The Patriots just wrapped up their tenth training camp practice of the summer and their second walkthrough style of those ten. While there was no competitive eleven-on-eleven or even seven-on-seven periods, there were some things to take away from practice.

Third running back spot takes a turn

Through the first seven days of the summer, second-year running back Lan Larison had been taking the majority of the reps as the team’s third running back. Larison broke his foot in last year’s preseason opener, but was making a strong roster push at the time.

This year the story is different, as Larison has not shown out and his third running back reps began to drop. His reps were dished out to seventh-round pick Jam Miller. Miller hasn’t flashed enough to take the spot from Larison, but has done more than the second-year player.

In the midst of this, third-year back, Terrell Jennings, returned from the Non-football injury list on Monday and began to take third running back reps Wednesday.

Jennings failed to make the opening 53-man roster each of his first two seasons, but with no definitive third running back it appears he will have a great shot this summer.

Rookies earn more starting reps

Two rookies, Khalil Jacobs and Channing Canada, earned themselves more opportunities with higher squads at today’s walkthrough.

Jacobs has been a standout all summer long for the Patriots, and it appears he is working as the team’s fourth linebacker. He is currently behind Robert Spillane, Christian Ellis and Chad Muma. Muma, who played 131 out of his 160 snaps with the Patriots on special teams last year, was the only non-starting backer to rotate in with the starting defense.

The Patriots kept five linebackers for the majority of the 2025 season, so it would be expected that both Muma and Jacobs make the team’s original 53-man roster.

On the other hand, Canada earning more reps is a bit of a surprise. The former Texas Christian University cornerback  was competitive in the Patriots indoor practice, but had a tough day on Tuesday. It doesn’t appear Canada will make the roster, but the team may be higher on him than we know.

C.J. Dippre makes his training camp debut

Second-year tight end C.J. Dippre finally made his first appearance at training camp after missing the first nine days of practice. Dippre was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list earlier in July with an undisclosed injury.

Dippre gives the Patriots much-needed depth at the tight end position, as the team only has six players in the room with the release of Jeremiah Franklin last night.

The Alabama product is going to have an uphill battle to make the team with the emergence of Tanner Arkin. If Dippre was present to start camp, that competition would have been a lot tighter, but with no one to take reps away from Arkin, he easily took hold of the team’s third tight end spot.

With all that said, Dippre does provide more receiving upside than Arkin, collecting 781 receiving yards in his four-year collegiate career, to Arkin’s 351. Unfortunately for Dippre, the Patriots are looking for a Y-tight end, and Arkin is by far the better blocker.

What they said

As Patriots quarterback Drake Maye stepped up to the podium, he was greeted with a question, which he quickly stopped.

“We got Karen [Guregian] over here,” Maye said with a smile.

The reporter apologized, which prompted a Maye wink. The third-year quarterback continues to follow the footsteps of his head coach by letting Guregian ask the first question.

The aforementioned Guregian led off with a question about Drake’s command of the huddle. This was prompted due to head coach Mike Vrabel giving his opinion on the topic earlier in the week on SiriusXM radio.

“He kind of surprised me,” Vrabel admitted. “We had him mic’d up, and he says a lot more in the huddle than I thought he would…I don’t hear him say a whole lot, but he’s improved in that.”

Maye credited his outspokenness to his comfortability and it being something the quarterback position entails.

“I think you just try to get more comfortable,” Maye said. “I think you get more comfortable naturally as it goes on, and I appreciate my chances to be in there, and not take it for granted; my responsibility for this team…[I] try to elevate the guys around me, and I think it’s good to go back and forth, pushing each other. They push me to be more engaging and to be more vocal, and I push them to practice better.”