Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs participated in offseason workouts last week.
Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs participated in offseason workouts last week.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
The Patriots kick off their mandatory minicamp Monday.
Up until this point, all practices had been voluntary. This upcoming three-day stretch marks the last time the team will take the field before training camp begins at the end of July.
Here’s what we’ll be watching . . .
Will there be 100 percent attendance?
The Patriots should feel confident to expect perfect attendance for a few reasons: 1. They have had a strong turnout during their organized team activities (OTAs). 2. They don’t have any potential contract holdouts. 3. Coach Mike Vrabel has made his expectations pretty clear while trying to establish his organizational culture.
Wide receiver Stefon Diggs and cornerback Carlton Davis were the two players most likely to jeopardize perfect attendance, but both veterans have reported to Gillette Stadium for at least one OTA practice.
The 31-year-old Diggs, who made waves this spring for his off-field decisions, is still recovering from a torn ACL sustained last season, but looked spry during last Wednesday’s practice. Davis, meanwhile, has yet to take the field during a session open to the media.
Who is taking reps at left guard?
New England’s offensive line is starting to take shape, with rookie Will Campbell at left tackle, Michael Onwenu at right guard, and Morgan Moses at right tackle. Either veteran Garrett Bradbury or rookie Jared Wilson are in line to start at center, leaving left guard as the position with the most uncertainty.
Through the voluntary portion of the offseason, the two leading candidates appear to be free agent signing Wes Schweitzer and 2022 first-round pick Cole Strange. But the list of other players in the mix is lengthy, featuring 2024 fourth-round pick Layden Robinson, who started 11 games last season; 2023 fourth-round pick Sidy Sow; and Tyrese Robinson, a second-year player the Patriots claimed off waivers last November.
“All the players that we’ve been rotating through have been doing a good job there,” offensive line coach Doug Marrone said.
The offensive line is a difficult position to evaluate during this time of year because of the lack of live contact and unrealistic split of passing vs. running plays. So, most insights currently pertain to the combinations of players on the field.
Is there an update on defensive coordinator Terrell Williams?
Williams has been physically away from the team for the entirety of the spring, as he’s dealing with the fallout of a health scare that occurred in March.
Patriots linebackers coach Zak Kuhr is taking on additional duties in Williams’s absence, though the two are working in tandem. Williams speaks daily with Kuhr and the players. As Kuhr described it, he’s an extension of Williams and Vrabel.
None of the coaches has shared a potential timeline for Williams’s return.
Who will step up in the absence of Jahlani Tavai?
Tavai left practice last Thursday because of a left leg injury that will likely sideline him until at least the start of training camp. Despite the significant turnover of players with a connection to Bill Belichick, Tavai has remained on the roster and looked to be a contender to start alongside Robert Spillane.
With Tavai’s absence, Christian Elliss will likely see more action. The same goes for Jack Gibbens, Marte Mapu, Monty Rice, and Cam Riley, who are all battling for roles.
Outside of Tavai, the Patriots have stayed relatively healthy throughout the spring.
Will there be any movement at wide receiver?
Wide receiver is one of New England’s biggest position battles to watch. Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, and rookie Kyle Williams are seemingly the only roster locks, because they were acquired by the new regime under Vrabel.
The other spots — likely two, possibly three — are up for grabs between DeMario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, Kayshon Boutte, Javon Baker, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Efton Chism III. Douglas seems pretty close to a lock, given his production the past two seasons.
Asked how the receivers can separate from one another, Vrabel kept his answer simple: “Can they know what to do? Can they line up? Can they catch the ball? Can they help the quarterback?” As Vrabel noted, those questions can only start to be answered in the spring.
Can the offense continue to build momentum?
The passing attack had its ups and downs during the OTA practices open to the media. Drake Maye threw four interceptions in the first session and has since bounced back with two turnover-free outings, but has still struggled with accuracy.
The offense had its best showing last Thursday, as the unit continues to get comfortable under new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Both McDaniels and quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant have viewed errors as a positive during this time of year, as long as they aren’t repeated.
“This is the time of year with no repercussions to the mistakes, for us to figure out what we do very well, what we might need to work on a little bit, try to fit in throws that we might not necessarily do on a Sunday,” Grant said. “We’re trying to push ourselves to the limit, just to see what we can and can’t do.”
Added McDaniels, “I feel like at this time of year, it’s either a good play or we’re going to learn from it. So, there’s a positive result in either direction. That’s the mind-set we’re taking.”
Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com.Follow her @nicolecyang.