Mack Hollins is off PUP and participated in Thursday's practice, making a crowded wide receiver room in New England a bit more cramped. Hollins was on the field for the Patriots for the first time of training camp Thursday.

Hollins was present at the first seven practices of camp but did not participate with an undisclosed injury. Now that he's off PUP, he's back on the field and ready to take part in drills.

However, there were no real drills on Thursday, as the session was a walk-through for the Patriots. So Hollins will have to wait another day to see some real action in pads, though he did put in some extra work with quarterback Drake Maye after Thursday's practice. 

New England will practice again Friday night inside Gillette Stadium, before getting the weekend off.

The 31-year-old Hollins signed a two-year, $8.4 million deal with the Patriots in the offseason. The seven-year veteran played 17 games for the Buffalo Bills last season and caught 31 passes for 378 yards and five touchdowns. Hollins has 162 receptions for 2,069 yards and 15 touchdowns over his career with Buffalo, the Atlanta Falcons, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Miami Dolphins, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Patriots wide receiver competition

Hollins joins a crowded receiving corps in New England that is made up of 11 players fighting for five or six roster spots.

The group is led by Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, and rookie Kyle Williams, who appear to be locks to make the team. Hollins likely fits in that group as well, given his two-year pact with New England and his ability to play special teams.

That leaves guys like veteran Kendrick Bourne, second-year receivers Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, and undrafted rookie Efton Chism fighting for spots on the roster. John Jiles and Jeremiah Webb are also in the mix and remain longshots. Demeer Blankumsee was released Wednesday as part of a series of roster moves by the Patriots.