Tag: Patriots 2023 Training camp

Mac Jones believes Patriots have ‘top defense’ in NFL

Mac Jones has high praise for the Patriots’ defense

Mac Jones is being challenged by the New England Patriots defense as training camp continues. When speaking with the media, the third-year quarterback said the Patriots had the “top defense in the NFL”.

“They’re the top defense in the NFL, so it’s a great way to prepare,” said Jones. “They have great players, great coaches, and Coach Belichick, obviously, it’s his system. Steve [Belichick] and Coach [Jerod] Mayo do a great job.

“So, it’s really hard to go against everyday, sometimes frustrating. But at the same time, you got to go out there and compete and have fun. And whoever you’re with out there, our job as an offense is to go out there and have the same mindset. It’s to compete and win.”

Defense was the Patriots’ calling card last season.

They ranked among the best units in the league. The unit tallied 54 sacks on the season and ranked third with 19 interceptions, which trailed only the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers.

New England will need to have another strong defensive season if they want to compete in the AFC East.

Just in their division alone, all three teams should provide a challenge as potential playoff contenders. The Patriots defense making Jones work hard in training camp can only mean good things for the regular season.

If both the offense and defense come alive, the Patriots will have a fighting chance.

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6 takeaways from Day 10 of Patriots training camp practice

The Patriots were back on the practice field after a day off. Here are six takeaways from Day 10 of Patriots training camp.

After taking a Saturday off, it was back to work for the New England Patriots for Day 10 of training camp practice on Sunday.

The team is slated to face the Houston Texans in their preseason opener on Thursday night. So everything they’re doing from here on out is clearly in preparation for that game.

There were several players, including multiple starters, missing from practice. Some have been on the list since the start of training camp, while others are popping up for the very first time. Here’s the full list of absences:

G Michael Onwenu

ST Cody Davis

C David Andrews

CB Jonathan Jones

ST Matthew Slater

G Cole Strange

RB/WR Ty Montgomery

OT Calvin Anderson

Offensive tackle Trent Brown did not participate in team drills, but he was on the field. Let’s take a look at six observations from Sunday’s training camp practice.

5 takeaways from Day 9 of Patriots training camp practice

Things were significantly lighter on Day 9 for the Patriots. Here are five takeaways from Friday’s practice.

After back-to-back padded practices, the intensity came down significantly in Day 9 of the New England Patriots’ training camp.

The players practiced in front of fans at Gillette Stadium in shorts. It could mostly be considered a walkthrough with the team focusing more on situational football than actual competitive team drills.

This wasn’t necessarily the most exciting practice from a competitive standpoint. However, business is expected to pick back up next week with the Patriots preparing for their preseason opener against the Houston Texans on Thursday, Aug. 10.

Let’s jump into some notes from Friday’s stadium training camp practice for the Patriots.

Updated Patriots 53-man roster projections

After one full week of training camp, here are some early roster projections for the Patriots.

The first full week of New England Patriots training camp is in the rearview, and the team is on the cusp of their first real game against the Houston Texans in the August 10 preseason opener.

When making personnel decisions, there is a lot of context that goes into the 53-man roster, most importantly the waiver system. Teams will cut players who might be better now, as opposed to a young player with upside, because there is a chance that young player will not make it through waivers.

The Patriots will typically cut players, tell them to wait around and sign them to the practice squad the following day. They value the depth and the player, while maintaining leverage.

They know that player has a better shot at making it through waivers than someone a desperate team might want to claim. I’ll try to give some context into the decisions as we roll through this 53-man roster projection.

 

Key: PS = Practice Squad

10 standout players from the first week of Patriots training camp

Here are 10 standout Patriots from training camp so far.

The first full week of training camp is in the books with plenty to like from the New England Patriots on both sides of the ball.

Yes, even the offense, too.

The first few days were limited to red zone work and were basically an extension of minicamp and OTAs. However, the Patriots really opened things up in their first padded practice on Monday.

Things got competitive fast and in a hurry with the practices becoming much more physical. Granted, the defense is still the strength of the Patriots, but the offense isn’t backing down. Multiple players from the unit have shined as brightly as some of the team’s best defensive players.

Here are 10 standouts from the Patriots’ first week of training camp practice.

Patriots rookie WR Kayshon Boutte shines during Wednesday’s practice

Rookie wide receiver Kayshon Boutte had a breakout practice for the Patriots on Wednesday.

The New England Patriots need depth at the wide receiver position, and it appears rookie wide receiver Kayshon Boutte could be emerging as a player to help give them exactly that.

