Patriots training camp: Everything we saw in New England’s final open practice

FOXBORO — And that’s a wrap for Patriots training camp.

New England’s final practice before Sunday’s roster cutdown deadline — and the team’s last time practicing in front of reporters until next spring — featured one new and notable absence, a crash course for a key veteran and an impressive showing on special teams.

Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:

Attendance

Returned: DL Cory Durden, RB Lan Larison, RB Jam Miller

Absent: RB TreVeyon Henderson, P Bryce Baringer, OT Marcus Bryant, LB Khalil Jacobs, S Craig Woodson, OLB Xavier Holmes, OL Ben Brown, OT Lorenz Metz

Limited: Larison, Miller, CB Channing Canada, S Jaylen Reed

PUP: OLB Harold Landry

NFI: S Brenden Schooler

Notes: The apparent ankle injury that knocked Henderson out of Monday’s practice kept him off the field on Tuesday. Speaking before practice, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said Henderson’s status was something the team was “working through.”

“He’s probably not going to be out there at practice today, but we’ll see how that goes,” Wolf said.

It was the first DNP of training camp for the second-year running back, who’s expected to have a significant role this season alongside Rhamondre Stevenson.

Roster hopefuls Larison and Canada both practiced in red non-contact jerseys. Miller did not participate in team drills and left midway through practice.

Reed, whom New England acquired from Houston one day earlier in the Kayshon Boutte trade, made his Patriots practice debut, wearing No. 26. The second-year safety had a conversation with head coach Mike Vrabel before practice, warmed up with the team, then exited toward the indoor facility, accompanied by a Patriots staffer.

It’s unclear whether Reed will be available to play Thursday, when the Patriots visit the Cleveland Browns in their final preseason game.

Play of the Day

Andy Borregales’ 55-yard field goal

On a day that did not feature many eye-popping highlights on offense or defense, let’s spotlight the special teams.

Toward the end of practice, Vrabel put 20 seconds on the clock and tasked Drake Maye and Co. with driving into field-goal range. Borregales capped that sequence — and his flawless practice — by splitting the more challenging narrow uprights from 55 yards out.

Overall, the second-year pro converted all six of his field-goal attempts, with the other five coming in quick succession earlier in practice. The Patriots opted not to add another kicker to challenge Borregales after he shanked three kicks during their preseason opener, and he’s rewarded that faith by delivering a string of consistent practices in the weeks since.

Player of the Day

Drake Maye

Maye had six total incompletions across 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. Two of them were broken up by defenders, and another was thrown away.

QB Corner

Note: The passing stats below were tallied during competitive 11-on-11 periods only. The stats in parentheses represent the quarterbacks’ camp-long performance.

Drake Maye: 11-for-14 (174-of-254, 8 INTs, 11 sacks)

Tommy DeVito: 9-for-12, three sacks (111-of-169, 2 INTs, 11 sacks)

Behren Morton: none (37-of-58, 3 sacks)

Notes: Another day, another efficient showing for the Patriots’ starting quarterback.

After going 11-for-13 in Monday’s practice, Maye completed 11 of his first 12 attempts before ending his day with an incompletion to Romeo Doubs and a throwaway. Both of those came in the aforementioned situational drill, with the dwindling clock forcing quicker-than-usual throws.

Maye’s best stretch came against the Patriots’ second-team defense: six straight completions to six different receivers, with one scramble mixed in. Eleven players caught at least one pass from Maye, including each of the six wideouts who are likely to crack the 53-man roster following the Boutte trade.

DeVito attempted just one pass in 7-on-7s (Maye was 8-for-11) but fared better in full-team drills than he did Monday, when he went 2-for-9 with an interception. Two of his passes Tuesday wound up in defenders’ hands (Kindle Vildor on one, Kevin Byard on the other), but those came on plays that were blown dead for would-be sacks.

Morton’s only competitive reps came during a 7-on-7 period. He went 4-for-7 against reserve defenders, misfiring on downfield passes to Tejhuan Palmer and Tanner Arkin.

Offensive notes

Top targets in team drills: TE Eli Raridon 3/5, WR Romeo Doubs 3/4, WR Mack Hollins 2/4, WR A.J. Brown 3/3, WR Kyle Williams 3/3, WR Kyle Dixon 3/3, RB Lan Larison 3/3, WR Efton Chism 2/3, WR Tejhaun Palmer 2/3, RB Rhamondre Stevenson 2/2, TE Hunter Henry 2/2, RB JaMycal Hasty 1/2, WR Nick DeGennaro 0/2, WR DeMario Douglas 1/1, WR Cameron Dorner 1/1, RB Hassan Haskins 1/1, TE Jack Westover 1/1, TE Tanner Arkin 0/1

Drops: Hasty

Top offensive line: LT Will Campbell, LG Alijah Vera-Tucker, C Jared Wilson, RG Mike Onwenu, RT Morgan Moses

• The Patriots are working to get Greg Van Roten up to speed. The veteran O-lineman saw ample reps with the first-team offense, including one stretch early in 11-on-11s in which he switched from center, to left guard, then to right guard in a three-snap span.
• Van Roten’s reps at center weren’t the cleanest — he had two low snaps to Drake Maye — but he projects as the top backup at the three interior spots. The 36-year-old started all 17 games in each of the last three seasons, including one year with Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas, and has minimal competition for that top reserve role with Ben Brown currently injured.
• When the Patriots split their offense for one period, Van Roten and rookie Caleb Lomu were the only O-line backups who worked with Maye and the top unit. Lomu rotated in with the starters in full-team 11-on-11s, too, spelling Moses at times while also playing right tackle on the second team.
• The skill-position players with Maye during that period: wide receivers A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism; tight ends Hunter Henry, Eli Raridon and Tanner Arkin; running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Hassan Haskins; and fullback Reggie Gilliam.
• Haskins’ presence with that group could hint at where the Patriots’ third running back battle stands, though all of the available backs saw reps with Maye during team drills. Haskins and Lan Larison each caught two passes from Maye, with Larison beating Christian Elliss for a nice gain on the final rep of 7-on-7s.
• The competition between Haskins, Hasty, Larison and Jam Miller (if the latter two are healthy enough to play) will be among the storylines to watch in Thursday’s preseason finale.
• Of Maye’s seven handoffs in 11-on-11s, four went to Rhamondre Stevenson, with one each to Haskins, Hasty and Doubs. He also had a pop pass to Brown that functioned as a de facto jet sweep.
• That behind-the-line completion was one of the few highlights of a nondescript afternoon for New England’s No. 1 wideout. Brown caught his only target in 7-on-7s and later lost reserve cornerback Marcellas Dial on an over route in 11s.
• Douglas, who’s been the Patriots’ top-choice slot receiver throughout the summer, made the most of his lone target, snaring a nifty one-handed catch against Marcus Jones in 7-on-7s.
• Moses and center Jared Wilson laid key blocks to spring Henry and Stevenson, respectively, for big gains on catch-and-run plays.
• Practice ended with an uncontested touchdown pass from Maye to Henry in a simulated last-play scenario, with the defense playing at a walkthrough pace.