Patriots

Your guide to 2024 Patriots training camp

The first session opens Wednesday.

By Amin Touri, The Boston Globe

July 23, 2024

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Want to get a first look at a new era of Patriots football? You can do so starting this week.

New England opens its first Foxborough training camp without Bill Belichick on Wednesday, with Jerod Mayo taking the reins for a franchise in transition.

There are plenty of question marks around this team even past the departure of the most successful coach in NFL history, starting under center and extending through nearly every unit on the field.

The Patriots have announced open practices Wednesday through Friday, and Sunday through Tuesday, plus many more through mid-August, with gates opening at 10 a.m. for each 11 a.m. session. Times are subject to change and will be updated on the Patriots Training Camp website.

Here’s everything you need to know before drills start Wednesday.

How to watch

A few years ago, we put together a guide on how to watch training camp like a pro. Here is the abbreviated version:

· Pick a low vantage point for individual drills, a high one for team drills.

· Memorize the roster and jersey numbers cold.

· Take note of the pairings and combinations.

· Grade the one-on-one battles, and be descriptive.

· Take note of the game situations.

· Listen to what the coaches are telling the players.

Top story lines

What will we see out of No. 3 pick Drake Maye?

The last time the Patriots drafted a quarterback in the first round, he won the job in a hurry and was starting by Week 1.

No. 3 pick Drake Maye is stepping into a very different situation than Mac Jones was in 2021, and he’s a very different prospect. Conventional wisdom suggests that Maye will take at least some time to sit behind veteran Jacoby Brissett, returning on a one-year, $8 million deal that sure looks like a bridge contract while New England’s QB of the future gets a little more seasoning.

“It’s a process, and a marathon,” new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said in June. “So we’re really going to take our time and do it the right way.

“Jacoby is our starter. He’s playing excellent football for us in the spring. And Drake is coming on. Until that changes, we’re going to stick with what we got.”

With his athleticism and big arm, Maye is sure to make some head-turning plays in camp, even as he learns the ins and outs of being an NFL quarterback. Van Pelt and Co. are preaching patience, but if Maye impresses, it might be hard to keep the franchise’s highest pick in three decades on the bench for long.

Can Mayo piece together an elite defense?

Even amid a very disappointing 4-13 season in 2023, the Patriots still looked like an elite defensive team, especially before injuries took out some of their biggest stars.

Despite losing both star pass rusher Matthew Judon and promising rookie corner Christian Gonzalez to season-ending injuries in Week 4, and getting little help from an anemic offense that often had New England defending a short field, the Patriots finished seventh in the NFL in total yards allowed and fourth in yards allowed per play.

The primary architect (Bill Belichick) and playcaller (Steve Belichick) of that defense are both gone. But with just about all of its top talent returning, what can Mayo and new defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington do with this group?

They’re building from a strong foundation with Judon and Gonzalez set to return from injury, defensive tackle Christian Barmore and safety Kyle Dugger getting to work with improved deals, and do-it-all safety Jabrill Peppers looking to follow up on a breakout season. But Mayo’s still got a tough act to follow.

What does a Van Pelt-led offense look like?

It’s been a strange couple of seasons for the Patriots offense, which has gone from a top-six scoring squad in 2021 to a middling group in 2022 to the bottom of the barrel in 2023.

Enter new offensive coordinator Van Pelt, who will be spending the summer installing a new West Coast offense while developing the team’s future QB.

Unlike on the other side of the ball, Van Pelt doesn’t have a ton to work with as he takes over. Brissett has looked like a serviceable option for multiple teams, but is more of an overqualified backup than a steady starter. The offensive line had issues galore last season. The wide receiver room is one of No. 2s and No. 3s without a proven top option anywhere.

Van Pelt will have to make this unit greater than the sum of its parts to be competitive in 2024, and the real work on that task begins this week.

Key NFL dates

· Aug. 1: Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans, 8 p.m. (NBC).

· Aug. 27: Roster cut-down to 53 players. Keeping with last year’s change, there will be only one cut-down date, with teams allowed to carry 90 players before cutting down to 53 on Aug. 29.

Preseason schedule

The Patriots will play three preseason games — two at Gillette Stadium — all of which will be broadcast on WBZ-TV.

Aug. 8 vs. Carolina Panthers, 7 p.m.

Aug. 15 vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 8 p.m.

Aug. 25 at Washington Commanders, 8 p.m.

The Patriots will host a joint practice with the Eagles on Aug. 13 ahead of their matchup at Gillette Stadium.

Fan guidelines

· Parking and admission are free. Practices are on the fields behind Gillette Stadium.

· The schedule is subject to change. Fans planning to attend should check Patriots.com for daily updates, or call the training camp hotline at 508-549-0001.

· When the Patriots practice indoors because of inclement weather or poor field conditions, practices will be closed to the public.

· There are concessions around the practice fields and the Fan Zone, as well as exhibits from the Patriots Hall of Fame. There will be appearances by Pat Patriot, Patriots cheerleaders, and Patriots alumni.

· All fans entering the facility with a view of the practice fields will be screened with metal detectors and have all bags screened by security personnel. Fans are encouraged to use clear bags for speed of inspection.

· Prohibited items: Animals (except service animals assisting those with disabilities), alcohol, beach balls, bullhorns and air horns, coolers, fireworks or pyrotechnics, helium balloons, illegal drugs or any other illegal substances, laser pens, noisemakers, video cameras, weapons of any kind (including knives), unmanned aircraft systems, remotely controlled model aircraft, selfie sticks, and GoPro cameras. Flags are allowed, but flagpoles cannot be more than 2 feet in length.

Driving directions

· From Boston and farther north: Take I-95 South to Exit 9. Follow Route 1 South approximately 3 miles to Gillette Stadium (on the left).

· From Cape Cod: Take I-495 North to Exit 14A. Follow Route 1 North about 4 miles to Gillette Stadium (on the right).

· From southern Connecticut and Rhode Island: Take I-95 North to I-495 North to Exit 14A. Follow Route 1 North about 4 miles to Gillette Stadium (on the right).

· From northern Connecticut, Vermont, and upstate New York: Take I-90 East to I-495 South to Exit 14A. Follow Route 1 North about 4 miles to Gillette Stadium (on the right).