Training camp stock watch: Javon Baker continues to impress originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
FOXBORO — About 24 hours before the Patriots donned pads for the first time in training camp, things got a little heated.
After a run-of-the-mill handoff to Rhamondre Stevenson during an 11-on-11 period — the play looked like it was blown up for no gain by defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale — there was a brief skirmish between the offense and defense. David Andrews lost his helmet. Sidy Sow had to readjust his shoulder pads. Chukwuma Okorafor and Davon Godchaux were near the center of the pushing and shoving.
And things continued to get a little loose from there.
After a pair of Jacoby Brissett incompletions, Deatrich Wise seemed to contact Brissett in the backfield as the quarterback began his throwing motion. That’s a no-no with passers in red jerseys, and Wise acknowledged as much after the play, tapping his chest and raising his hand as if to say, “My fault.”
Two plays later, with Drake Maye on the field, it looked like the offense had a substitution issue and had to re-huddle. Moments later, rookie guard Layden Robinson committed a false start penalty and had to be sent for a lap.
It was a stretch worth noting, in part, because new head coach Jerod Mayo handled it differently than his predecessor might’ve.
In previous years, when camp practices inevitably got a little too physical or disorganized, Bill Belichick would often gather the team and emphatically remind them of his expectations. There were moments when he would send the entire roster, coaches included, for a lap or two just to send a message.
Mayo handled things differently Sunday. The practice continued and things eventually tightened up without a stop in the action. During the next competitive period, Brissett and Maye combined to complete six of their next seven attempts, with the one incompletion coming as a result of a K.J. Osborn drop.
It’s too early in Mayo’s tenure to judge from afar which way is…
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