Midway through the Patriots’ first joint practice with the Saints in early August, the teams assembled for kickoff drills. It was a standard exercise — deep kicks, pop-up kicks, and onside kicks were the focus.

But there was one big difference between the way the clubs spent their time during the period. As the Saints special teamers worked, their teammates — all of them — stood on the sideline and watched. The Patriots, however, were spread out working on other things.

The offensive linemen were smashing the sled on the far end of the field. The quarterbacks were working on the adjacent field throwing to tight ends.

The message was clear. There’s no wasted time at a Patriots practice. Every second is precious. For those two-hour sessions, the focus is on football and nothing else.

Back in the day when teams ran two-a-days, practice was different. There was more time to go over more things. Now it’s high intensity for the entire length of the clock. It’s maximum effort in minimum time.

“Practice is just preparation. It’s a necessary part of getting ready for the game. It’s part of preparation. It’s not punishment. It’s preparation,’’ coach Bill Belichick said in 2014. “You do the best you can as a coach to prepare your team. You do the best you can as a player to prepare yourself or prepare your teammates if you’re working with them and you’re giving them a look at what they’re doing. You’re the scout team, then you’re helping them prepare, just like they help you prepare. That’s the way I see all of that. It’s about preparation. That’s what practice is.’’

But what happens on the practice field is only part of the preparation. The moves behind the scenes are just as important.

Last season, depth was a problem for the Patriots in three areas: the offensive line (which was devastated by injuries seemingly on a weekly basis); at tight end (where there was a significant drop after Rob Gronkowski); and at cornerback (where it was a revolving door at the nickel spot).

So, in preparation for this season — building depth at those spots was the priority.

The Patriots traded for guard Jonathan Cooper (while also eliminating a pending big contract in Chandler Jones) and drafted Joe Thuney and Ted Karras.

At tight end, the team sent a fourth-round pick to Chicago to land Martellus Bennett, a top-five talent at the position. The move not only gives the Patriots a two-headed monster at tight end, it also protects them in case Gronkowski is hurt. When he was hurt last season, this offense was drastically different. If he’s hurt again, Bennett’s role will simply increase.

At cornerback, the Patriots used their top pick on Alabama’s Cyrus Jones, who may have locked up not only the nickel spot but also the punt returner’s job. It’s another two-fer, as Jones’s presence takes wear-and-tear hits away from current returners Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola.