OBSERVATIONS FROM TRAINING CAMP
Attendance
L Did not participate: WR Aaron Dobson, WR Brandon LaFell, RB LeGarrette Blount, RB Dion Lewis, RB Tyler Gaffney, RB Travaris Cadet, LB Dane Fletcher, LB Eric Martin, LB Darius Fleming, OL Marcus Cannon, OL Ryan Wendell, C Bryan Stork, OL Caylin Hauptmann, DT Joe Vellano, TE Scott Chandler, DT Chris Jones
L First-time absentee: Travaris Cadet L Returned: WR Julian Edelman, WR Matthew Slater, WR Brian Tyms, DT Malcom Brown, DT Alan Branch
L Red non-contact jersey: LB Dont'a
Hightower, Slater, Tyms
Notes
L Tom Brady completed 17-of-25 passes in team drills but had two interceptions. He was 7-of-9 with an interception in 7-on-7s and 10of-16 with an interception in 11-on-11s.
L The two interceptions were not created equal. Brian Tyms wasn't looking during a slant, and the ball deflected off him into Dont’a
Hightower's hands in 7-on-7s. It did lead to a funny moment when Hightower returned the interception, ran toward Brady and pretended to give him a stiff arm to the face. In 11-on-11s,
Malcolm Butler jumped Josh Boyce's crossing route to make a “did he really just do that” type of one-handed pick.
L Jimmy Garoppolo was 16-of-20, including 5-of-6 in 7-on-7s and 11-of-14 in 11-on-11s. He was sharp yesterday.
L Ryan Lindley was 9-of-19 with an interception in his debut, including 4-of-10 in 11-on-11s and 5-of-9 in 7-on-7s. He was bitten by drops from Jimmay Mundine and Logan Stokes.
L Duron Harmon intercepted Lindley's errant pass that sailed to no one in particular over the middle. Nice athleticism from Harmon for the leaping grab, though.
L Butler had his best practice of camp with the pick plus two pass breakups: Brady to
Jonathan Krause on a deep ball, and Lindley to Tyms.
L The following caught passes from Brady:
Rob Gronkowski (five), Brandon Gibson (five), Brandon Bolden (three), Tyms (one), Krause (one), Danny Amendola (one) and Boyce (one).
L It was a tough day for Boyce after a surge late last week, but he did make one brilliant catch on a deep ball from Brady. It also occurred one period after Brady had an animated discussion with Boyce. Nice job by Boyce to track the lofted ball some 50 yards down the field for a touchdown. He beat Darryl Roberts.
Boyce dropped two Brady passes, including one in the end zone, and losing positioning to Butler on the interception won't do him any favors.
L The following caught passes from Garoppolo: James White (three), Krause (two), Jonas Gray (two), Gibson (two), Boyce (two), Tyms (one), Bolden (one), Michael
Hoomanawanui (one), Mundine (one) and Gronkowski (one).
L The following caught passes from Lindley: Zach D’Orazio (two), Logan
Stokes (two), Mundine (two), Gibson (one), Krause (one) and Eric Kettani (one).
L Bolden has seized control of the competition to be the team's top back in passing situations. He has taken the lead in three consecutive practices. His pass blocking clearly has helped him against White and Cadet, but he can catch it, too.