FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – When the New England Patriots took the field for practice on Friday afternoon, 21 players were absent because of injuries and/or rehabilitation work. This was one reminder that the team has arrived at the so-called "dog days" of camp.
Add the fact that throughout the somewhat lethargic session, quarterback Tom Brady could be heard urging players to pick up the pace and snap into gear, and it further amplified that point.
"You have to always fight through," tight end Rob Gronkowski said after the full-pads session. "It's camp every single day, you're going out on the field full pads, you have to fight through it no matter; you have aches and pains, your legs are tired, whatever it is. It's camp days. This is when you build your body for the whole season."
Gronkowski naturally took note of Brady attempting to create a spark, which he's seen many times before.
"He definitely is our leader and he motivates us," he said. "That's what great about working with him; he's always competing on the football field. He gets us fired [up] and can tell sometimes when we're a little tired and he gets us to push it through."
The group of 21 players who didn’t practice included receiver Julian Edelman (came up a bit gimpy on Sunday) and tight end Scott Chandler (unknown), two key cogs in the offense. Then when running back LeGarrette Blount remained down following a running play and had his right knee/leg checked by athletic trainers before walking slowly to the locker room under his own power, it added a 22nd player to the list.
The offense struggled at times, with Brady throwing his second interception of camp on a pass intended for Gronkowski that was tipped by safety Patrick Chung (tight coverage) and intercepted by safety Devin McCourty. Some of the overall struggles for the offense seemed to be personnel-based, as camp can be a battle of attrition.
With 22 players out of the mix by the end of practice, the team was shorthanded and it showed.
Some other observations from practice:
Receiver Danny Amendola made a highlight-reel one-handed touchdown grab in 1-on-1 work, with cornerback Logan Ryan in coverage. It's interesting to note how perceptions can shift; Amendola's ability to stay healthy was a big storyline at this time last year and this year he's basically been the last receiver standing over the first eight practices and showing up with notable plays daily.
Not seeing much separation among the pass-catching running backs at this point. James White, the perceived leading candidate, had a fumble in an inside running drill before atoning a bit with a nice one-handed reception later in the session in 11-on-11 work.
The coaching staff has been rotating at right cornerback all week, and Friday marked rookie Darryl Roberts' turn to show he belongs. He made one play that caught the eye -- a deflection of an out route intended for Amendola near the goal-line. Well done by the seventh-round pick from Marshall, who was targeted with success at other times.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had one throw he'd like to have back, an errant delivery over the middle that was intercepted by safety Duron Harmon. Garoppolo was fortunate to not have a second pick, as safety Nate Ebner dropped it.
Center Bryan Stork might have been dinged up a bit, as he didn't finish the practice. That had Josh Kline taking some center reps. That's another injury situation to monitor, along with first-round draft pick Malcom Brown, who didn't finish practice but answered questions from reporters afterwards, a reflection that his injury doesn't seem overly serious.