Tag: Tyquan Thornton

5 takeaways from Day 7 of Patriots training camp practice

The offense came alive on Day 7 of Patriots training camp.

It took seven days for things to get competitive, but on Wednesday, the competition between the New England Patriots offense and defense was fierce.

That isn’t something we saw much of last year around this time. But then again, that Patriots team didn’t have Bill O’Brien as the offensive coordinator.

Things have obviously changed with the new play-caller taking the reins. The offense looks more decisive, disciplined and focused than it has been in quite some time. A greatly improved offensive unit facing off against a likely elite defensive unit gives actual meaning to the idea of iron sharpening iron.

Some of the absences for the Patriots included Michael Onwenu, Cole Strange, Cody Davis, Ty Montgomery, Terez Hall and Calvin Anderson.

Here are five takeaways from Day 7 of Patriots training camp practice:

6 leftover notes from Day 6 of Patriots training camp practice

Leftover notes from Day 6 of Patriots training camp

The New England Patriots were back on the training camp field on Tuesday after holding their first padded practice. So there was naturally a sense of excitement to see how things would progress on Day 6.

Cole Strange, who suffered a leg injury on Monday, was seen on the field, but he didn’t participate in team drills. While his injury isn’t believed to be serious, the Patriots are clearly being cautious with whatever he’s dealing with in that regard.

The team was also without Michael Onwenu, Calvin Anderson, Cody Davis, Brad Hawkins, Ty Montgomery, Jalen Hurd (retirement), Terez Hall and Chasen Hines. Meanwhile, offensive tackle Trent Brown was once again working off to the side on conditioning drills.

Here are six leftover notes from Day 6 of Patriots training camp:

Madden 24 ratings for every Patriots wide receiver

How did EA Sports rate the Patriots’ receiving corps in “Madden NFL 24”?

The New England Patriots’ wide receiver position has probably been the most contentiously debated amongst fans. So it’s no surprise there has been plenty of excitement surrounding the “Madden NFL 24” player ratings reveal at the position.

After losing Jakobi Meyers in free agency, the Patriots brought in JuJu Smith-Schuster to join the likes of DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton.

None of those names jump off on paper exactly as a true No. 1 receiving option, but they are all quality targets for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. Will it be enough firepower to compete in an AFC East division that’s arguably the best in football?

Good luck with that.

Here’s a look at the ratings for every Patriots receiver on the roster for the upcoming “Madden NFL 24” video game:

5 takeaways from Day 2 of Patriots training camp practice

5 takeaways from Day 2 of Patriots training camp

The New England Patriots were back on the practice field on Thursday for Day 2 of training camp.

In many ways, it felt like a carryover from Wednesday’s practice with the team focusing more on red zone work. Coach Bill Belichick mentioned the first week was an extension of minicamp and OTAs, but the team is expected to up the intensity and bring out the pads next week.

The story of the day was once again about the defense dominating. Granted, quarterback Mac Jones and the offense had a few nice plays in 11-on-11s, but for the most part, they struggled against a stingy Patriots defense that appeared tough to fend off at every level.

Here are six takeaways from Day 2 of Patriots training camp:

3 Patriots players to avoid in 2023 fantasy football drafts

You may want to avoid these three Patriots players in fantasy football drafts

It’s always fun talking about sleepers or offensive mainstays, but we need to talk about some players to avoid in fantasy football in 2023.

That isn’t to say they’ll be terrible overall, but these are players who will likely not provide any fantasy value to your roster due to many factors, including role, injury or depth chart.

These players could wind up making me eat my words, and I would hope they do. But not everyone will be fantasy relevant, even on the best offensive teams.

These players should stay on waivers and could be picked up eventually. However, it is best to monitor their play for the first month before rostering them.

Here are three Patriots players that should be avoided in fantasy football drafts this season:

3 major concerns for Patriots heading into training camp

Here are three concerns for the Patriots heading into training camp

There was never any doubt that the 2023 season would be an uphill battle for the New England Patriots, but considering some of the issues currently facing their roster, things could potentially be worse off than anticipated.

No, this isn’t some attempt to snuff out all of the happy vibes heading into training camp. Make no mistake, there are still a lot of things for the Patriots to feel good about.

