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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Parker’s place: The red zone was a primary emphasis through the first four days of training camp, and it quickly became clear that veteran receiver DeVante Parker is a big part of the Patriots’ plans.

When the space gets tight on the field, the catch radius of a 6-foot-3, 219-pound target like Parker stands out when quarterback Mac Jones is assessing his options.

“Big body, can make a lot of plays, contested catches,” tight end Hunter Henry said. “It’s always nice to add a guy like that and take a little pressure off everybody else.”

One of the signature plays from the early stretch of camp came in a 7-on-7 drill with the ball spotted on the 10-yard line — Jones in the shotgun, Parker split wide to his left.

When Jones released the ball as Parker crossed the goal line, the eight-year veteran was not open. Starting cornerback Jalen Mills, wearing mitts as part of a technique to avoid grabbing, had him locked up.

But Jones delivered a perfect back-shoulder throw and Parker adjusted to it, toe-tapping his feet along the left boundary.

“Mac sees where the defender is. He puts it in a great spot and I’m able to come down to it,” said Parker, who has led the NFL in tight-window catches over the past five seasons (defined as less than 1 yard of separation as the pass arrives), according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

This is likely what Bill Belichick envisioned when the Patriots acquired Parker and a fifth-round pick from the Miami Dolphins in March in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick.

The Patriots might not have a clear-cut No. 1 receiver, but pairing Parker with returning top targets Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne — and drafting speedster Tyquan Thornton (Baylor) in the second round — potentially gives them a deep, diverse group.

Parker, in essence, projects to fill the role of what the Patriots thought they were getting when they drafted N’Keal Harry at the end of the first round in 2019. Harry was traded to the Chicago Bears on July 12 for a 2023 seventh-round pick (and Parker is now wearing his No. 1 jersey).

Parker, 29, has been feeding off the energy of the lively scene at training camp, where thousands have packed the bleachers and hillside each day. After a different tight-window catch in the red zone, he gestured to the crowd and raised his arms in the air, which sparked a roar from those in attendance.

“Big energy,” said Mills, the veteran cornerback who has often been assigned to cover him. “You like to see that.”

2. Real football: Monday marks an important day for the Patriots — the first practice in full pads. That’s the date Belichick has referenced as essentially the real start of training camp. Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux said players at his position “can’t do much” before that point and he expects some jitters. Added Mills: “That’s when we’re playing real football, seeing big guys in the trenches, hearing those pads clapping, and us on the back end, getting to compete with the receivers, jamming them up a little.”

3. Taking charge: Teammates are noticing a difference in Jones in his second season, and longtime team leaders such as Matthew Slater said it’s only a matter of time before the team truly becomes his. “He’s definitely more commanding than he was last year,” added offensive tackle Trent Brown. Jones is usually one of the first players to arrive for practice each day, giving himself 15-20 minutes to loosen up and work on fundamentals.

4. OT switch: Belichick downplayed the team’s offensive tackle flip in the spring — Brown on the left, Isaiah Wynn on the right — as nothing more than the norm of building versatility along the line. But that’s also the way it’s been early in training camp and it seems to have more of a permanent feeling, especially when Brown said of being at left tackle: “It’s feeling like home.”

5. Corner concerns? A significant question looms at cornerback opposite Mills, where veteran Terrance Mitchell received the initial opportunity of camp, and Belichick praised his instincts. The Patriots are the sixth team Mitchell, 30, has been with in his nine-year career. Then there’s 32-year-old Malcolm Butler, who acknowledged he’s “getting in shape” while feeling he’s already knocked off the rust after not playing in 2021. They’ve been the top two options in front of rookie Jack Jones (fourth round, Arizona State).

6. Stevenson’s change: Running back Rhamondre Stevenson reported to training camp at 225 pounds, which he said was seven pounds lighter than last year. But it’s not just the number as much as the type of weight he’s carrying. “I think I got a lot more lean and I feel better overall,” he said. It shows, as Stevenson has looked fluid as a pass-catcher in space, which was one of his offseason goals. The result is that Stevenson is giving himself a chance to stay on the field in the “passing back” role.

