The Patriots’ other projected starting cornerback, Carlton Davis, has yet to fully participate in a practice since camp began. The nature and severity of Davis’ injury were unclear as of Wednesday. Before one practice last week, Vrabel said the offseason signing would be sidelined for a “maintenance day.”

The first padded practice of this training camp was an unexpectedly eventful one, as cornerback Christian Gonzalez left the field early after suffering an apparent lower body injury. With Carlton Davis already out, the Patriots’ cornerback depth took an early hit.

With Gonzalez and Carlton Davis out, the Patriots moved up players such as Alex Austin, Marcus Jones, Marcellus Dial, and D.J. James in the cornerback rotation. Austin, who started camp as the top outside backup, has been with the starters with Davis and Gonzalez absent.