Tag: Tyquan Thornton

Patriots WR Tyquan Thornton reportedly managing soft tissue injury

Tyquan Thornton is reportedly working his way through a soft tissue-related injury

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New England Patriots second-year receiver Tyquan Thornton is reportedly dealing with a soft tissue-related injury, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

After wowing in the initial portion of open OTAs, Thornton was held out of practice, which appears to be more about the team playing it safe with his injury. Reiss alluded that the team might be doing the same thing with veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster, who suffered a knee injury when playing with the Kansas City Chiefs in last season’s AFC Championship.

When posting his weekly Sunday column, Reiss wrote:

But considering the team has been cautious with offseason addition JuJu Smith-Schuster (a knee injury knocked him out of the AFC Championship Game) this spring by keeping him off the field, and a source said Tyquan Thornton is managing a soft-tissue-related injury after he was active early in OTAs, a case could be made that voluntarily thinning the receiver ranks would be a risk not worth taking.

Along with Smith-Schuster, Thornton is expected to play a big role for the Patriots offensively in the 2023 season.

He never quite found his legs at the next level in 2022, but he was also playing on a unit without a true identity under the previous offensive coaching staff.

There should be considerable improvement with Bill O’Brien calling the offensive plays and Thornton being more seasoned in his role. It was fireworks when the Patriots peeled back the curtains in the initial OTAs practice that was open to media members.

Let’s hope that continues when Thornton returns to the field. With OTAs now in the rearview, the Patriots turn the page to mandatory minicamp starting on Monday.

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Reading the room: Evaluating wide receivers on Patriots’ roster

Here’s a closer look at the Patriots’ wide receiver room and expected roles in 2023.

With OTAs in the rearview and the Patriots’ roster likely set for camp, barring a few backend roster additions—or a possible DeAndre Hopkins signing—we’re going to assess the wide receiver position group.

This is an opportunity to get into the why some players are on the 90-man roster and the role they could play if they make the team.

In the NFL, only 53 members make the active roster, with 46 active for game day (excluding the third QB due to a rule change this offseason). The Patriots can also carry 16 players on their practice squad. So even if some in this position group do not make the roster, they could stick around.

Let’s take a look at the current Patriots’ wide receiver room and what the philosophy could have been when filling out the summer roster for building the room. As always, it’s not all about finding one receiver. Scheme fit and role are just as important in filling out position groups.

Patriots fans will love this Tyquan Thornton prediction from Mac Jones

Mac Jones is high on Tyquan Thornton’s potential as a breakout player for the Patriots.

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New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones had high praise for wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, even going so far as to make a positive prediction for the wide receiver.

Thornton played somewhat of a role in the offense, even with minimal production. He recorded 22 catches for 247 yards and two touchdowns on the year. His best game came against the Miami Dolphins on January 1. In that contest, he recorded seven catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.

The former Baylor speedster will look to have a more defined role in his second season. Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien should be able to help with that as Thornton looks to have a breakout Year 2.

“I think Tyquan, he’s done a really good job just trying to be consistent,” Jones said, via NESN’s Zack Cox. “I got a chance to work with him in the offseason like a lot of the guys. For me and him, it’s all about communication. He has to grow and learn with me, and all the other guys, too. We’re all in the same boat together, but what you see is exactly what you’re going to get.

“He’s fast, he’s a smart football player, he’s got strong hands. I really think it’s just him continuing to grow that confidence just like we’re all working for, and he’s going to be a great player for a long time.”

It remains to be seen how the 2022 second-round pick will fit exactly into the new Patriots offense, but there’s no doubt he was much more involved in Wednesday’s OTAs practice.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed it’s a sign of great things to come.

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WATCH: Mac Jones drops dime to Tyquan Thornton on deep touchdown pass

Mac Jones and Tyquan Thornton lit things up on Wednesday with this beautiful touchdown play.

There was a clear connection between Mac Jones and Tyquan Thornton at the New England Patriots’ open OTAs practice on Wednesday. It was better than anything seen from the duo throughout the entire 2022 season.

The two have worked extensively behind the scenes in the offseason to develop their on-field chemistry, and it has seemingly paid off in a big way. Thornton looks more involved in the offense than ever before, and he showed it with multiple catches, including a long touchdown reception over cornerback Myles Bryant.

But even in deep passing drills, Jones has obviously found a new comfort level with Thornton that wasn’t there previously.

Of course, it wasn’t a padded practice, and there’s no way of knowing how much the chemistry between the quarterback and wide receiver has improved for sure until contact is involved.

But then again, it’s much better to be on the positive side than negative when it comes to early observations.

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5 leftover notes and highlights from Patriots’ OTAs on Wednesday

Wednesday’s open OTAs session for the Patriots didn’t disappoint.

The smell of football was in the air on Wednesday as the New England Patriots opened up their first OTAs practice to media members.

It was the first real opportunity for outsiders to see the players on the 2023 roster practice against one another on the field.