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Video: Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson, who said he is 225 pounds (7 pounds down from when he reported last year), on being leaner in 2022. pic.twitter.com/q8k1SOyTvd

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) July 28, 2022

7. Simple = success? If there was one common thread listening to Patriots offensive players after the first stretch of practices, it was their optimism about changes to streamline the attack. Stevenson, for one, said it’s “simpler, easier to learn, and you can play faster.” Brown and Bourne were among those echoing those thoughts, with Mac Jones saying: “We are doing a lot of good things schematically to get up there and snap the ball a lot quicker.”

8. Uche’s ‘breakout’: Brown predicts a “breakout year” for linebacker Josh Uche, the 2020 second-round pick who played just three snaps (not including kneel-downs) in last season’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills but has shown signs of being a disruptive pass-rusher when healthy. Uche was at his best at Michigan when his weight was in the 230s, and it looks like he’s back in that range now despite being listed on the roster at 245. Uche is moving well in the early days of camp when asked to cover running backs in the flat.

9. Tight coverage: The Patriots’ defense isn’t the only group providing tight coverage; about 200 media credentials were issued by the team for training camp over the first four days, a reflection of how many reporters, camera operators etc., have been in attendance each day.

10. Did you know? The Patriots ranked 11th last season in red zone offense, with a 61.9 touchdown percentage (63 trips, 39 TDs). The AFC East champion Bills ranked eighth, with a league-high 77 trips, and 48 touchdowns (62.3%).

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Mac’s edge: Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in March that quarterback Mac Jones was “respectful of coming in as a rookie” last season and that he believed Jones “has a little more edge that we’ve seen.”

It’s showing now.

The Patriots have two weeks remaining in their offseason program — with a three-day mandatory minicamp scheduled for Tuesday-Thursday this week — and Jones’ increased leadership has caught his teammates’ attention.

“It’s just at another level now,” receiver Kendrick Bourne told ESPN. “He’s more comfortable, more confident. He knows what’s going on, and the muscle memory is there [from having gone through it] — OTAs, then camp, and the season. He’s just more locked in, more secure in his position.”

As a result, Jones is positioned to become a team captain in just his second NFL season. If that’s the way it unfolds when players vote near the end of training camp, it would put him in rare company, joining Jerod Mayo and Devin McCourty as the only other Patriots to earn a second-year captaincy in Bill Belichick’s 23-year tenure as head coach.

“He connects with all the players really well. I’m proud of that dude, because it’s not easy,” said Bourne, who was among the visitors at Jones’ house for a hibachi party during the first night of the NFL draft. “Going into his second year after having a year like that, it’s going to be a challenge, but he’s a guy that likes challenges, like all of us in that Patriot building.”

Jones’ increased comfort level has manifested itself at practice when demonstrating to his pass-catchers what he’s looking for in their routes. At one point on Tuesday, he split out wide and ran a route as wide receivers watched intently.

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Highlighting a top observation from Patriots practice: Mac Jones’ growing comfort level with WRs to express what he is looking for route-wise.

This video from Tuesday, after DeVante Parker takes a rep, shows one example.

Rolling the route, instead of a sharp cut, was emphasis. pic.twitter.com/miHqn728bH

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) June 1, 2022

“He’s a young guy but he’s developed as a leader. That’s what this team needs,” said receiver DeVante Parker, now in his eighth NFL season and first in New England after being acquired in a trade from Miami. “I’ve only been here a few weeks, but I still see it.”

Added veteran cornerback Malcolm Butler: “He has great energy on and off the field. His confidence, his swagger — I love that about him.”

2. Balancing act: Starting safety Adrian Phillips arrived in town last week to take part in the final couple of weeks of the team’s offseason program. He said he felt it was the right thing to do, even though it wasn’t easy leaving his wife, Camille, and their 8-month-old son, Dylan, back in Texas. Camille, a doctor, has a demanding job.

