FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has dominated in practices at times during training camp, but some of the team’s top defenders got the last laugh on Friday by intercepting a pass he threw during an intrasquad scrimmage.
In classic Gronkowski fashion, he saw the positive in his deep pass down the right sideline.
“It was one of the best punts out there, right on the 1-yard line,” he cracked after practice. “That’s how I’m looking at it!”
Safety Devin McCourty hauled in the underthrown attempt, and Gronkowski was expecting plenty of trash talk as he walked off the practice field.
McCourty, of course, was happy to discuss the play.
“Probably not the best decision to throw into double coverage right there,” he cracked to reporters.
With Gronkowski’s interception as a springboard, let’s take a closer look at what we saw (and heard) at Thursday’s practice:
Underrated play of the day: While Tom Brady’s 25-for-25 day stole the show – with touchdown passes to running back Brandon Bolden and wide receiver Matthew Slater the top deliveries – a tone-setting play to open the scrimmage by second-year player Geneo Grissom deserves mention. Playing on the kickoff coverage team, Grissom filled his lane, and while there wasn’t live tackling, he pushed Shea McClellin backward into returner D’Angelo Bentley, who hit the ground with a thud. While Grissom doesn’t seem to have a big role on defense, his niche in the kicking game could help him stick on the roster.
What's on the set list?: After a 13-song set list on Thursday, there was no music during the intrasquad scrimmage.
Eight catches for Hogan. Receiver Chris Hogan was back at practice after missing the prior four sessions with an apparent shoulder injury. He wore a red, noncontact jersey and had eight of Brady’s 25 pass attempts thrown in his direction. He showed reliable hands, good speed and crisp route running. After practice, Hogan said he expects to be fully cleared for contact for next week’s joint practices with the Saints.
Health report. Rookie receiver Malcolm Mitchell, whom the coaching/medical staff appears to be managing to be at his best (perhaps with his knee in mind), returned to practice after being held out Thursday. ... Veteran receiver Nate Washington, who hasn’t practiced since Day 1 when he was seen vomiting on the field, was back in pads but had a clearly limited workload. ... Running backs Donald Brown (believed to be hamstring) and D.J. Foster didn’t practice. ... Center Bryan Stork (reported concussion) and right guard Jonathan Cooper (right foot) remain out.
Extra points. With the teams split, Josh McDaniels coached the “white” squad (quarterbacked by Jimmy Garoppolo) while Matt Patricia led the “blue” unit (Brady’s group). Linebackers coach Brian Flores seemed to be in charge of the defense for the “white” team, as players gathered around him as they came off the field. ... Bill Belichick served as the referee for the scrimmage, which had great energy, and the overall competitive level was high. ... Cornerback Malcolm Butler showed up with a pass breakup on receiver Aaron Dobson and had blanket coverage on deep balls to receiver DeAndre Carter. ... Four-year veteran Josh Kline worked as the top right guard, with sixth-round draft pick Ted Karras the second-team center. ... Former Patriots linebacker Don Davis (2003-206), working with the NFL Players Association, was a guest at practice. ... Credit linebacker Jamie Collins with an interception of Garoppolo’s final pass attempt of the day, which was deflected at the line of scrimmage. ... Second-year safety Jordan Richards had his hands on a Garoppolo pass but couldn’t bring it in, tipping it in the air as tight end A.J. Derby corralled the deflection. ... After Brady answered questions from reporters, he returned to the field and competed with Garoppolo in the “bucket drill.”
Weekend schedule: Saturday is a day off; Sunday’s practice is at 2:30 p.m. ET (it had originally been scheduled for 9:15 a.m.)