No, it wasn’t a padded practice, but given the many changes the Patriots have endured in the offseason, both with coaching and player personnel, it was exciting to get a sneak peek ahead of training camp later this summer.

There were 11 players that were held out of practice, including rookie first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez. So those hoping to get a close-up of the No. 17 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft will have to wait a little while longer.

Here are five takeaways from Wednesday’s OTAs practice:

Tyquan Thornton draws heavy praise from Wednesday’s OTAs practice

Tyquan Thornton is receiving praise as one of the standouts in the Patriots’ OTAs practice on Wednesday.

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New England Patriots fans have been hoping for a significant Year 2 leap from wideout Tyquan Thornton, and considering some of the early observations at OTAs on Wednesday, they just might get their wish.

Let’s preface all of the hype by pointing out the fact that it wasn’t a padded practice. Things are obviously different when full-on contact is allowed, but there were also some promising takeaways from the session.

The former second-round draft pick out of Baylor looked much more involved with the top offense. On one play in particular, he torched veteran defensive back Myles Bryant on a long touchdown pass from quarterback Mac Jones.

Thornton looks more confident than ever before with an entire NFL season under his belt, and that’s starting to show up in his ability to make plays on offense.

The Patriots could use all of the help they can get at the receiver position without a true No. 1 option on the roster. As of right now, DeVante Parker is as good as it gets.

And to be fair, Parker has been pretty good.

However, Thornton’s emergence would go a long way in flipping the script from an abysmal 2022 season for the team offensively.

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5 things to watch for at Patriots’ first open OTAs on Wednesday

We’ll get our first look at the 2023 Patriots on the field on Wednesday.

The New England Patriots are set to open their doors to reporters for voluntary team organized activities on Wednesday.

So it’ll be the first time the team peels back the curtains on the entire 2023 team with both veterans and rookies on the field together. It will also be the team’s first practice back since they were stripped of two OTA sessions for a scheduling violation.

This isn’t training camp, but that doesn’t mean things won’t get competitive during the workouts. Even without pads, players are already vying for on-field opportunities down the line, while also looking to improve overall as a team.

After missing the playoffs last season, the Patriots have a lot of work ahead of them with little time to do it. Here are five things to watch for at Wednesday’s OTAs session:

5 under-the-radar Patriots players that could break out in 2023

Don’t sleep on these five Patriots players for a big 2023 season.

The New England Patriots might have the hardest schedule in the NFL, but they also have the league’s most intriguing roster heading into the 2023 regular season.

That isn’t to suggest they’re going to be the most talented group right out of the gates. They could ultimately fall flat, lose the AFC East division and miss the postseason for a second consecutive year.

But in terms of the acquired new talent and potential for growth from previous talent, the Patriots are quietly in a position to make some noise if they put the pieces together on the football field.

We’re dealing with the latter today and pinpointing those not-so-obvious areas of potential growth for the Patriots. Here are five of the team’s under-the-radar breakout candidates:

Devin McCourty optimistic about Tyquan Thornton’s second year

Will Tyquan Thornton break out in 2023? Former Patriots CB Devin McCourty has high hopes for the second-year receiver.

Former New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty seems bullish about the Patriots’ new offense, and he had high praise for some weapons in particular. One of the weapons he thought of highly was wide receiver Tyquan Thornton.

The second-year Baylor product had flashes of production during the 2022 season. He ended up catching 22 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. He was a bright spot on an offensive unit that was stagnant at times. His best game of the season came against Miami on January 1. He caught seven passes for 60 yards and a touchdown, starting off the New Year in style.

McCourty talked to NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran and offered his thoughts on what Thornton could bring to the table.

“With his speed and his ability to get down the field horizontally and vertically, I think he definitely has a chance,” McCourty said, during an appearance on NBC Sports Boston’s “Quick Slants”. “I’m so interested to see what he looks like in this offense now compared to last year where it was really just, ‘Run straight down, let’s run a shot play here and there.’”

There is no doubt that Thornton has speed, which is what made him an early Patriots draft target in 2022. It will be interesting to see what his role in the offense will be.

New England now has a whole new group of weapons in the fold. This could give Thornton his best chance to develop, while he looks to break out in his second season.

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Winners and losers from Patriots’ 2023 draft

Not everyone can be winners with the large influx of drafted talent for the Patriots.

The arrival of 12 brand new rookies for the New England Patriots isn’t good news for everyone on the roster.

It could mean the end of the road for veteran players or signal a change in future contract negotiations. The NFL is a revolving door that churns out new talent every year, and there is plenty to pick from in the Patriots’ 2023 draft class.

They focused heavily on the defensive side of the ball in the first three rounds and were lucky enough to have arguably the top cornerback in the entire draft fall to them at No. 17 overall.

The team then shifted focus to the offensive line and special teams, before finally adding a couple of receivers late in the draft. This year’s draft should be considered a monumental success for coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots, at least on paper.

Here are the winners and losers from the event: