The smell of football was in the air on Wednesday as the New England Patriots opened up their first OTAs practice to media members.
It was the first real opportunity for outsiders to see the players on the 2023 roster practice against one another on the field.
No, it wasn’t a padded practice, but given the many changes the Patriots have endured in the offseason, both with coaching and player personnel, it was exciting to get a sneak peek ahead of training camp later this summer.
There were 11 players that were held out of practice, including rookie first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez.