Patriots training camp Day 3: Cam Newton, Nelson Agholor star as Mac Jones fizzles late again
FOXBORO — More than one practice, player or position trends define training camp.
How they develop and who’s involved, form hard patterns and familiar themes over long days and longer weeks. Through three days of the Patriots’ quarterback competition, two trends have emerged: Mac Jones starts strong, and Cam Newton finishes stronger.
Friday was no different.
Jones completed fewer than 50% of his passes in team drills, dogged by a couple drops, while Newton cruised through another 4-of-5 final period to edge out the rookie. Both admitted after practice they see what the rest of the football world does: They’re in a battle for the starting job. That’s the other thing about camp: There’s no hiding from competition.
Elsewhere, the Pats donned shoulder pads for the first time, continued to work the red zone, watched one new tight end briefly star and fourth-round rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson make his practice debut.
Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:
Attendance
Injured: OL Ted Karras
Returned: RB Rhamondre Stevenson
Absent: LB Anfernee Jennings
Non-contact jersey: LB Kyle Van Noy
PUP: CB Stephon Gilmore, OLB Chase Winovich, QB Jarrett Stidham, DL Byron Cowart, TE Dalton Keene, LB Terez Hall, LB Brandon King
NFI: S Joshuah Bledsoe, LB Cameron McGrone
COVID-19 reserve: TE Devin Asiasi
Play of the Day
Nelson Agholor’s finger-tip TD
Streaking left to right across the back of the end zone during the last 11-on-11 period, Agholor had J.C. Jackson in his back pocket and a touchdown in his sights. Newton moved off his initial read, and whipped right toward the middle of the field. There was a window.
Standing at the 15-yard line, Newton rifled the ball slightly high and out front of Agholor, who jumped, shot both arms out and clung to the ball with just his fingers. Agholor then touched both feet down inbounds with ease. A terrific cap to a terrific day.
Player of the Day
WR Nelson Agholor
In addition to his final grab, Agholor separated better than any Pats wideout in practice. He torched the entire secondary on three post routes early in practice, catching one and nearly reeling in another that floated just behind him. Later, Agholor scored on a nifty corner route and reached back for an errant Jones throw in the end zone to count another touchdown.
The best way to describe him early in camp: dangerous.
QB Corner
Note: The passing stats below were tallied during competitive 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods only. Full training camp stats are in parentheses.
Cam Newton: 14/20 (31/50, 2 INTs, 1 drop)
Mac Jones: 8/18 (25/52, 2 drops)
Brian Hoyer: 12/17 (33/48, 1 drop)
Studs
S Kyle Dugger
The young safety broke up two passes, most on the team, and forced Newton and Jones to hold the ball longer than they should’ve with his pre-snap disguise. Dugger described himself as a “completely different player” on Thursday, and looks the part. The way he can seamlessly transition from deep safety to pseudo linebacker should force more quarterbacks to pause during the regular season.
WR Gunner Olszewski
A quiet start gave way to a magnetic finish for Olszewski, who attracted six passes in the final team period alone. He finished with a team-best six catches on nine targets, beating both J.C. Jackson and Jonathan Jones on separate reps. His ability to stretch the field and win in short areas could push him into a larger offensive role this season.
Duds
CB D’Angelo Ross
It was a tough day for Ross, who was victimized by an arguable offensive pass interference push from Agholor on one deep ball and allowed three other catches in team periods. He’s been feisty in man-to-man coverage before, but got beat cleanly several times Friday, unlike a few other backup defensive backs who notched pass breakups.
TE Hunter Henry
Henry didn’t see a single target in team drills and took a lap during the opening 11-on-11 period for unknown reasons. He’ll have better days.
Offensive notes
- Newton posted his highest catchable pass rate of training camp at 70%. His misses were almost all overthrows.
- That percentage was boosted by a few conservative choices, though he opened by overshooting Agholor twice within his first five throws.
- Newton’s arm still looks appreciably stronger, but he also takes far too long on three to four dropbacks per practice that would likely result in sacks. The snap-to-throw time is the most glaring difference between him and Jones so far.
- Meanwhile, Jones’ catchable pass rate still can’t move outside the low 60s, with Friday’s mark hitting 61%. His regular completion percentage suffered from two drops and another deep ball that hit Agholor in the hands.
- Jones continues to make the best passes of practice — most recently a perfect, 10-yard bucket throw to Kendrick Bourne in the corner of the end zone. He’ll also fire wide on short and intermediate throws.
- The rookie’s final period was a mixed bag of bad luck and throws: A sack, Bourne completion, pass breakup, drop and incomplete slant.
- Top targets: Olszewski (6/9), Agholor (5/9), Jonnu Smith (3/5), Devin Ross (2/4, drop).
- Drops: Agholor, Ross, Marvin Hall.
- The coaching staff introduced new 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 passing periods Friday, with Newton and Jones throwing to route combinations they repped in earlier positional drills.
- Jakobi Meyers starred in those drills, most notably undressing Jalen Mills on a couple reps.
- Smith and Henry shone, too, with spectacular catches in consecutive reps. Smith beat Devin McCourty on a jump ball as he fell backward into the end zone, while Henry overcame heavy traffic for his own score.
- Smith’s five targets during team drills were a new personal high for one practice. Henry didn’t see a single pass during 11-on-11s.
- Quiet day for Damien Harris, who had one catch. J.J. Taylor led all running backs with three.
- Guard/center Ted Karras left midway through practice with an apparent left knee injury. He walked off with head trainer Jim Whalen.
- Other O-line lowlights: backup center Marcus Martin fired a low shotgun snap, and second-year offensive tackle Justin Herron allowed an easy sack late in practice.
Defensive notes
- Starting and backup personnel during scout-team periods: defensive linemen Lawrence Guy, Davon Godchaux, Akeem Spence, Deatrich Wise, Henry Anderson and Carl Davis, linebackers Dont’a Hightower, Matt Judon, Kyle Van Noy, Josh Uche, and Ja’Whaun Bentley, and defensive backs Devin McCourty, J.C. Jackson, Jalen Mills, Kyle Dugger, Jonathan Jones, Adrian Phillips, Dee Virgin and D’Angelo Ross.
- Would-be sacks: Judon, Wise, Tashawn Bower.
- Interceptions: None.
- Pass breakups: Dugger 2, Jackson, Uche, Virgin and Adrian Colbert.
- Colbert dropped an interception, jumping a short Brian Hoyer pass intended for Olszewski during a snap in the tight red zone.
- Van Noy also came close to picking another Hoyer pass Uche deflected at the line. He’s moved well, despite donning a red, non-contact jersey every practice.
- Backup inside linebacker Raekwon McMillan called signals for the scout-team defense and rotated with a group of second- and third-stringers.
- Defensive tackle Montravius Adams has worked primarily with the scout-team defense for two straight practices, a suboptimal sign for his early odds of making the final 53.
- The defense won most of the 11-on-11 periods, forcing competing offensive players to drop and do pushups on two occasions.
- Outside linebackers coach Steve Belichick wore a headset during 11-on-11 periods.
Special teams
- Starting punt unit: Jake Bailey, Joe Cardona, Matthew Slater, Justin Bethel, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Brandon Bolden, Cody Davis, Harvey Langi, Dugger, Judon and McMillan.
- Punt returners: Olszewski, Meyers, Hall, Taylor.
Odds and ends
- First on the field: Olszewski and Mac Jones.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3ffrpvo
Post a Comment