie third-round pick Kyle Williams. It has been noted that Williams was one of the best pure separators in the 2025 NFL draft class. He showed off some of those skills in front of a live audience during the competitive team period. One of his catches included a comeback route with All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez in coverage. The Patriots didn't get much production out of their rookie wideouts last year, and they went into camp this year with the hope that things would be different with Williams. So far, so good for the former Washington State standout. Maye looked impressive on Day 1 This was a solid practice performance for Drake Maye. Overall, he went 8-of-9 passing with no interceptions. Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers nearly had a pick against Maye on an attempted pass to Demario Douglas, but he wasn't able to hold onto the ball. Limiting turnovers has been one of the goals for Maye in his second year at quarterback. While he doesn't want to shy away from big plays, it's also important to limit the mistakes that can get the team beat. He looked sharp on Wednesday dealing to the new-look receiving weapons. Joshua Dobbs went 2-of-6 passing with an interception, and rookie Ben Wooldridge was 3-for-4 passing. Not a great day for the offensive line Drake Maye would have been eating plenty of grass if the defenders were allowed to hit the quarterback in this practice. There were at least four would-be sacks on Maye during the competitive team period. Patriots rookie Will Campbell had a good showing, aside from a lone play when he got blown up by edge rusher Keion White. The operation as a whole along the offensive front wasn't as successful as the team probably would have liked. With that said, the Patriots were practicing in shorts and helmets. That limited contact makes for awkward battles in the trenches between the offense and defense. This wasn't a practice where you could walk away with a concrete opinion of where the offensive line stands at this point. The top offensive line unit for the Patriots featured Campbell, Cole Strange, Garrett Bradbury, Mike Onwenu and Morgan Moses. Patriots' defensive front could be a problem The Patriots' defensive front deserves a lot of the credit for the offensive line issues in the first training camp practice. Milton Williams and Christian Barmore are a handful together for any offense. Their ability to create pressure up the middle often leads to opportunities for others on defense. Keion White, in particular, was a player seen sniffing out potential sacks on multiple occasions. It's an impressive trio of defenders who could wreak havoc on opposing offenses in the 2025 season. It's going to be fun to see how competitive things get when the pads finally come on. Given the elite talent in the defensive backfield, the significant upgrades along the defensive front could make the Patriots the most competitive they've been on the defensive side of the ball in years. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