“I was at home being a dad and house husband,” Phillips said. “I’m sad that I’m away from him for an extended period of time, because this time is so pivotal. But I FaceTime with him every day and make sure he doesn’t forget my face.”

3. Post-McDaniels era: How has the transition been without Josh McDaniels at offensive coordinator? Spending time with Bourne last week at the 47th annual Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts Golf Classic, he shared one player’s perspective.

“It’s been dope so far. Joe Judge, our newest member [of the staff], he’s doing a great job,” Bourne said. “Really just new terminology, new words. Football is football, so it’s just about learning the new words, and getting the old words out. And it’s applying my abilities to the new system.”

How much the Patriots’ system actually changes — versus how much the staff is focusing on experimentation — is one of the greatest areas of intrigue surrounding the team.

“I think [Judge is] putting us in position to be successful. I’m excited so far,” said Bourne, adding that his abilities as a rusher (12 carries, 125 yards, 10.4 average in 2021) have been among the personal highlights. “Hopefully we’ll have a great year. We’ll see how it goes.”

4. CB questions: If there’s one position that stands out when asking the question “Do the Patriots have enough?” it’s outside cornerback. Veterans Butler and Terrance Mitchell have been paired there, along with top returnee Jonathan Jones in the slot. Jalen Mills and Joejuan Williams have been the others working on the outside, with Shaun Wade getting his initial work inside. Fourth-round draft pick Jack Jones of Arizona State, who has shown some stickiness in coverage, could also be a factor as he catches up to the more experienced players. “It’s a good group. A lot of competition,” Butler said.

5. Thornton’s arms: If Patriots second-round pick Tyquan Thornton has a successful rookie season as a receiver, how he uses his arms to become a more fluid route runner could be the key. That’s one area he’s focusing on this spring as he works to get “1% better each day.”

“Your arms, that’s your bread and butter, to get in and out of your breaks,” said Thornton, who is wearing a temporary No. 51 in practice, per Belichick’s annual spring tradition of assigning rookies unconventional numbers as a reminder to them of what should be most important.

6. Asiasi’s plan: When the second annual “TE University” takes place June 22-24 in Nashville, Tennessee, third-year Patriots tight end Devin Asiasi plans to be there. The primary goal for the 2020 third-round pick from UCLA — who has appeared in 10 NFL games while totaling two receptions for 39 yards and one touchdown — is to gain more knowledge from others around the league.

7. Keene’s state: This is a make-or-break year for tight end Dalton Keene, the Patriots’ other 2020 third-round pick whose best hope to stick might be as an H-back type, and it doesn’t help that he has been limited the past two weeks after suffering an undisclosed injury at the first OTA practice May 23. The setback, albeit seemingly minor, is a reflection of how the Virginia Tech alum has had a series of unfortunate breaks, which includes missing all of last season on IR.

8. Mandatory camp: This week’s mandatory minicamp figures to be an extension of the work the Patriots have been doing in the voluntary offseason program, and so notable storylines will include some of the players returning to town who haven’t been around — left tackle Isaiah Wynn, outside linebacker Matthew Judon and receiver N’Keal Harry among them. Harry, the 2019 first-round pick, is now a long shot to make the roster at his traditional position barring injuries ahead of him on the depth chart. Harry’s best chance might be to ask about a possible switch to tight end to compete with Asiasi and Keene as TE3 behind Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith.

9. Ernie in spotlight: In all his years as Patriots football research director, Ernie Adams kept a low profile before his retirement following the 2020 season. So it was a rare extended interview from Adams on the “Pats From The Past” podcast on Patriots.com, with co-hosts Matt Smith and Paul Perillo. What links Russ Francis and Rob Gronkowski, or the 1970s Patriots teams to the modern-day Baltimore Ravens? Few can answer those questions with the authority of Adams, who does so in an enjoyable chat full of rich football history.

10. Did you know? Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is set to retire after 17 seasons, appeared in 166 games, with 147 starts. The team he started against more than any other? The Patriots (13), followed by the Jets (12), Dolphins (10) and Colts (10).