FOXBORO — Tom Brady was back on the field Tuesday, reconnecting with his teammates for the first day of Patriots minicamp.
This may shock you…but Brady still looked sharp. And so did a few of his new pass-catchers.
Here are some notes and observations from the first of three minicamp practices:
ATTENDANCE
Absent: RB Sony Michel, S Patrick Chung, S Nate Ebner, DE Deatrich Wise, WR Demaryius Thomas, OT Yodny Cajuste, RB Nick Brossette.
Limited: OL Isaiah Wynn (Achilles) was on the field, but did not participate in team drills. LB Kyle Van Noy exited to the lower field briefly, but returned to practice.
Returned: QB Tom Brady, DE Michael Bennett (neither player participated in OTAs)
HIGHLIGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS
**As Wynn watched during 11-on-11 drills, Joe Thuney continued to receive reps at left tackle. Ted Karras moved into Thuney’s left guard spot for the majority of the practice.
There are no pads or live contact during minicamp practices, so it’s hard to evaluate the play of the offensive linemen. But this isn’t Thuney’s first time on the outside. He excelled as a left tackle in college at North Carolina State. The Patriots drafted him to play guard, however, and he’s been locked in as the starting left guard since 2016.
**All signs point to Matt LaCosse as the Patriots’ starting tight end in Week 1. Ben Watson is facing a four-game PED suspension, and the team released Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who is dealing with personal issues.
LaCosse isn’t a well-known player, but the Patriots clearly saw something they liked. He was one of the team’s first free-agent signings this past spring.
Based on a few practices, here’s what jumps out about LaCosse: He’s a pretty smooth athlete for his size (6-foot-6, 255 pounds). He runs well and can serve as a viable target down the middle of the field. He doesn’t have a ton of production on his resume, but he hasn’t had an opportunity quite like this one. Keep an eye on LaCosse this summer.
**While Tom Brady looked like his usual self, he and rookie receiver N’Keal Harry still have a long way to go in terms of developing chemistry. Brady missed Harry on one throw over the middle, as the 6-foot-2 receiver was only able to get one hand on the ball. They failed to connect on a deep ball down the left sideline a few reps later. Stephon Gilmore had Harry blanketed on the play.
Overall, it was an up-and-down practice for Harry. At times, he demonstrated strong hands and attacked the ball in the air. There were other moments when Harry failed to secure difficult/contested catches. His timing with both Brady and Hoyer wasn’t perfect. Hoyer missed him on a slant. The ball, thrown slightly behind Harry, bounced off the receiver’s shoulder pad and fell incomplete.
**Two standouts from the afternoon: second-year wide receiver Braxton Berrios and fourth-year pro Maurice Harris.
Berrios, who spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve, has a tremendous opportunity. He delivered the play of the afternoon when he burned rookie cornerback Joejuan Williams down the right sideline and hauled in a diving reception on a 45-yard bomb from Brian Hoyer. Berrios rolled across the goal line and spiked the ball when he crossed the plane.
The 5-foot-9, 190-pound Berrios exhibited quickness on routes over the middle and some impressive long speed, too. He took punt return reps with Julian Edelman and Phillip Dorsett.
Signed in the first week of free agency, Harris could be a sleeper this summer. He’s a big slot receiver at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. Harris was active throughout Tuesday’s practice. During one 11-on-11 session, Harris came down with two deep balls from Brady. He high-pointed the ball and out-leaped Duron Harmon for the first reception.
**With Patrick Chung out, Obi Melifonwu saw extensive reps alongside Devin McCourty in the defensive backfield. The Patriots are loaded at all spots in the secondary, so Melifonwu has his work cut out for him this summer.
The Pats rotated their cornerbacks throughout the practice, giving reps to Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty, Jonathan Jones, J.C. Jackson, Duke Dawson, and Keion Crossen.
Jackson, Dawson, and Crossen all recorded pass-breakups.
Jackson nearly had a pick-six of Brian Hoyer. The second-year cornerback jumped an out route intended for James White and just missed on the interception.
**Rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham and veteran center David Andrews ran a lap after a botched exchange.
**Former Patriots receivers Troy Brown and Deion Branch attended the practice.
**Patriots owner Robert Kraft made a brief appearance, chatting with Brady and the other quarterbacks during warmups. Kraft hung out for about 45 minutes before exiting.
