Tag: Tyquan Thornton

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.

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

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

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

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Patriots WR Tyquan Thornton reportedly managing soft tissue injury

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

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

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.

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

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.

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

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: