Photo by Summer Lamont/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Notes and thoughts on the Patriots’ training camp, replacing a longtime veteran, free agent Christian Wilkins, and more.
The
New England Patriots’ 2025 training camp is underway, with the first four practices already in the books. While those sessions were relatively light compared to what lies ahead, they did give fans and media alike a first extended glimpse at the team of new head coach Mike Vrabel.
Needless to say, our entire focus this week was on those first four practices sessions — sessions that you can recap in full detail
here (Day 1),
here (Day 2),
here (Day 3), and
here (Day 4). However, training camp was only one part of the NFL experience this week as our latest
Sunday Patriots Notes show.
Checking in with the rookie class after one week of training camp
The Patriots entered training camp with a high number of rookie players on their roster. In total, 27 of the 91 players currently signed with the team are in their first year in the league. With the exception of undrafted safety Josh Minkins, who remains on the non-football injury list, all of them were able to get their feet wet.
Let’s run through the list to find out how involved they were, starting with New England’s first-round draft pick.
OT Will Campbell: Campbell has been the Patriots’ starting left tackle from Day 1, and has hardly missed any reps with the top offense. Starting edge Keion White did get the better of him on a few occasions, but the fourth overall selection in the draft has certainly been competitive. Starting on Monday, however, we will get a better look at his capabilities.
RB TreVeyon Henderson: Whenever he is on the field, Henderson’s elite speed is obvious. He has been involved as a rotational third running back alongside veterans Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, and led his position group in team drill targets on Saturday.
WR Kyle Williams: The third-round pick was off to a hot start on Wednesday, but has since cooled off a bit. He did see some starter level X-receiver reps during Saturday’s practice, but ultimately failed to catch either of his targets in team drills. He also dropped his lone target on Thursday, meaning that he has gone catch-less in two straight practices not counting Friday’s walkthrough.
OL Jared Wilson: Even though he remains a backup for now, Wilson has seen starter level reps at all three interior offensive line positions. He most prominently has been featured at center and left guard, where he might end up pushing starters Garrett Bradbury and Cole Strange. The full-pads sessions will show how realistic that outlook it.
S Craig Woodson: Woodson is currently serving as a backup safety, and was one of the players falling victim to Javon Baker’s long touchdown on Saturday. He did see a few snaps alongside starter Kyle Dugger, but mostly remains a package player for now.
DT Joshua Farmer: Working as the No. 4 at his position behind Christian Barmore, Milton Williams and Khyiris Tonga, the fourth-round defensive tackle has been mostly quiet this camp. He did look good in a 1-on-1 pass rush drill on Saturday, though.
ED Bradyn Swinson: Similar to Farmer, Swinson has also mostly been used in a rotational role so far but appears to be further down the depth chart; veterans Anfernee Jennings and Truman Jones are both above the current third-stringer. He did tally a would-be sack during Thursday’s practice, though, and won one of his pass rush reps on Saturday.
K Andres Borregales: Through two sessions worth of field goal and extra point tries, Borregales is either 5-of-8 or 6-of-8, depending on one kick on Saturday that seemingly went straight over the upright. That performance is a bit more inconsistent than his outing during the five open spring practices, but the job still is his to lose.
OT Marcus Bryant: Bryant spent time as the left tackle with the second-string offense, but the seventh-round rookie seems to be behind Demontrey Jacobs in the competition for the No. 3 offensive tackle spot. Once again, full pads will create a clearer picture.
LS Julian Ashby: Nothing to report on the Julian Ashby front so far. The Patriots’ long snapper has been anonymous, which is a good thing given his position.
CB Kobee Minor: The Mr. Irrelevant of this year’s draft, Minor has mostly worked with the third-stringers as an outside cornerback. The other roster bubble corners, including D.J. James and Miles Battle, have seen more prominent practice reps through four days, with James even intercepting a pass at one point.
QB Ben Wooldridge: The pecking order at quarterback is well-established. It’s Drake Maye, then Joshua Dobbs, and then the undrafted Ben Wooldridge as the third-stringer. His accuracy has been on and off a bit, and he also fumbled an exchange with center Ben Brown at one point on Wednesday.
RB Lan Larison: Larison has run mostly with the third-stringers around Wooldridge, and also admitted to have been at fault for an interception by Joshua Dobbs on Saturday. He also has been involved with the kickoff returners.
FB Brock Lampe: Lampe might be the undrafted rookie with the clearest path onto the roster right now. He is the only true fullback on the team, and as such has been given some starter-level reps when the offense went to its bigger personnel packages.
WR Demeer Blankumsee: Early in camp, Blankumsee is the third-string slot receiver behind DeMario Douglas and fellow UDFA Efton Chism. He did catch one pass from Ben Wooldridge on Wednesday.
WR Efton Chism III: Chism finds himself above Blankumsee on the depth chart, and currently might either be the last man in or the last man out when it comes to the 53-man roster. He did spend a few snaps with the starting offense late on Saturday, and also has seen time with the punt returners. Most of his work has come with the second- and third-stringers, though, and he has also been busy after each practice.
WR Jeremiah Webb: Webb was initially placed on the non-football injury list, but he returned in time for the first practice. He has since served as a perimeter option for Ben Wooldridge on the third team. He did make one catch in his debut, but had a drop on Day 2.
TE C.J. Dippre: Dippre and fellow undrafted tight end Gee Scott Jr. are rotating as the second- and third-string options behind Hunter Henry and Jack Westover while Austin Hooper remains on the PUP list. Dippre has yet to catch a pass in a competitive setting.
TE Gee Scott Jr.: As opposed to C.J. Dippre, Scott Jr. has been on the receiving end of one Ben Wooldridge throw. Still, like his fellow backup TE, he has been mostly quiet so far and is seemingly facing an uphill battle to make the team.
OL Mehki Butler: Butler is repping along the interior offensive line, but appears stuck behind a handful of other players on the depth chart. He needs to take a step forward when pads come on in order to have a realistic crack at making the roster or practice squad.
OL Jack Conley: A dark-horse candidate to make the team coming out of the spring, Conley also has been mostly quiet so far. He has lined up as right tackle with the third-string offense.
DT Jahvaree Ritzie: Ritzie missed the second practice of the summer due to undisclosed reasons, and that’s the extent of the notes we have on him. He’s buried on the depth chart at defensive tackle so far, serving as a third-string option.
ED Elijah Ponder: So far, Ponder has spent a majority of his time with the third-string unit. There have been a few second-string reps here or there.
LB Cam Riley: Riley is in the same position as Elijah Ponder. He’s mostly a third-stringer who has also been with the second-string defense on a few occasions.
CB Brandon Crossley: Mostly used as an outside cornerback, Crossley has not managed to emerge past third-string status. He was beaten by Demeer Blankumsee on that aforementioned Day 1 catch.
CB Jordan Polk: Polk has been mostly used on the inside, and with the third-team defense. He is facing an uphill battle to make the team, just like most UDFAs right now.
S Josh Minkins: As noted above, Minkins did not yet take the practice fields. He remains on the NFI list, but is eligible to come off at any point in time.
Brenden Schooler shares lessons learned from Joe Cardona
The Patriots decided to part ways with their long snapper of the previous 10 seasons, Joe Cardona, earlier this offseason. As a consequence, Brenden Schooler is now the clear leader on special teams.
Nonetheless, he is making sure to carry on Cardona’s legacy through the lessons he learned from the two-time Super Bowl champion.
“Joe just taught me how to be a true pro, and how hard this game can really be,” Cardona explained earlier this week.
“I think he’s going into Year 11 this year, and he’s seen a lot of football, been to the Super Bowl and was around better players than I’ve been around recently in this past four seasons. He was just a great soundboard to bounce ideas off of and talk about rushes and other ways to get to the punter and ultimately change the momentum of the game when you get a blocked punt.”
Mike Vrabel pop quizzes pop up
Similar to his longtime head coach, Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel also has adopted pop quizzes as part of his daily routine preparing his team. For the players themselves, it is all an exercise in staying sharp and on top of their game off as well as on the field.
