Patriots Minicamp: JuJu Out; Former All-Rookie OL In?

The New England Patriots continue to keep their options open along the offensive line, while they continue to take a cautious approach with receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.

FOXBORO — As the New England Patriots prepare for their first day of mandatory minicamp at Gillette Stadium, one of their most-prominent free agent acquisitions will not be joining them. 

From the continued absence of wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to a potential addition to their offensive line, here is a look at some attendance notes prior to the Pats taking the field on Monday. 

Smith-Schuster Still a No-Go

Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is “unlikely” to take the field on Monday, per a report from The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.

Smith-Schuster, who signed a three-year contract with New England in March, has yet to be an active participant in team drills OTAs. Though the reason he is being held out of minicamp is unspecified as of yet, the six-year veteran suffered a knee injury during January’s AFC Championship Game as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. Still, Smith-Schuster played an integral role in the Chiefs’ 38-35 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, catching seven passes for 53 yards.

Accordingly, New England is being prudent when it comes to Smith-Schuster’s health heading into 2023. The USC product possesses the ability to routinely gain yards after the catch — which, in theory, should endear him to new Patriots’ offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. However, his continued absence means missing valuable time to build synergy with Patriots quarterbacks, especially expected starter Mac Jones.

Patriots Work Out DJ Fluker

The Pats continue to keep their options open along the offensive line by hosting veteran offensive tackle D.J. Fluker, per a Monday morning report from The Score. 

Fluker originally entered the NFL as a first-round draft pick (No. 11 overall) by the San Diego Chargers in 2013. During his rookie year, Fluker started in 15 games and was named to the All-Rookie Team. In total, Fluker started 61 games over his first four seasons. Still, he was released by the Chargers in advance their relocation to Los Angeles for the 2017 season. 

For the next few seasons, Fluker aligned at both tackle and guard, spending time with the New York Giants (2017), Seattle Seahawks (2018-19) and Baltimore Ravens (2020) — making a total of 40 starts during that span. However, his career sputtered during recent, yet unremarkable stops with the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders and, most recently, the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Though he did not suit up for an NFL team in 2022, Fluker is now attempting a comeback. He has reportedly lost 40 pounds, helping to solidify his 6-5, 342-pound frame. He also recently worked out for the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Trent Brown Not Present, But Not Holding Out 

Despite attending an early team activity at the outset of the Patriots offseason workout program, starting tackle Trent Brown has been a non-participant during voluntary OTAs. As a result, tackles Calvin Anderson and Conor McDermott have been manning the left tackle position. 

Despite earlier indications that Brown would be in attendance to participate in Monday’s mandatory session, he was not spotted on the field at the outset of practice. However, Brown’s absence does not appear to be a cause for concern. 

Trent Brown isn’t here at today’s minicamp practice. He’s not holding out. His flight got canceled due to a hail storm, per source.

— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) June 12, 2023

Brown’s spot in the offensive tackle rotation bears watching over the next three days, as he continues to be the subject of release rumors. Brown played in all 17 games for the Pats in 2022, making 16 starts. As such, he logged 1032 (98 percent) offensive snaps, while being whistled for none penalties. 

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