Henry likely to suit up Sunday
After sitting out the preseason with a shoulder injury, tight end Hunter Henry seems ready for Sunday’s season opener versus Miami.
Since going down on Aug. 8, Henry missed just one week of practice and has been present for every session since. He shed his non-contract jersey last week. On Monday, Henry all but confirmed to reporters he expects to be available this weekend.
“I wouldn’t say doubt. No,” Henry said via video conference when asked if he doubts he’ll play against the Dolphins. “I’m just trying to get better every single day, and you know, apply myself every day and be ready to go when it comes to it.”
Henry also shared he never believed he would out for long-term. The former Charger added he’s made “a lot of progress” in his recovery and credited the team’s medical staff. Henry also had praise for first-round rookie quarterback MacJones, who last week won the starting job.
“I’m excited to go out there and compete with (Jones) this weekend,” Henry said.
In his own press conference, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels seemed to share his tight end’s optimism for Sunday.
“I have no doubts about those two players, in terms of their ability to go out there and perform,” McDaniels said of Henry and fellow tight end Jonnu Smith. “They both will be ready to go and I know they are excited and happy to be getting into a regular-season routine now.”
Where will Perry play?
Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Perry is new to his teammates, his coaches and perhaps soon his position.
The Pats claimed Perry off waivers last week from Miami, making him their only addition during the NFL’s final roster cuts. The secondyear wideout played quarterback at Navy, where he operated the Midshipmen’s tripleoption attack to record success. The Dolphins drafted
Perry as a developmental project in the seventh round last year, but didn’t want to wait on his development any longer after adding significant receiving talent this offseason.
On Monday, Bill Belichick wouldn’t disclose where the 5-foot-9, 190-pounder will play in New England, while also noting his versatility.
“I would say he’s continuing to develop his skills,” Belichick said, “most of which he didn’t really do in college.”
Last season, Perry caught nine passes for 92 yards and a touchdown, rushed three times and didn’t throw a pass. He saw virtually all of his 156 offensive snaps at wide receiver, per Pro Football Focus, and took five others at quarterback. Perry appeared in nine games total for Miami.
He also returned kicks and punts this preseason. On Monday, he started practice with the wide receivers.
As a prospect, Perry tested in the 30th percentile or worse among wideouts who ran the 40-yard dash and 3-cone time at the 2020 NFL Combine. His poor 3-cone performance makes him an unusual fit in New England, where that drill is prized, and his future may be contingent upon special teams impact. The Patriots have three wide receivers solidly ahead of him in Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. N’Keal Harry can also return from his shoulder injury as soon as Week 4.
“Well, we’ll see,” Belichick said of Perry’s position. “We’ll put him out there and see what it looks like. But he’s played off and in the kicking game and we’ll see how he does there in his roles for us. I don’t really know.”
Belichick adds to vax comments
Before taking any questions during his press conference Monday morning, Patriots coach Bill Belichick took a minute to expound upon comments he made last week about vaccination efficacy around the NFL.
Last Wednesday, Belichick declared “a pretty high number” of vaccinated players and coaches have been infected with COVID-19. According to league data, only 68 positive results surfaced from a group of 7,190 tested individuals between Aug. 1 and Aug. 21, with unvaccinated players testing positive at a rate seven times higher than those who were vaccinated.
“My comment relative to vaccinations, really, the way I feel, that’s an individual decision for each person to make. As a team, we’re better off if everyone is vaccinated,” Belichick said. “And that being said, even if everybody was vaccinated, that doesn’t solve all our problems. … Still, it’s still incumbent upon us to be vigilant in our daily hygiene and decision-making, for the health and safety of each of us individually and of our team.”
Belichick also reiterated the team has not released or kept any player based on their vaccination status. The Patriots cut quarterback Cam Newton, an unvaccinated player, last week in the most shocking move of cutdown day. Newton lost a close battle with Jones for the starting job during training camp and the preseason.
These were Belichick’s initial comments regarding the COVID-19 vaccine last week: “You guys keep talking about that, but I would just point out that — I don’t know what the number is, you guys can look it up, you have the access to a lot of information — the number of players and coaches and staff members that have been infected by COVID in training camp who have been vaccinated is a pretty high number.”
Special teams ready for trickery
Last December, the Dolphins nearly pulled off a successful fake punt pass against the Patriots during an eventual 22-12 win in Miami.
The only thing that kept Dolphins linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill from moving the chains with a 14-yard pass from punter Matt Houck was the fact he failed to report as an eligible receiver. The previous year, Miami also dialed up special teams trickery during an upset of the Patriots in their regular-season finale.
So naturally, Pats special teams coordinator Cam Achord is working to cover every possibility in practice this week.
“They always have something ready. That’s one thing, whether it’s Flo or (special teams coordinator) Danny (Crossman), they’re not scared to call it,” Achord said Monday. “They’ve run multiple (plays), so you obviously have to work on that, be ready for it, prepare for it. It’s a big point of emphasis for our guys going into it.”
Pats field full roster at practice
Every player on the Pats’ active roster and practice squad participated in Monday afternoon’s non-padded practice, the team’s first after a three-day layoff over the holiday weekend. Running back Brandon Bolden and practicesquad corner D’Angelo Ross were the only Pats in noncontract jerseys. Ross missed last Thursday’s practice.