“Every day we have to stay mentally aware,” said linebacker Christian Elliss. “We got to make sure that if he does ask us we answer the right way or else you know it’s not only shame on you, but it’s shame on your whole position group.”
“He asks questions in the team meetings to everybody,” added rookie offensive lineman Jared Wilson. “He’s a players coach. He played in the NFL 14 years, so he just knows. He has a great relationship with the players and all the players love them. So, when he asks a question just give your best answer.”
Vrabel spent eight of his seasons under Belichick, and has probably been on the receiving end of such questions dozens of times. Now, he is the one putting pressure on his players.
For Vrabel himself, however, the issue is more complex: it also gives him and his coaches an easy way to test whether the information they shared with the team is getting processed correctly.
“We want to make sure that everybody’s stimulated, that they stay engaged,” Vrabel explained. “It’s called direct teaching and being able to spin it back the same way that we give you the information. Again, that takes time. I feel like it’s when a player does know, that they answer confidently, they answer clearly and it gives them confidence, but it also gives the players that they’re out there with confidence that they know what they’re doing.
“And if they don’t know, I just tell them, ‘Say I don’t know.’ Then I’m allowed to — that’s our job now to come in as teachers, to reapply the information and give it to them until they’re able to process it. But when guys start answering questions in front of teammates correctly, you start to see their confidence go up, and the other players are excited about going out there and playing with them.”
Milton Williams is finding his inner boxer
The Patriots’ high-prized free agency signing has been an active player through four days of training camp. Helping him with that is his preparation, which includes boxing.
“I started last year, before last season. It’s good for hand-eye coordination, but, most importantly, it’s good for cardio,” Williams explained.
“The hardest part, I feel like, is keeping your hands up, keeping your feet moving. Those three-minute rounds, they get long. It’s good for you. When you come out here in between plays — unless they’re going tempo — you get probably like 30, 40 seconds, so you’re feeling good with the minute break that you get in boxing. It’s just good. Helps you recover faster and be able to have your tank bigger.”
Williams added that his respect for professional boxers “has gone way up, because their training is crazy.” Now, he is using some of it to elevate his game after signing a four-year, $104 million contract to come to New England.
Antonio Gibson’s offseason with Mack Hollins
When asked about his summer break, running back Antonio Gibson mentioned having spent time with two people: his wife on their honeymoon, and Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins.
Gibson and Hollins teamed up for a workout session in the latter’s home in Boca Raton, FL, ahead of training camp. According to Gibson, the session was a productive one.
“He is one of those teammates that kind of push you,” the 27-year-old said of Hollins. “Regardless of good relationship, bad relationship, he’s going to say what he’s got to say. So, I thought that was going to benefit me, and it did.”
The pros and cons of pursuing Christian Wilkins
The Patriots have made some major investments in their defensive tackle group over the last 15 months, signing both Christian Barmore and Milton Williams to massive new contracts. Could another big investment be on its way, though?
Time will tell how active New England will be involved with Christian Wilkins. Head coach Mike Vrabel did, however, admit that the team will
have a conversation about the 29-year-old who was surprisingly released by the
Las Vegas Raiders — the Patriots’ Week 1 opponent — earlier in the week.
So, should they go after him especially considering that they have the cap space to do so? There are arguments in both directions.
Pros: Wilkins is a well-rounded football player capable of disrupting the opposing offensive line both as a run blocker and a pass rusher. Adding him to the mix would also allow the aforementioned Barmore and Williams to see more rotational snaps rather than carry the burden at defensive tackle. The depth behind them, meanwhile, is also a question mark. A top three of Wilkins, Barmore and Williams would answer those definitively and give New England arguably the top interior three in football.
Cons: Wilkins’ release was a shocker, and there is more to the story than the Raiders’ press release unveiled. For starters, he filed a grievance over the team voiding a salary guarantee. There also are rumors that his recovery from a season-ending foot injury that limited him to five games in 2025 might not have gone as smoothly as the team would have hoped, in parts due to the player himself. With a Patriots team high on rebuilding the culture, bringing Wilkins and this baggage of uncertainty on board might not be the best course of action.
