Patriots Notebook: Several starters missing from OTAs as Bennett shines
FOXBORO – The Patriots were missing 17 players during their third organized team activity practice on Thursday. The session was the first open to the media this year.
Several offensive and defensive standouts were among the missing. The missing starters included Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan, LeGarrette Blount, Dion Lewis, Alan Branch, Danny Amendola, Sebastian Vollmer and Nate Solder. Also missing were Duron Harmon, Nate Ebner, Joe Cardona, Tre’ Jackson, Josh Kline, Shaq Mason and Frank Kearse.
The reasons for some of the absences are known. Edelman (foot), Blount (hip), Lewis (knee), Amendola (ankle/knee), Solder (biceps), Jackson (knee) and Mason (knee) are likely dealing with injuries from last season. Ebner (Olympics) and Cardona (military obligation) probably have excused reasons for being out.
It’s unknown why Gronkowski, Butler, Ryan, Branch, Vollmer, Harmon and Kearse were not practicing.
Among the players who did participate, Martellus Bennett was an early standout and favorite target for quarterbacks. With Gronkowski and Edelman out, Bennett caught a team-leading four passes during full-team drills. The big tight end had a highlight reel-type catch over Patrick Chung in the end zone.
Tom Brady continues to look like Tom Brady. The quarterback was sharp going 7-of-9 during 11-on-11 drills. One of his incompletes was broken up by Patrick Chung, who also had a nice day. Brady went 5-of-9 during 7-on-7s including another deflection by Chung and a drop by Brandon Bolden. Brady was perfect during 2-on-2 drills going 8-for-8.
Overall Brady completed 20-of-26 (77 percent) of his passes
Jimmy Garoppolo continues to show improvement. Overall he completed 83 percent of his passes (24/29). The third-year quarterback went 8-of-9 in 11-on-11s. He also shined in 7-on-7s going 13-for-17 and was a perfect 3-for-3 in 2-on-2 drills.
Jacoby Brissett had a rough day, completing 50 percent of his passes (9/18). The rookie quarterback started off 0-for-4 during the 2-on-2 drills. His incomplete passes were close, sailing over his targets. He went 2-for-4 during 7-on-7s and 7-for-10 during full-team drills.
Brissett threw the only interception on Thursday as fellow rookie Cyrus Jones caught a pass intended for Devin Lucien.
Other standouts include Malcolm Mitchell. The rookie receiver made a nice diving catch. Chris Hogan also made a one-handed grab. Undrafted running back D.J. Foster looked incredibly quick and will be one to watch this preseason.
Players who caught passes in full-team drills include Bennett (four), DeAndre Carter (four), Hogan (three), A.J. Derby (two), Mitchell (two), Chris Harper, Steven Scheu, Lucien, Donald Brown, Chris Harbor, Aaron Dobson, Bryce Williams and Bolden.
Players practicing punt returns included Jones, Keshawn Martin, V'Angelo Bentley, Carter and Harper.
Knighton wants to recruit Durant to C’s
When he’s not busying learning the playbook and getting acclimated to his new teammates, Terrance Knighton is plotting how he can help the Celtics later this summer. The new Patriots defensive tackle and avid NBA fan said he plans on trying to recruit Kevin Durant to his hometown team.
Durant is busy right now as the Oklahoma City Thunder faced the Golden State Warriors Thursday night, but the All-Star will be a free agent this summer. Knighton, who is from Hartford, Conn., plans on reaching out to the forward once the NBA playoffs are over.
“I’m leaving him alone right now – letting him finish it up. I love how he’s playing,” Knighton said Thursday. “I hope he wins it. I kind of hope he doesn’t. As soon as the season’s over, if he’s hoisting the trophy or not, I’ll definitely be texting him every day, calling him. Flying down to [Oklahoma City]. I’ll be in his ear a lot – trust me.”
Long leans on Ninkovich
Chris Long knows the drill by now.
Entering his ninth season in the NFL, the 31-year-old quickly got close to another veteran to help get acclimated to life with the Patriots. Life in this league is difficult in general, but in order to last as long as the defensive tackle has, you need some help.
For Long, that help came in the form of Rob Ninkovich.
“Rob and I really clicked,” Long said Thursday. “We’ve got a lot of similarities, and he’s a great guy to learn from and shadow. He’s been here obviously a long time. Rob knows how to do things the right way around here. When you see a guy like that, if you’re halfway smart, you follow him around and do what he does. If Rob goes to lunch, I go to lunch. That type of thing. Rob’s a good buddy already.”
Long came to Foxboro hoping for a fresh start after eight years in St. Louis.
“Every day in the NFL is an opportunity. A coach I’ve had before said every day is an interview, and that’s how I like to look at things,” Long said. “Every day, you have a chance to get better and learn and worry about your own — farm your own land and do all that good stuff. That’s the way I approach everything. It would be a disservice to the other guys if I was worried about anything other than myself, that opportunity just to get out here on the practice field and compete and get better.”
Mark Daniels writes for the Providence Journal of GateHouse Media.