The New England Patriots participated in a joint practice with the Detroit Lions during training camp on Monday. It was the first of three sessions in preparation for their preseason matchup on Thursday night.
The morning opened with press conferences from coaches Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia. Belichick took time to speak about his admiration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Patricia, meanwhile, was notably Belichickian when asked about his relationship with Belichick.
And then the two teams were off to practice, where they briefly took a moment to greet one another. As Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn are both former Patriots, the teams have no shortage of personnel overlap.
Here’s what can be gleaned from practice.
1. Arrow is still trending upward for Jakobi Meyers
The rookie wideout stood out during training camp practices at Gillette Stadium when the Patriots were competing against themselves. And while the team added a receiver in Cameron Meredith — which might be a sign they’re not content with their current depth chart at the position — Meyers is holding strong against the Lions, according to reporters on the scene.
Tom Brady threw his first incompletion to Meyers on Monday. While that’s technically a negative, it speaks to how positive camp has been for the undrafted rookie out NC State. Meyers also saw work on the punt team for the first time, but he muffed one return. It’ll be interesting to see if they continue to evaluate him at that position.
2. A look at who Tom Brady and the Patriots trust most?
At the close of practice, the Patriots worked on a 2-minute drill against the Lions defense. Here’s a look at which offensive skill players were on the field, per MassLive’s Andrew Callahan.
In those situations, the Patriots tend to put Brady’s most trusted pass-catchers on the field.
Watson, White and Dorsett make sense — they have the most experience with Brady. Meyers’ presence is more of the same, even if he has been the biggest surprise of camp. Berrios, meanwhile, is surprising, because he’s struggling to get separation against defensive backs. When Julian Edelman returns, it will be interesting to see if Berrios can stick with the first-team offense.
3. Evaluation period is fully underway
Rookie cornerback D’Angelo Ross matched up against tight end T.J. Hockenson in practice on Monday, and Hockenson won with ease. Why is this notable? It’s a reminder of what training camp is: an evaluation period.
ESPN’s Michael Rothstein provided a reminder in his story on Monday morning that Belichick and Patricia are inspecting their rosters closely. Ross has gotten some work with the first-team defense, but seems to have lost handily against a player (Hockenson) who figures to be on Detroit’s first-team offense. It’s just one rep, but if Ross wants to prove he’s worthy of a roster spot, he needs to start winning these reps.
It seems the Patriots are doing the same thing with linebacker Shilique Calhoun, a veteran journeyman who could be in the mix for a roster spot.
4. Joejauan Williams is starting to heat up
The 2019 second-round pick had a rough start this offseason. He wasn’t stellar in organized team activities nor in minicamp. Even at the start of training camp, he didn’t stand out. But over the last few days, he has made more break-ups.
Perhaps he’s beginning to turn a corner in development in New England’s defense.
5. The run is over
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore allowed his first reception in training camp during Monday’s practice. He was previously perfect during 11-on-11 drills, which are most similar to game action.
He has been absolutely stellar in camp, but Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford found receiver Danny Amendola for a reception — even with Gilmore in tight coverage.
6. Isaiah Wynn’s work is still limited
The Patriots 2018 first-round draft choice is limited from the Achilles injury he suffered during last preseason. In Wynn’s stead, the Patriots are starting Dan Skipper, a 6-foot-10 tackle.
Might the Patriots consider trading for Washington Redskins tackle Trent Williams, now that they have the cap space to do so?