Ultimately, the decision will have to come down to how Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf view the depth of their roster at that particular spot and whether adding Wilkins would be an improvement in the grand scheme of things. Talent-wise, though, there is no question he would be an intriguing signing.
Wilfried Pene gives insight into his release
When the Patriots released defensive tackle Wilfried Pene last month, nothing initially suggested the move was anything out of the ordinary. Pene had joined the team as an undrafted free agent, after all, and the backend of the roster seeing some turnover ahead of training camp is not entirely uncommon.
It turns out there was indeed more to the story. As Pene
shared on social media after his release, the Patriots were forced to let him go because of a visa issue.
During his time at Virginia Tech, the French-born Pene spent time in the United States on a student visa. Upon leaving school to prepare for the draft, the school canceled his visa, which otherwise would have remained valid until the end of the spring semester in mid-May. Any efforts by the player, team or even the NFL to simply transfer the visa into a P1-A professional athlete visa were denied, and Pene was forced to leave the country.
When he will return remains to be seen, but the issue has
since been resolved via the help of the United States embassy in Paris, according to L’Equipe. Nonetheless, the 24-year-old still remains without a team after his release from the Patriots.
New England filled his roster spot with another participant of the NFL’s International Pathway Player Program, David Olajiga.
Patriots remember Ozzy Osborne
Ozzy Osborn, the legendary “Prince of Darkness,” passed away earlier this week at the age of 76. The Patriots had a special connection to the British singer, using his song “Crazy Train” as their walkout music until the 2024 season.
At one point, to introduce the then-reigning world champion Patriots on opening day 2005, Osborne even performed the song live at Gillette Stadium.
Ozzy opened Patriots 2005 season at Gillette Stadium on September 8, 2005 with “Crazy Train”(1980). Patriots defeated Oakland Raiders 30-20.
pic.twitter.com/YSJ1okKUdd
— Boston Radio Watch
(@bostonradio)
July 22, 2025
“He had the one live, when we came out in 2005,” recalled head coach Mike Vrabel. “I think we ran underneath him and we looked and were like, ‘That’s actually him.’ We had heard that he was going to be there, but we didn’t actually think that he would be out there. That was kind of cool. But we ran out of that tunnel to his songs for a lot of years.
Last season, the Patriots switched their walkout tone from “Crazy Train” to “Let’s Go” by American rapper Trick Daddy — a song that does sample Osborne’s classic tune.
Joe Milton is in a better place now, according to Joe Milton
Coming off what was a promising NFL debut, albeit in a favorable setting against a
Buffalo Bills team playing its backups in the Week 18 regular season finale in Foxborough, Joe Milton was seen as a potential hot commodity on the trade market. He, plus a seventh-round selection, eventually only ended up fielding the Patriots fifth-round pick in this year’s draft.
Apparently, though, that move was best for all parties involved. Milton, after all, is seemingly a lot happier now as a backup with the
Dallas Cowboys.
“Definitely, I preferred it,” Milton said
earlier this week. “That was something me and my team put together. They were able to get it done.”
Milton went on to praise Cowboys starting QB Dak Prescott for helping him get acclimated to Dallas, something he apparently was not encountering in a quarterback room with Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye last season.
“He literally goes out of his way to help me, no matter if the coach is talking in the meeting, he literally goes out of his way to help,” Milton said. “I’ve been in another building. I know how that goes. It’s just very different over here.”
Setting up the week ahead
The Patriots will return to the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium on Monday for what will be their most intense session so far: the expectation is that the team will wear full pads for the first time all summer. Their full practice schedule for this week looks as follows:
- Monday, July 28: 10:30 a.m. ET
- Tuesday, July 29: 10:15 a.m. ET
- Wednesday, July 30: 10:15 a.m. ET
- Thursday, July 31: 10 a.m. ET
- Friday, August 1: 6 p.m. ET (exclusive in-stadium practice for season ticket members)
The Patriots will then take a weekend off to prepare for their joint practices with the
Washington Commanders.
