Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots are set to begin the eighth and final week of their offseason program. The spring wraps up with three days of mandatory minicamp from June 9-11, with all three sessions open to the media.
While the pads remain off and contact is limited, there will still be plenty to take away from the final practices before the team breaks ahead of training camp. Here are five storylines we’ll be monitoring on the practice fields this week.
Despite being around the team earlier this spring, cornerback Christian Gonzalez did not participate in voluntary OTAs. With the star cornerback eligible for a long-term contract extension, his status as the Patriots transition to the mandatory phase of the offseason program is the top storyline to monitor this week. Speaking last week, head coach Mike Vrabel said he expects Gonzalez to be in attendance.
“I would imagine that he would be here next week,” Vrabel said Tuesday. “Contracts are part of professional sports, I understand that. But I also know that those should remain private. Like any contract negotiation, you want to make sure that everybody feels like they get something out of it, and I’ll leave it at that.”
Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte has also been away from the team this offseason as trade speculation continues. Speaking to WBZ over the weekend, Boutte, who was back in Massachusetts, said he plans to participate in minicamp this week and would like to remain in New England.
Our first look at A.J. Brown last week was expectedly brief, as the star wide receiver ran only a handful of 11-on-11 routes during his first practice with the team. Now with a full week in the playbook and an additional practice under his belt, Brown should be more involved this week as he continues building chemistry with Drake Maye.
The rest of the room will have plenty to monitor as well, as the addition of Brown will affect Boutte’s role and as Romeo Doubs also continues establishing his relationship with Maye. Second-year wide receiver Kyle Williams will also look to build some momentum heading into the summer while slot options DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism III try to continue their strong springs as they were the top two receivers in two open practices.
Upgrading the talent along the edge was a priority for the Patriots this offseason. While free-agent addition Dre’Mont Jones has been a regular at Gillette Stadium the last two months, the team has been without Harold Landry and second-round pick Gabe Jacas in recent weeks.
Landry’s on-field absence is likely tied to the knee injury that hampered him for much of last season. Jacas, meanwhile, has not practiced since being drafted in April, likely due to the hamstring injury that limited him throughout the pre-draft process. With Jacas expected to play an immediate role on defense this season, getting the rookie some on-field work before training camp next...
