FOXBORO — On a wet, rainy and windy day behind Gillette Stadium, Patriots running backs had their bright spots.
On the slick track, they made sharp cuts in individual drills. They executed screens with precision. Rex Burkhead showed off a nice set of hands, and D.J. Foster made two spectacular grabs for touchdowns — one from Tom Brady, another from Jacoby Brissett — to hoots and hollers from teammates.
But running backs coach Ivan Fears, as he does every year at this stage, pounded home a familiar message: Calm down. Without pads and full contact, this isn’t the time for real evaluation.