FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick thoughts and notes on the New England Patriots and the NFL:
1. Maye-Polk Connection: Rookie quarterback Drake Maye missed a throw on an out route in practice last Wednesday during the two-minute drill, so he followed his usual routine by staying after practice to work on it.
He didn’t have to recruit a receiver to join him. Ja’Lynn Polk, as always, was there.
The Patriots’ first- and second-round picks made it a habit over the past four weeks to take extra reps after practice and were usually the last players to leave the field.
“I think it’s important,” said Maye, the third overall pick out of the University of North Carolina. “He’s picking up little things every day.”
The extra work could have been a factor in Maye and Polk combining for a 5-yard touchdown to end the final practice of the mandatory minicamp: a bang-bang play on a fade route with one second remaining that sparked a raucous celebration by part of the entire team. offensive and made defenders drop to do push-ups.
It was the kind of play that reflected a growing trust between them, helping them end their first NFL spring practice with an exclamation point.
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“On the previous trip, Drake says ‘get ready,'” said Polk, the No. 37 overall pick out of the University of Washington. “We had the option to fade or another route. I heard it in my head, he said, ‘I’m going to throw that fade.’ So I thought, ‘Go make a play.'”
Little is expected of the Patriots in the 2024 season (they are projected as one of the NFL’s lowest-ranked teams), but the potential development of Maye and Polk raises hope for the future. It was not lost on media observers that the same fade route they connected on (Polk crashing into the ground near the back right corner of the end zone) was something they had spent time on after a previous practice.
“We’re working on that moment, (and I’m) figuring him out and the things he’s really good at,” Polk said of the post-practice sessions. “You want to go out and make those extra catches, and if there’s something you didn’t feel like you did a great job of in practice, you want to make sure you correct it after practice and do it right.”
In addition to throwing to Polk and fellow rookie Javon Baker (when healthy) after practice, Maye also regularly played snaps under center, a reflection of his adjustment to the NFL after playing primarily in the shotgun position in University.
Those plays becoming more routine, along with the footwork associated with them, has been a big part of Maye’s spring. He also has been aligning his left foot up in the shotgun stance, a technique that offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt teaches because he believes it gives the offense the best opportunity to play in rhythm. Maye’s adjustment also included calling plays in the pre-game meeting, something he rarely did in North Carolina.
“More and more, meet-ups are coming together. It doesn’t sound like I’m fumbling for words. I sound like I know what I’m doing. Mixing up a bunch of letters, a bunch of numbers, is getting it right,” he said.
“It’s a good thing I’m a pretty big guy there (I’m 6-foot-4, 223 pounds). I look guys in the eye, I don’t just look down, I overpower him and get a good break. A good pat… Somehow way it puts you in a good mood that ‘this is going to be a good play.'”
Early in the spring, Maye was taking reps behind veteran and current starter Jacoby Brissett and 2022 fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe. By the end of spring, he was primarily representing immediately behind Brissett.
However, the coaches have preached patience. Just like Maye himself.
“I feel like I’ve made some progress. At the same time, I have a lot of work to do. I haven’t even been touched yet, I’m a quarterback in a redshirt,” he said. “It’s different taking hits from those guys, some big guys up front.”
Jacoby Brissett on Drake Maye: “You’re watching his progression come to life.” pic.twitter.com/TKnbLcWjHj
—Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) June 10, 2024
Returning offensive captains David Andrews and Hunter Henry have praised Maye’s approach. Andrews said he is “doing all the right things,” while Henry noted his positive attitude and that “he’s a fun guy to be around.”
“It’s going in the right direction,” first-year head coach Jerod Mayo said. “Now, in saying that, we know there are going to be some bad days. That’s something I’ve been trying to impress upon him: ‘Keep breaking that rock, get 10 percent better every day. It’s not always like that. It’s going to be great.’ He’s done a good job.”
2. The Godchaux deal: Starting defensive tackle Davon Godchaux did not practice during last week’s mandatory minicamp, and Mayo confirmed he is among a “group of guys” who want to “redo contracts.” Mayo added that Godchaux is “one of our best players,” he has been showing up at the facility daily and that the sides are working on it.