On Wednesday, the sixth-round draft pick made several notable plays in both one-on-one and 11-on-11 team drills. If he continues to put it together on the field, Boutte has the chance to be a steal for New England.

His career at LSU was notable with him recording 131 receptions for 1,782 yards and 16 touchdowns in three seasons of play. In his final year with the team, he finished with 48 catches for 538 yards and two touchdowns.

A rocky end to his collegiate career caused him to slip in the draft. And yet, there he was on the Patriots’ practice field making plays on Day 7 of training camp. NESN.com’s Zack Cox called Wednesday’s practice for the wide receiver his best one of the summer.

This is certainly an encouraging sign for New England.

Fellow rookie Demario Douglas also appears to be shining brightly in camp to this point. Fans were upset when New England did not draft a first-round wide receiver. However, the emergence of Boutte could prove that New England selected a receiver at just the right time.

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Patriots WR Jalen Hurd retires after camp injury spoils comeback bid

Jalen Hurd is officially retiring from football.

Jalen Hurd’s NFL comeback bid has officially come to an end.

On Tuesday, the former third-round draft pick announced his retirement from football, following an undisclosed training camp injury. It was a tough end to a career that never really got off the ground for Hurd.

After being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2019, he was placed on injured reserve with a back injury. He then tore his ACL ahead of the 2020 season at training camp, before he was ultimately released by the 49ers after going down with another knee injury in 2021.

Hurd signed with the Patriots in late July in an attempt at a comeback after skipping the 2022 season. He was a long-shot to make the roster, but there was hope he could stick around on the practice squad and give himself an opportunity to play at least one NFL snap.

But unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.

It feels completely unfair given Hurd’s incredible athleticism, which he flashed at times at Patriots training camp.

That still doesn’t change the fact that he had a stellar football career in college, and he got to live out his dream of being drafted. Few human beings on this planet could say they’ve accomplished either one of those two things.

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WATCH: Matthew Judon sings Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies’ at training camp

Never change, Matthew Judon. Never change.

There is never a dull day when Matthew Judon is around.

Outsiders have been questioning his contract situation with the New England Patriots for days, and yet, there he was arriving at training camp practice on Tuesday, singing and dancing to Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” in front of cameras.

The four-time Pro Bowl linebacker sparks the Patriots with his energy on and off the field. When the helmets and pads come on, he morphs into one of the most fearsome pass-rushers in the NFL.

Off the field, however, he’s a genuine soul that has a real knack for making the people around him smile.

There’s real hope that the two sides can agree on a restructured deal and an eventual extension at some point. Judon is a unicorn in playmaking ability, leadership and personality.

That isn’t someone a team should just let walk out the door.

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5 takeaways from Day 5 of Patriots training camp practice

Here’s how Day 5 of training camp looked for the Patriots

There was a different feeling in the air on Monday with the pads coming on for the first time at New England Patriots’ training camp.

It felt like real football with the clanging and banging of shoulder pads and helmets. The offense was looking to build on some of the success they started to show on Sunday, while the defense wanted to continue making life difficult for quarterback Mac Jones and company.

The Patriots had six players in total missing in practice with Ty Montgomery, Cody Davis, Michael Onwenu, Calvin Anderson, Jake Andrews and Terez Hall being out. Matthew Judon, Trent Brown and Rhamondre Stevenson were also limited.

Here are five takeaways from Day 5 of training camp;

Patriots dodge disaster in latest Cole Strange injury update

The Patriots got some good news on Cole Strange’s leg injury

The New England Patriots can breathe a sigh of relief, following Cole Strange’s leg injury at Monday’s training camp practice.

It was the first practice for the Patriots in pads, and Strange went down in one-on-one reps, when working with veteran defensive tackle Lawrence Guy. Per NESN’s Zack Cox, Strange immediately grabbed his knee after the play and was taken to the athletic training shed.

However, Strange’s injury is “not serious,” according to a report from The Boston Globe’s Christopher Price.

The Patriots should be counting their blessings after avoiding a surefire disaster with their 2022 first-round draft pick. Right guard Michael Onwenu is already sidelined with an ankle injury, and backup guard Chasen Hines was banged up at Monday’s practice as well.

Rookie fifth-round draft pick Atonio Mafi could be the next man up if Strange misses time. He stepped up to join an offensive unit that was barely recognizable with so many absences.

Staying healthy and finding some blocking consistency up front will be equally as important as Mac Jones and the skilled players hitting their stride. Strange, who played in 94 percent of the offensive snaps last season, will continue to play a big role in that.

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