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Instant observations from Day 7 of Patriots training camp

Henry McKenna
·6 min read

N’Keal Harry isn’t giving up on the Patriots. And it seems New England isn’t giving up on him. Even after the receiver and 2019 first-round pick demanded a trade this offseason — and, of course, didn’t get one (so far) — he has managed to put together an impressive training camp, including in the seventh practice on Wednesday.

Whether the pads are on or off, Harry is showing up with big plays in a way that is far more consistent than in previous seasons. The knock on Harry has long been that his contributions show up too few and far between. He’s inconsistent, which is why he’s only managed 45 catches for 414 yards and four touchdowns in his first two seasons.

This training camp has been a step in the right direction, with Wednesday being one of many good days for the receiver. He made the catch of the day, laying out to make an athletic grab over the middle on a slant route. Cam Newton was off target — and maybe in danger of throwing an interception to cornerback J.C. Jackson. Harry bailed out his quarterback. But it wasn’t just that impressive flash of athleticism — Harry also posted a drive with Mac Jones where he had two of the three receptions, burning cornerback Joejuan Williams with ease.

There’s no saying what’s in store for Harry’s future. But for the first time in a long time, there’s a growing sense of optimism (at least from this reporter’s perspective). Here’s more from Day 7 of training camp.

Attendance

ABSENTEES NEW: LB Raekwon McMillan -- Left practice with a leg injury on Tuesday. NEW: DT Akeem Spence -- Injury unclear. QB Jarrett Stidham CB Stephon Gilmore TE Dalton Keene LB Chase Winovich LB Cameron McGrone LB Terez Hall S Joshuah Bledsoe C/G Ted Karras TE Devin Asiasi NOTABLE PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE DL Henry Anderson returned to practice after a few days away. Despite missing the last half hour of practice on Tuesday, DT Christian Barmore was practicing. Former Patriots VP of players personnel Scott Pioli was present for practice on Wednesday. He served in the role from 2000 to 2008 (when the Patriots won three Super Bowls and went 18-1). LIMITED LB Kyle Van Noy remained in a red jersey, indicating he's non-contact. Receiver Devin Ross appeared to suffer a hamstring injury that ended his practice about two hours into the session.

The little details

The weather: It started cool and low 70s and warmed up into the high 70s. The sun was relatively strong through the overcast/hazy sky. The pad level: Shells. Shorts. No contact. The QB order in drills: Cam Newton, Mac Jones, Brian Hoyer, Jake Dolega. The competitive level: It was a more mellow day than yesterday, a padded practice. The crowd and players were quieter. The best throw: Mac Jones had a tough practice, but on a series of 11-on-11s where he threw one interception -- and nearly threw three interceptions on three consecutive throws -- the rookie quarterback still managed to sling a 60-yard dime downfield to Gunner Olszewski, who was covered by cornerback Myles Bryant and safety Cody Davis.

The biggest winner and loser

WINNER: Let's talk about Marcus Martin, an offensive lineman who has had a long journey through the NFL. He was a third-round pick in 2015 but hasn't managed to make much in the way of meaningful contributions since he won the starting job at center in his rookie season (before losing the job the following year). If there's one player who has stepped up in Karras' absence as the sixth offensive lineman, it's Martin. LOSER: Poor McMillan. He was having a hugely impressive camp, with interceptions and run stuffs. But he suffered an injury on Tuesday and missed action on Wednesday. Here's hoping he can get a shot to compete for a roster spot.

QB stats

  • Newton: 7 of 13 in competitive drills (5-for-7 in 11s)

  • Jones was 17 of 23 (13 of 18 in 11s)

  • Hoyer 4-for-6

  • Dolegala 3-for-3

The top takeaway: The receivers look ... good?

The tight ends have been surprisingly quiet during training camp. The receivers, however, have been extremely active. I don't know if it's the lack of contact (with the exception of Tuesday) or the lack of cornerback depth with Gilmore absent, but the top receivers (Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne and Harry) have all been playing really well at training camp.

Everything else that's important

  • Even without pads, the Patriots again emphasized the ground game with blocking assignments and timing for the running backs. Damien Harris looks like he's flying. It has been that way all camp. Sony Michel looks pretty speedy, too.

  • Because of that heavy run work, these days are important for backup offensive linemen – players like Korey Cunningham, Yodny Cajuste, Will Sherman, James Ferentz, Alex Redmond and Martin, among others. They're looking to sneak onto the back end of the roster behind the locks: Trent Brown, Michael Onwenu, David Andrews, Shaq Mason, Isaiah Wynn and Ted Karras (injury notwithstanding).

  • There are plays where you can tell, just as the ball is snapped, exactly who will get the ball. On the Patriots’ first competitive 11-on-11 drill, the offense had one of those moments, with Jakobi Meyers streaking on a flag route from the slot spot. Cam Newton easily found Meyers, who had beaten Jonathan Jones for what would’ve been a big play.

  • Of course, there was a play — just a few moments later — where I felt the same way: it seemed Hunter Henry was getting the ball. He was wide open on the exact same route. Cam Newton overthrew him.

  • Harry put in work on the kickoff coverage unit. As WR3 or WR4, he will probably need to contribute in more ways than just on offense. That's not really something he's done in previous years.

  • Tight end Hunter Henry and Newton were having issues connecting over the middle at the start of practice. On a shallow flag route, Newton overthrew a wide-open Henry. And then on the same route, Newton underthrew Henry for an interception. Safety Adrian Colbert picked off the pass.

  • Receiver Kendrick Bourne was not on the field for a kickoff return rep when he should have been. He jumped on the field at the last minute after a very loud and angry Cam Achord, the Patriots special teams coordinator, made it known Bourne was not paying attention.

  • Jones had a few tough moments at practice but had a very impressive diving interception on Brian Hoyer. Jones was in coverage of Devin Ross on the play.

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