New England Patriots
A.J. Brown’s reunion with his former team is one of many storylines to follow this week.
FOXBOROUGH — The intensity at New England Patriots training camp is about to reach another level this week.
After opening preseason action last week against the Colts, Mike Vrabel and the Patriots will welcome the Philadelphia Eagles to Foxborough for two competitive joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday — culminating in another preseason bout Saturday at Gillette Stadium.
It will stand as another sizable test for a Patriots team looking to go toe-to-toe with one of the top teams in the NFC.
Here are six things we’ll be watching during joint practices this week:
A.J. Brown’s reunion with Philadelphia
There should be no shortage of storylines to follow this week in Foxborough, headlined by A.J. Brown’s anticipated reunion against his former team.
Brown left quite the legacy over his four years in Philly — winning a Super Bowl, advancing to another one, and recording over 5,000 receiving yards and 32 TDs over 62 total games with the Eagles.
But Brown’s tenure in Philly was also rife with drama — be it his displeasure with the Eagles’ offensive scheme, his sideline book club, an apparent spat with Jalen Hurts, and an eventual trade to New England.
Brown has had an impressive training camp so far in Foxborough as Drake Maye’s new No. 1 target. It will be fascinating to see if he continues that this week against the Eagles’ secondary, as well as there is any pleasantries exchanged on the field in what should be some competitive drills.
If Maye and the Patriots’ offense have a few strong days, odds are that Brown plays a big part in that.
Does Christian Gonzalez practice?
One-on-one matchups between Christian Gonzalez and Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith will be appointment viewing this week … if Gonzalez is even out on the field.
Gonzalez has not practiced since August 10 due to an apparent injury, although his stalled contract negotiations with New England also bear watching.
Could New England’s top defensive player make a return to the gridiron this week? The Patriots might opt to put the 24-year-old defensive back in bubble wrap, even if he’s feeling better this week.
Seattle CB Devon Witherspoon’s new record-breaking contract could spur the Patriots into finally bridging the gap with Gonzalez on a reset market for corners.
How does offensive line hold up against the Eagles’ front seven?
Yes, there’s only so much that can be gleaned from joint practices, especially with Maye, Hurts, and every QB out on the field donning non-contact jerseys.
But these practices will still serve as a key litmus test for how New England’s offensive line can hold up against one of the league’s top front-seven units. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis are a handful at the line of scrimmage, while other Philly defenders like Nolan Smith can also get after the QB.
Maye might avoid getting smacked into the turf on Wednesday and Thursday. But the optics aren’t going to look good if players like left tackle Will Campbell are beat clean in the trenches and the pocket collapses up in the middle with Jared Wilson at center.
New England already has enough issues on its O-line when it comes to injuries and depth. But if its starting five-man unit is tossed around by the Eagles, it’s another discouraging sign for a Patriots offense that is trying to both establish the run and operate with a faster tempo this season.
Who emerges as RB3?
This bleeds into O-line play, but it will be worth watching to see if New England can establish the run and get Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson off to the races for some explosive plays on Wednesday and Thursday.
But New England also has plenty to consider with the depth behind Stevenson and Henderson in the ground game. The vacant RB3 spot remains one of the top camp competitions, especially with presumed favorite Terrell Jennings now out of the equation due to injury.
Can rookie Jam Miller build off his promising performance from Thursday’s preseason opener against the Colts, or will a pass-catching back like Lan Larison make a push? Mid-camp additions in JaMycal Hasty and Hassan Haskins also loom large.
Does Andy Borregales rebound?
A strong camp for second-year kicker Andy Borregales was undone on Thursday after he was knocked for three missed field goal attempts against the Colts — including a 49-yard attempt with 13 seconds left in regulation that would have handed his team a dramatic, late lead.
Borregales hasn’t been challenged in camp in terms of competition, but a visibly irked Mike Vrabel acknowledged postgame that New England might have to bring in another kicker in order to push the 2025 sixth-round pick.
“I’m sure we’ll talk about it and see where we’re at,” Vrabel said when asked if he would consider bringing in some competition. “I’m not going to make any decision tonight. But again, we’re going to have misses. We’re going to have mistakes. In everything we do, we just need to be able to come back.”
“We need to be able to bounce back, and we need to be able to answer. Guys are going to drop a pass. Guys are going to miss a block. We’re going to miss a kick. But you just have to not let those things pile up, and Andy’s been really good with that.”
To his credit, Borregales bounced back during Saturday’s practice — going 6-for-6 on field-goal attempts. But can he really put that last game in the rearview mirror and make his kicks against the Eagles during both joint practices and Saturday’s game?
The last thing the Patriots want to add to their preseason to-do list is potentially finding another kicker — especially at a segment of the roster that the team thought it was set for after Borregales’ promising rookie campaign.
Will Patriots’ defensive depth pop?
With Gonzalez potentially sidelined this week, the onus will fall on depth corners like rookie Karon Prunty and Kindle Vildor to step up and support projected starters Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones in the secondary.
Another strong week for ascending defensive backs like Vildor and Prunty will go a long way toward the duo shoring up set roster spots — especially if they can corral Eagles pass-catchers like Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Makai Lemon.
Veteran linebacker K.J. Britt is also looking to build off a strong preseason debut against Indy, while linebacker Chad Muma is trying to regain his footing after laboring in that same game. That linebacker corps will be tested early and often by both a mobile QB in Jalen Hurts and one of the top running backs in the game in Saquon Barkley.
With Harold Landry still on the PUP list, the next wave of pass-rushing personnel like rookie Gabe Jacas and second-year pros in Bradyn Swinson and Elijah Ponder will also be tasked with generating pressure against Hurts.
That’ll be a task easier said than done, especially with Philly’s O-line still anchored by pillars like left tackle Jordan Mailata and right tackle Lane Johnson.
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