The Patriots got a little good news on the practice field Monday as TreVeyon Henderson returned for the first time since Aug. 24, when the running back went down with an ankle injury.
Henderson was back out there for New England’s bonus day of work after a weekend off, and he wasn’t the only player making a comeback. Offensive lineman Ben Brown also practiced again after missing time with a knee injury suffered in the preseason opener.
“[They’ll] probably try to do some stuff today,“ head coach Mike Vrabel explained. ”We’ll see where they are.“
There were still some notable absences on the field. Defensive captain Robert Spillane was not practicing, though the 30-year-old was in the locker room and spoke to reporters before practice. Third-string quarterback Behren Morton and rookie offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover were also missing for reasons not disclosed.
The day also brought some roster movement around the edges. New wide receiver Chandler Brayboy was present as New England is expected to make changes to the practice squad after the injury to A.J.
Brown. Outside linebacker Xavier Holmes, who spent the offseason with the team before getting hurt and later being part of roster cuts, was also on hand.
With the Patriots in full pads, the message Monday was clear: get back to the basics after the Week 1 loss. Vrabel said the focus was on fundamentals, technique, and cleaning up the details that can swing games.
“I mean, we’re a big fundamental emphasis here today,” Vrabel said. “Technique has got to improve, all these little things that can help you win football games.
So, the defense gives you something and the ball’s supposed to go somewhere, then put the ball there. And if we’re supposed to be in a look where we’re supposed to can the play, then can it or alert it or whatever that may be defensively, our checks and everything else.
And build on some of the good stuff on special teams.”
New England now shifts into a standard in-season rhythm, with practices set for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before injury reports are released. The Patriots’ home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers is scheduled for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET.
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Patriots Make Another Early Depth Move Ahead Of Week 2
The Patriots continued fine-tuning their back end this week, making another round of practice squad changes as they prepare for Week 2. New England added wide receiver Chandler Brayboy and outside linebacker Xavier Holmes, a pair of moves that gives the team a little more depth at two spots while also keeping the roster churn moving early in the season. To make room, the Patriots released running back Hassan Haskins and safety Elliott Davison from the practice squad.
Brayboy and Holmes now get a chance to settle into the system, while the departures of Haskins and Davison show how fluid these early-season depth decisions can be. For a team still sorting out its weekly layering of position groups, the practice squad remains a useful place to keep options open, and these kinds of moves often hint at where the staff wants a little extra insurance heading into the next game. [Read more 🡒]