Yesterday, as a part of my summer internship with the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, I had the opportunity to attend training camp with Patriots broadcaster Bob Socci as a member of the media. This was the second time that Bob has graciously offered to bring me along for camp (read more about the first here), and I’ve really appreciated it. I was able to have some conversations with Bob, 98.5 the Sports Hub writer and radio personality Alex Barth, and other sports broadcasters to interpret what was happening both on the field and off the field.

The media experience at training camp started with a press conference with Bill Belichick. After Belichick spoke, there was an early portion of practice that the media were allowed to photograph and/or videotape.

For the bulk of practice, media was allowed to watch, but was not allowed to take any photos or videos. However, the cameras came back on for a number of postgame press conferences with players who made themselves available, such as tight end Hunter Henry, safety Adrian Phillips, and special teamer Matthew Slater.

Bob and I wrapped up our day together after postgame interviews, but thanks to him I was able to make the most of my training camp experience. I broke down some of my on-field takeaways in this video with Alex Barth as well as the article below.

Belichick has not shown his cards on the QB situation, but it would take a lot for Mac Jones to be dethroned

Yesterday, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe gave Bill Belichick the opportunity to call Mac Jones the Patriots starting QB, much like how the Panthers have called rookie QB Bryce Young their starter early into camp. Belichick answered by saying that “everyone is out there competing.” While this may sound like a lack of confidence in Jones, I don’t think there’s many situations in which Belichick would show his cards on who’s going to start. Seeing what happened during practice, it seems that Mac Jones is definitely on the right track. Jones has continued to see the first team reps with the offense, and seemed to be making quicker decisions yesterday compared to what we saw from Bailey Zappe. I have the feeling that Jones will be able to establish himself as a serviceable starter in Bill O’Brien’s offense, but there’s still a lot of preseason to go, so anything could happen.

Red zone: Henry looked good, no sign of Thornton

The Patriots ran a number of red zone plays yesterday. Wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, and Kendrick Bourne as well as tight ends Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki were involved in some capacity with the first team. However, WR Tyquan Thornton was not seen in any red zone formations. Thornton has reportedly had a quiet camp, and it seems that for he may have to earn playing time back in these situations. From a fantasy football perspective, I was targeting Thornton as a sleeper, but I may have some hesitation if he’s not seeing as many opportunities to score touchdowns as other Patriots pass catchers. However, the Patriots as a whole have looked good in red zone formations. Mac Jones completed touchdowns to both Hunter Henry and Rhamondre Stevenson in this practice.

Demario Douglas has shown off athleticism as a receiver and returner, but has yet to see much work with Mac Jones

Douglas has seemingly exceeded expectations thus far in camp, and what I saw yesterday at camp confirmed that. Douglas looked excellent after the catch, reaching high speeds within seconds of a reception. If he keeps this up, I’d like his chances to make the final roster. However, most of Douglas’ work in camp has come with Bailey Zappe and the second-team offense. It would likely take time for Douglas to work his way into regular season playing time, even if he does make the roster.

Kevin Harris appears to be the next RB in line for work behind Rhamondre Stevenson

With Stevenson taking it easy for the majority of camp, the Patriots have experimented with implementing some other running backs into their first team offense, including second year backs Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong Jr. They’ve even had some veteran free agents in for visits, such as Leonard Fournette and Ezekiel Elliott. While Stevenson did see an increased workload in this practice and seems to be a lock for the #1 spot, Kevin Harris also saw some work with the first team yesterday, especially in the receiving game. Unless someone else is signed, it appears Harris could have the opportunity for some third down reps. However, I do expect Stevenson to take the bulk of the workload at running back no matter what happens.

Mack Wilson made a significant impact on passing downs, nearly intercepted Mac

With Devin McCourty retiring, the Patriots are hoping multiple players in their passing defense can step up in his place. According to Adrian Phillips, a number of guys in the secondary have shown increased leadership. On the field, one of yesterday’s most impactful players in the passing defense was actually a linebacker, Mack Wilson. Wilson broke up multiple passes and nearly intercepted Mac Jones off a tip. I definitely foresee him carving out a significant role in the defense if he keeps this up, especially on passing downs. I also liked what I saw out of Marcus Jones, both as a starting corner and a returner.

Thank you to the Flutie Foundation, the New England Patriots, Bob Socci, and 98.5 the Sports Hub for continuing to support my career goals

Without all these people coming together to support me, I would not have been able to have the kind of training camp experience that I did yesterday. The Flutie Foundation and 98.5 have continued to support my sportscasting aspirations over the years, and I would not be where I am today without them. I look forward to whatever is ahead.