Godchaux is scheduled to earn a base salary of $7.15 million in 2024, which is the final year of his contract, and can earn an additional $1 million in roster bonuses. None of that money is guaranteed.
So Godchaux’s status is among the contract issues that executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and his staff must address before the start of training camp in late July.
Mayo said: “One thing I’ve learned is that sometimes the value that the team has to a person is a little different than the value that the market has to a person. I’m green, but I’m learning. I’m evolving, and those are the conversations that must be had.”
3. 60k for Brady: Magic was in the air Wednesday night during Tom Brady’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony in front of 60,612 fans inside Gillette Stadium. 60,612! Consider this contrast: When Brady is finally enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, probably in 2028, the capacity at Tom Benson Stadium is about 24,000.
Brady’s inspiring speech, a standing ovation for Bill Belichick on his first visit to Gillette and Robert Kraft announcing the retirement of Brady’s No. 12 and an upcoming statue were among Wednesday’s highlights. As for the unscripted moments that resonated, the way the crowd reacted to Randy Moss and Moss’ emotion was as real as it gets. Unforgettable.
Brissett, who was Brady’s teammate in his rookie season in 2016, wore Brady’s No. 12 jersey at the ceremony. Additionally, more than a million users streamed all or part of the event.
all love for @RandyMoss 🥹 pic.twitter.com/8XTi1YYTnW
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) June 13, 2024
4. Maye took it in: Maye attended Brady’s induction, sitting among a group of fellow rookies, and was there until the end of the three-hour program. Maye, who previously met Brady in Los Angeles at the NFL Players Association’s Rookie Premier event after the Draft, referred to him as the “GOAT.” Maye and the rookie class will remain in town for the next few weeks to do strength and conditioning work before a several-week break prior to the start of training camp in late July.
5. González feels good. Cornerback Christian González, the Patriots’ first-round pick in 2023, gave a positive report on his health last week after participating in all spring practices. Gonzalez missed 13 games last year with a shoulder injury that required surgery. His ability to regain the form that led to him being named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month last September will be among the critical storylines for the Patriots defense.
6. Strange Link-Mayo: The injury that Patriots 2022 first-round pick Cole Strange is rehabbing from (a torn patellar tendon in his left knee suffered last December) is something Mayo endured as a player late in his career in 2014.
So when Mayo previously said that Strange was in the “month-to-month” category and that all players except Strange are tracking to be available health-wise for the first few weeks of training camp, he was speaking firsthand. experience the challenging return that Strange hopes to achieve.
7. Bristle change: Without Strange at left guard, 2023 fourth-round pick Sidy Sow took the most reps at the position this spring. In a sense, it was a return to his roots, as he started 44 games at left guard while at Eastern Michigan (as well as 11 at left tackle) before finding a home at right guard in his rookie season at the NFL (13 as a starter).
“It’s been fun to get back there,” he said, noting the early chemistry he had a chance to develop with left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor.
Minicamp/spring practice recap: Final play raises hope for future with top draft picks, but questions arise about OL. pic.twitter.com/w6Ae2JzG9L
—Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) June 12, 2024
8. The Gibson Impression: Mayo said he hoped the spring would help players come together, and in the case of free agent Antonio Gibson, the former Commanders pass-catching running back, he believes that has helped him have a “pretty smooth” transition. to New England. .
“The locker room is very welcoming. I feel like there is more of a bond here, they do a lot of things together. There is nothing against my brothers on the other side, but everyone communicates with each other, from offense to defense,” he said. saying. “It’s a good feeling to come here and be accepted.”
9. They said it: “Don’t be stupid and go out and gain 35 pounds because you haven’t been doing anything. Get ready, camp is coming up and that’s where you earn your job.” — Sow, on the coaching staff’s message to the players over the next month
10. Did you know? The Patriots will not face the Giants in the preseason for the second year in a row. This is the first time since 1999-2000 that the teams will not meet in the preseason for two consecutive years.
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