Patriots Training Camp Notebook: Zeke, JuJu Shine; Mills Injury Update?

As the New England Patriots continue to prepare for their preseason matchup with the Tennessee Titans, Patriots Country highlights those who stood above the rest during one of their last camp practices.

FOXBORO — Following a pair of off-days, the New England Patriots returned to the field on Tuesday afternoon for their penultimate day of training camp practices.

Despite cancelling a pair of joint practices with the Tennessee Titans originally scheduled for this week in Nashville, the Patriots remain intent on sharpening their skills on both sides of the ball as they prepare for their preseason finale on Friday.

Here are some of the afternoon's highlights from the Patriots’ practice fields.

Roll Call:

Fulfilling coach Bill Belichick's proclamation that "a few players missing from last week" would soon be returning to the field, hybrid runner/receiver Ty Montgomery and linebacker Ronnie Perkins were back in action on Tuesday. 

Tight end Mike Gesicki and running back Pierre Strong also participated in the session, albeit while wearing red non-contact jerseys. 

Five players, yet to be given an official injury designation, were absent including: offensive guard Cole Strange, cornerback Jonathan Jones, receiver Tre Nixon, center/guard Kody Russey and offensive tackle Conor McDermott.

Cornerback Isaiah Bolden also did not practice with the team, as he is currently in concussion protocol.

Starting guard Michael Onwenu, safety/special teamer Cody Davis and defensive end Trey Flowers remain on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, while offensive tackle Calvin Anderson continued his stay on the non-football injury/illness (NFI) list. 

Quarterback Snapshot

Following a strong performance in his preseason debut, Mac Jones completed 18 of 23 passes with one interception on a relatively light day of competitive drills. Still, the Pats starter looked decisive and mechanically sound for much of the day. His lone interception came on an attempt to find receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster — his fifth and final pass of the afternoon's closing two-minute drill. Defensive back Myles Bryant made the jump on Jones' ill-timed pass to prevent the Pats first-team offense from finding the end zone. 

Bailey Zappe turned in a solid day of work, connecting on 14 of 20 passes in team drills. The Western Kentucky product completed his final three passes of his two-minute drill with the second-team offense. Zappe hit running back Ezekiel Elliott and hybrid receiver/quarterback Malik Cunningham to set up a touchdown strike to rookie Kayshon Boutte — who finished with four catches. 

Zeke Takes Gillette 

Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott once again made his presence felt by compiling three catches as a backfield receiver. The former Cowboys standout showcased his pass-caching skills on Tuesday, by hauling in two passes from Jones and one from Zappe during two-minute team drills. Though he did not see the field against the Green Bay Packers during their preseason meeting last Saturday, Elliott did get the better of Green Bay's defense during last Thursday’s joint practice session. In addition to breaking the Packers' defensive seal for eight yards to find the end zone, Elliott also scored on a goal-line carry. Albeit in a limited sample size, the two-time All Pro is already proving himself capable of being a dual threat weapon, and a solid complement to top back Rhamondre Stevenson.

JuJu On the Beat

Smith-Schuster has been among New England’s standouts for a notable number of New England’s practices, to date. Not only has he led off positional drills, but he has also become one of Mac Jones' favorite targets. The 26-year-old once again looked the part on Tuesday, hauling in six of Jones' passes, including two "would-be" touchdowns. In addition to his synergy with Jones, Smith-Schuster's on-field abilities continue to showcase his ability to earn yards above expectation, thus endearing him to Patriots’ offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien

Jalen Mills Injured? 

In the closing moments of team drills, Mills left the field while appearing to favor his right ankle, or foot. He was attended to by the team's training staff and did not return to action. In the wake of longtime team captain Devin McCourty's retirement, the 29-year-old has helped to fill the void in the defensive backfield by playing multiple roles, including both safety positions, aligning near the line of scrimmage and blitzing off the edge. He has also served as an on-field mentor for some of the team's young defensive backs. His status will closely be monitored in the coming days. 

Up Next:

The Pats will return to the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium on Wednesday before traveling to Nashville on Thursday for their Saturday night tilt with the Titans at 7 p.m. ET from Nissan Stadium. 

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