After what Bill Belichick described as a “good long weekend” following a pair of OTAs getting stripped by the NFL last week, the New England Patriots were back on the practice fields of Gillette Stadium this week to pickup their organized team activities.
That included our first look at the 2023 squad, as the Patriots opened Wednesday’s practice to reporters. Let’s break down what went down in this week’s #PostPulpit mailbag.
What do you make of Tyquan’s big day at OTAs? - Logan
Tyquan Thornton was heavily involved throughout Wednesday’s practice as the sophomore receiver’s explosiveness was on full display. He flew past the entire secondary in a lighter intensity 7-on-7 drill on a deep post for a touchdown (below) and beat several other defenders throughout the day with strong route-running.
Mac ➡️ Ty@MacJones_10 | @Humble_Ty19 pic.twitter.com/d3FrgsPhyQ
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) June 1, 2023
Now, a non-contact practice with no pads is a time where someone with 4.28 speed should be the best player on the field. But, the thing that I took away from Tyquan’s performance was the plan they had for him.
There was an overall heavy-use of pre-snap motion for the entire offense, but Thornton was often put in motion prior to the snap as Bill O’Brien schematically got him involved and put him in positions to simply win foot races. It’s things New England did not do last year and could help lead to a year-two jump from the speedster.
@boston_fan73 Here’s a wild one: any chance Cunningham becomes the number 2 QB behind Jones and over Zappe?
@Skywal1Thaddeus Could Malik Cunningham stay on the roster as the 3rd QB this year, but then next year they have him convert to WR, kind of like Edelman? Because he is playing WR at OTAs, and Belichick has a habit of doing this.
One surprise when viewing this year’s squad for the first time: Malik Cunningham was not in a traditional red quarterback jersey. Instead, he spent almost all of practice with the wide receivers. He did get a few snaps at QB at the very end of practice with what could be called the scout team, however.
Based on this, it would be very surprising if he overtook Zappe for the QB2 role. But, it would not surprise me if they keep him on the practice squad this year where he can continue to develop at receiver (if that’s where they envision him long term) while also helping as a scout team QB.
Additionally, Cunningham is different than the converted QBs (Edelman, Meyers) in the past. At practice on Wednesday, he primarily lined up as a “X” receiver as he does measure in at 6-foot-1. He had some impressive moments which may have included the catch of the day, but also had some instances where he looked like a quarterback playing wide receiver. That transition seems like it would be a multi-year project.
@RJF05914332 Trent staying at LT or are they looking at Reiff there as well with Trent possibly going back to the right side?
Unfortunately, Trent Brown was absent from OTAs on Wednesday. With Brown not present, Reiff handled right tackle duties while Calvin Anderson manned the left side. It seems likely that Brown would fill in for Anderson when he returns while Reiff stays at right tackle.
When jobs are actually up for grabs in training camp, a strong summer from Calvin Anderson could bump Brown back to the right side with Reiff possibly becoming the top swing tackle. Conor McDermott also rotated in at right tackle with this group on Wednesday as well.
@MaskedJamo What do we make of Gonzales not being at day 1? Contract issue or something else
@tyrreian Where is Christian Gonzalez?
Also in the unfortunate category: we did not get to see first-round pick Christian Gonzalez at practice. It was a bit of a surprise as rookies rarely miss OTAs. It’s not known why he wasn't out there, but rookies typically miss these days due to injury. Gonzalez has also not signed his contract which could factor into the equation, but rookies Keion White and Marte Mapu, who also haven't signed their rookie deals either, were practicing.
Whatever the case is, hopefully it is nothing serious and he will be back on the field shortly.
@bostonBigBroTG Why so many absences yesterday?
There is always a steady list of players missing from voluntary OTAs, most typically veterans with high job security. For example, Matthew Judon has regular passed on OTAs since signing with the Patriots.
Michael Onwenu is expected to miss all of OTAs after undergoing ankle surgery. While not confirmed, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Joe Cardona also suffered late-season injuries that could lead to their absences. Christian Barmore also dealt with a knee injury for most of last season.
Two of the more notable absences in my opinion were Trent Brown and Nick Folk. Brown has some potential competition at tackle with Anderson and Reiff in the fold, and New England can release him and save roughly $8 million on the salary cap. As for Folk, the veteran faces an uphill battle against fourth-round kicker Chad Ryland. He will have to fight for his job over the next three months.
@Michael_412883 When is the next open to reporters day?
The Patriots were off on Thursday and will have closed practices Friday and Monday. The next open practice for reporters will be Tuesday, June 6.
@BostonEvan11 If pats get Hopkins who goes? Crowded WR room
There is reported interest from the Patriots in adding the soon-to-be 31-year-old receiver. If signed, the likely choice would be DeVante Parker due to the position redundancy as “X” receivers. New England could try to recoup draft capital by trading Parker or just flat out release him and free up over $6 million in cap space.
@Foodyguy1 What is your thought of SI’s bold prediction of the Patriots taking the AFC east?
It was bold alright. I think the Patriots can be competitive this season and maybe sneak into the playoffs, but winning the division seems to be a bit of a stretch for now. I’ll keep them in the 8-to-10 wins range for now with Buffalo again taking the AFC East.
@zttack317 Top 5 Bill Belichick press conference moments?
There’s been a lot of classics from “On to Cincinnati” to the “Mona Lisa Vito of the football world.” Bill gave an answer just on Wednesday that made me laugh due to the past history with the person involved:
Question: Troy Vincent sometimes references it to you.
Belichick: Who?
That’s all for this week’s #PostPulpit mailbag. If you have questions you’d liked to be answered next week, submit them on Twitter using #PostPulpit! Make sure to be following @iambrianhines and @PatsPulpit as well!
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