Christian Barmore did not participate in Thursday's training camp practice with his New England Patriots teammates. But the absence was all part of the plan as he works his way back from a lost 2024 season.

And though he didn't practice Thursday, it was impossible for Barmore to contain his excitement for the upcoming season when he spoke with reporters after the session. After missing most of last season because of a scary bout with blood clots, Barmore said he reported to camp in the best shape of his life. It's led to some huge changes on the field.

"I feel faster. I feel lighter. I feel way quicker," Barmore told reporters. "I feel like I move way better. It's the best I've felt since I've been in the league."

Barmore said he feels back to his old self, but he looks much different. The 25-year-old defensive tackle has noticeably slimmed down this year, and said he's dropped his weight from 325 pounds two seasons ago to around 305 pounds now. 

He said he focused on core workouts in the offseason and also hit the track a lot, which included doing hurdles. He also told everyone to "eat your veggies" on Thursday.

Barmore also made sure to give the Patriots training staff a lot of credit for his recovery and new look.

"These coaches I have and the medical staff really have good people to help me get in the best possible shape I could be in," he said. "I'm really grateful for that."

The staff's plan for Barmore on Thursday had him doing individual drills on the conditioning field. Soon enough, he'll be back alongside free-agent prize Milton Williams as they look to anchor New England's defensive line. If the defense wants to live up to the Top 10 (or in some cases, Top 5) hype some pundits are floating around this summer, Barmore and Williams owning the trenches for the Patriots.

"We say it's all about a dominant front. It's all on us," said Barmore. "Every time we're on the field, we want to dominate. That's our goal.

"Defense wins championships," he added. "So we really want to dominate every day."