Bill O’Brien is back calling the offensive plays, and the defense could be a rising juggernaut. But the Patriots will still have their work cut out for them if they have any hopes of competing, much less winning, a stacked AFC East division.

Here are three major concerns for the team heading into training camp:

Biggest winners and losers from Patriots’ OTAs and minicamp

Who stood out and who didn’t at the Patriots’ spring practices?

Not everybody came out of organized team activities and mandatory minicamp a winner for the New England Patriots.

That doesn’t mean they won’t bounce back in the summer and turn things around at training camp. It’s always important to avoid overreacting to spring practices, especially when players aren’t even working out in pads.

But then again, the teams wouldn’t be meeting if OTAs and minicamp weren’t considered important offseason work. There were clearly standouts for the Patriots on the field, and on the other end of the spectrum, there were also players that struggled.

Here are the biggest winners and losers from the Patriots’ spring practices:

10 biggest OTAs and minicamp standouts for Patriots

Who stood out the most for the Patriots during the spring practices?

The New England Patriots have finished up the last of their spring practices and will be taking the next few weeks off before returning in late July for training camp.

Even though the players weren’t in pads, things clearly got competitive on the practice field. Just ask Anfernee Jennings, Christian Barmore and Cole Strange, who were all involved in a brief dust-up during organized team activities.

We didn’t get a full course meal, but we were able to feast on enough appetizers to know this team is ready for training camp. The defense could be a real juggernaut in 2023, and the additional playmakers, particularly the rookies, could play a major role right out of the gates.

Meanwhile, the offense has shown real strides in the spring practices. This is no longer the predicted train wreck unit is was last year around this time.

Here are the 10 biggest standouts during the spring practices for the Patriots:

Patriots WR group ranks unfavorably in latest PFF rankings

There isn’t much faith at all in the Patriots’ receiving corps in the latest PFF rankings.

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The New England Patriots’ wide receiver group is at the bottom of the NFL, according to the latest rankings from Pro Football Focus. The website had New England’s wide receiver group ranked 29th overall.

New England did add some new names at the position, including signing JuJu Smith-Schuster in March, along with adding rookies Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas in the 2023 NFL draft.

There are also options in wide receivers Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton and DeVante Parker.

The only teams that ranked below New England were the Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans. PFF’s Trevor Sikkema gave his explanation for ranking New England so low:

The Patriots moved on from Jakobi Meyers but were able to replace him with JuJu Smith-Schuster. They also have Tyquan Thornton, Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker. We need to take into account Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki, but overall, it’s just not a group that strikes much fear in the eyes of defensive coordinators. Only Parker and Smith-Schuster earned a 70.0-plus receiving grade in 2022.

Analytical grades and analysis only tell so much, especially when concerning the newest additions. New England and their fans will have to wait and see how things play out on the field in what will be a pivotal year for the team.

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Patriots Day 1 minicamp attendance: Who sat out on Monday?

Here are the Patriots players that missed Day 1 of mandatory minicamp

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The first day of mandatory minicamp kick-started for the New England Patriots on Monday, and there were some key absences on the football field.

Receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster, who missed all of OTAs, still isn’t practicing. When speaking with the media, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Smith-Schuster was day-to-day. Second-year wideout Tyquan Thornton was also missing in action.

The team announced they were waiving running back James Robinson and veteran corner Tae Hayes. So that explains both of their absences from practice.

However, perhaps the biggest story of the day was ESPN’s Mike Reiss’ report that defensive tackle Lawrence Guy is believed to be holding out for contract reasons. There’s a possibility of him racking up nearly $100,000 in fines if he sits out all three practices.

Meanwhile, offensive tackle Trent Brown was reportedly out due to travel issues. Here’s the full list of players that missed the start of Patriots minicamp.

  • WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
  • OT Trent Brown
  • G Michael Onwenu
  • DT Lawrence Guy
  • WR Tyquan Thornton
  • WR Kayshon Boutte
  • RB James Robinson
  • CB Tae Hayes
  • CB Quandre Mosely

Mandatory minicamp is slated to run through Wednesday, and then the team will break until late July, before returning for training camp.

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