FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick thoughts and notes on the New England Patriots and the NFL:
1. Maye’s companions: Once the Patriots learned that quarterback Drake Maye would be their No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft (a decision that was ultimately anticlimactic when it was announced on April 25), they had another goal in mind.
Select one or two wide receivers who can grow with Maye.
Chemistry between a quarterback and receiver takes time to develop, and the idea that Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk (second round, No. 37) and UCF’s Javon Baker (fourth round, No. 110) would sign contracts Four years was attractive to executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and Patriots brass, providing a longer runway to hopefully see QB-WR growth evolve.
This team-building approach is timely to highlight after the Patriots’ first week of organized voluntary team activities. One of the most notable things reporters saw was how Maye, Polk and Baker were the last three players on the field, staying well after practice ended, to extend their work together.
Maye would say certain pitches he wanted to work on: “rear shoulder!” — and the receivers then ran routes at half speed while Maye responded mostly calmly.
“It’s very valuable,” said former Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch, MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX. “These young people coming in are in this together and I think it can be amazing for them if everyone commits.”
Branch had a similar experience in 2002 when the Patriots drafted him in the second round out of Louisville. He and seventh-round receiver David Givens of Notre Dame developed an immediate bond, which also extended to tight end Daniel Graham, the team’s first-round pick out of Colorado.
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“We were really close. These are guys you can go through the grind with. ‘Hey, I’m making mistakes today,’ and your teammate, especially your Draft partner, is going to help you,” Branch said.
“You can lean on each other. Exchange ideas with each other. Study together. All these things, these young people will have the opportunity to do with each other. It’s magical if these guys accept everything.”
Even though quarterback Tom Brady was entering his third NFL season in 2002, he was still closer in age to the draft class than most of the team’s veterans, which Branch said helped newbies develop a similar connection with him. Branch remembers Brady stressing the importance of making the transition from “amateurism to professionalism.” Branch remembers absorbing it “like a sponge,” and it didn’t hurt that the team was coming off an upset Super Bowl win over the heavily favored Rams, with Brady filling in for the injured Drew Bledsoe and then keeping the job after Bledsoe returned. to health.
So that part is notably different from what Maye, Polk and Baker are currently experiencing in New England, where the team is coming off a 4-13 season and is led by first-year coach Jerod Mayo, with an outside chance of competing for the AFC. Eastern Championship.
In addition to their extensive work after practice last week, there have been other signs of how the three lean on each other. During wide receiver drills at rookie minicamp, Polk took the initial reps, followed by Baker. When Baker let a pass slip out of his hands (which was one of the blows he took in college, as he totaled 14 drops in the last two seasons) he extended his right arm in Polk’s direction and clapped twice as Polk offered the breath of him.
And when Maye finished an interview with reporters, Polk waited for her to come down the stairs to the locker room. Before leaving the field, a smiling Polk pointed his right index finger at Maye and told reporters, “This is the guy right here!”
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Maye and Polk attended a Boston Bruins playoff game together, and on the field during the competitive portions of practice, the three began making plays.
“They look good,” Maye said at rookie minicamp. “I threw a couple behind them and they still managed to catch them. Those guys are going to be special players.”
The 6-foot-1, 203-pound Polk played in 41 games (30 starts) in college, starting at Texas Tech before moving to Washington, and is coming off a career-best season with 69 receptions for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns. Baker (6-1, 202 pounds) began his career at Alabama before transferring to Central Florida, where over the past two seasons he had 108 receptions for 1,908 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Branch points to the Bengals duo of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase as a shining example of a talented quarterback and receiver growing together and helping lift an entire team in the process.
“The opportunity is there and these kids have the potential,” said Branch, who currently serves as director of player development and alumni relations at Louisville. “They just have to understand that there will be difficult moments and move forward. That’s football. If that happens, they will be fine and this will work.”
2. Dungy in practice: Former NFL head coach and current Keynote USA “Football Night in America” analyst Tony Dungy visited Patriots practice Thursday and addressed the team. Mayo has said that he is open to various perspectives as he embarks on his career as a head coach, and Dungy’s presence is an example of him acting accordingly. Dungy also has a strong religious connection with Matthew Slater, who acts as Mayo’s right-hand man.
3. High attendance: Mayo said he was pleased with the overall attendance at the team’s organized volunteer activities, noting that the few players who weren’t there, like outside linebacker Matthew Judon, were “true professionals” who would know what to do to show up in shape. for training camp.
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Veteran defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, who two weeks ago at an event for his charitable foundation said football doesn’t really start until August, was the other projected starter who wasn’t seen the day reporters were present. Reporters are scheduled to be present at Wednesday’s practice this week.
4. Maye admirer: Count former Keynote USA analyst and 14-year NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck among those who believe the Patriots got Maye right.
“To me, he’s a lot like Justin Herbert. So if you like Justin Herbert, I think you’ll like Drake Maye. And I really like Justin Herbert,” Hasselbeck said in an interview.
“I think his best football is ahead of him. I love his personality. I love his demeanor. I love his toughness. I love his athleticism. Athletics can get you in trouble sometimes, and it doesn’t always translate from college to the NFL, but I think his athleticism does. I think, more than anything, I think I really like the person.
5. Brady Night: Branch is looking forward to June 12 when the Patriots officially induct Brady into their Hall of Fame as part of a one-of-a-kind, sold-out ceremony inside Gillette Stadium. He will be among the hundreds of former players in attendance and said he is looking forward to the camaraderie.
“There’s nothing like being around the guys we did phenomenal things with and, most importantly, just congratulating Tom. Celebrating this guy. He deserves it all,” he said.
6. They said it: “Last year (at this point), I was probably at 60%. Now I’m at 100%, so it’s a big difference. It’s not easy to come out of a knee injury, have a long season and come back (with a quick turnaround). next year). I feel great, I’ve never felt better. — WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, who is entering his second season with the Patriots and could be fighting for a roster spot.
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7. Okorafor Introduction: Left tackle is one of the biggest question marks on the Patriots’ roster, and free agent Chukwuma Okorafor got the best reps there when OTAs opened last week. Okorafor also addressed reporters for the first time since he joined the team and expressed confidence that he will fill the void, while acknowledging that it will “take time” for him to adjust.
Consider that of Okorafor’s 4,077 career snaps in six seasons with the Steelers (including two playoff games), only two were at left tackle.
8. Mafi in the center: Atonio Mafi, UCLA’s 2023 fifth-round pick, played at center behind starter David Andrews in the team’s only organized activity open to reporters last week. Mafi moved from defensive line to offensive line in college, starting 13 games at left guard and three at right guard, so his presence at center (in addition to later working at guard) stood out as a new facet under the coaches. first year line. Scott Peters and Robert Kugler. Mafi made five starts as a rookie in New England, all at left guard.
9. Dugger Distraction: Safety Kyle Dugger, who signed a four-year, $58 million contract with $32.5 million guaranteed after being assigned the transition tag in the offseason, acknowledged that compartmentalizing his contract status was sometimes easier said than done. of doing. It’s a good reminder of how the business side of the game sometimes gets mixed up with preparation and playing on the field. “Just a relief,” he relayed. “It’s nothing you can completely ignore, no matter how hard you try, if I’m honest.”
10. Did you know? The Patriots’ season opener against the Bengals marks the fourth time in franchise history they will open a season against Cincinnati. The other occasions were in 2010 (38-24 home win), 2001 (23-17 away loss) and 1972 (31-7 home loss).
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