The first padded practice of this Patriots training camp brought a little chippiness, a surprise guest, and several notable absences.
The offensive and defensive lines were hit hard in the middle with key players out.
Defensive lineman Christian Barmore remains out indefinitely after he was diagnosed with blood clots over the weekend. Nose guard Davon Godchaux was in attendance, but not in full pads.
Center David Andrews was absent as well, and Nick Leverett filled in.
There was some level of hitting, including 1-on-1 drills between the linemen, but there wasn’t much tackling as New England continued to ramp up to full practices.