The New England Patriots returned to work on Monday for their 10th practice of this year’s training camp. Temperatures were high, full pads were worn — a recipe for a physically taxing session.
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The run game: The Patriots have made it clear that they want to be a running team on the offensive side of the ball, but they struggled moving the ball on the ground on Monday. The problems had little to do with the ball carriers, though, but rather the offensive line’s inability to create a consistent push. It was an underwhelming performance for the men up front even when considering that the unit is facing personnel questions at both tackle spots (forcing rookie Caedan Wallace to pull double duty and rep on both sides).
LB Ja’Whaun Bentley: New England’s defense set the tone on Monday, with team captain Ja’Whaun Bentley leading the way. The veteran linebacker was disruptive attacking downhill versus the run, registering two stuffs. He also made an impact in the passing game when he batted a Jacoby Brissett throw, and also hauled in a Jabrill Peppers deflection for what would have been a pick-six in a game setting.
DE Keion White & DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr.: The 1-on-1 battles between White and guard Michael Onwenu continue to be highly entertaining affairs, but he was in the spotlight for a different reason on Monday. The former college tight end lined up at fullback during an 11-on-11 goal-line drill. He was not the only defender to switch sides: defensive tackle Jeremiah Pharms Jr. also filled in as a blocker during that particular drill.
ED Oshane Ximines: With Joshua Uche not participating in team drills, the Patriots again gave Ximines a heavy dose of action as a starter-level edge. Once again, the offseason free agency pickup performed well. He is developing into a well-rounded presence, and a player the team might need with Uche’s injury status uncertain and the Matthew Judon contract saga ongoing.
P Bryce Baringer: The Patriots did not do a lot of punt work so far in training camp, but sophomore Bryce Baringer was able to showcase his leg on Monday. He did deliver the goods, punting eight times and averaging a hang time of 4.86 seconds; three of his punts traveled more than 5 seconds in the air. Baringer was one of New England’s best players last season already, and he seems to be only getting better.
Other players worth mentioning include Tyquan Thornton, who returned to practice and had a solid 1-on-1 rep against Christian Gonzalez but also was held out of live tackling drills. Hunter Henry and K.J. Osborn had some positive moments, too. Furthermore, backup defenders Sam Roberts, Christian Elliss, Raekwon McMillan and Alex Austin were all given some opportunities to run with the starters.
The Patriots will be back on the practice fields on Tuesday for their 11th session of the summer, and final open practice before their first preseason game two days later. Gates will open at 10 a.m. ET, with practice set to start an hour later.
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