-
Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Some quick thoughts and notes about the New England Patriots and the NFL:
1. Maye-Polk connection: Rookie quarterback Drake Maye followed his usual routine, including staying after practice and practicing because he missed a throw on an out route during a two-minute drill last Wednesday.
He didn’t have to recruit receivers to join him. As usual, Ja’Lynn Polk was right there.
The Patriots’ first- and second-round picks have made it a habit to do extra reps after practice over the past four weeks and are typically the last players to leave the field.
“I think this is important,” said Maye, who was selected third overall out of the University of North Carolina. “I’m picking up little things every day,” she said.
The extra work may have been a factor in Maye and Polk combining for a 5-yard touchdown to end the final practice of mandatory minicamp. A bang-bang play on a fade route with one second left sparked raucous celebrations throughout. He went on offense and had defenders dropping down for pushups.
It was the type of play that reflected the growing trust between them, and it helped them end their first NFL spring practice with an exclamation point.
“Before the drive, Drake was ‘ready,’” said Polk, the 37th overall pick out of the University of Washington. “We had the option to go with a fade or another route. In my head, I heard him say, ‘I’m throwing a fade.’” So I said, ‘Go and make a play.’”
There is little to be excited about for the Patriots in the 2024 season. They are projected to be one of the bottom teams in the NFL. But the potential progress of Maye and Polk sparks hope for the future. It wasn’t lost on media observers that the same fade path they linked – a fork hitting the ground near the back-right corner of the end zone – was one they had spent time with after pre-practice.
“We are coordinating the timing. [and me] Polk took the post-practice sessions to figure out who he was and what he was really good at. “He wants to go out and get that extra catch, and if there’s something he doesn’t feel like he did that was actually good, he wants to correct it after practice and make sure he did it right.”
In addition to throwing to Polk and fellow rookie Javon Baker (when he was healthy) after practice, Maye regularly took snaps under center. This reflects his adjustment to the NFL after playing mostly shotgun in college.
Making these snaps more routine and the footwork associated with them have become an important part of Maye’s spring. That’s why lining up with your left foot up in the shotgun, a technique taught by offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, is what he believes gives the offense the best opportunity to play in rhythm. Maye’s adjustments included calling plays from the huddle, something he rarely did at North Carolina.
“More and more huddle calls are coming together. It doesn’t sound like I’m stuttering there. It sounds like I know what I’m doing. Mixing up a bunch of letters, a bunch of numbers, calms that down,” he said.
“Thank goodness I’m a pretty big fella there. [6-foot-4, 223 pounds]. I don’t just look down and give orders and have a nice break, I look men in the eye. Good applause. I feel like it will somehow make me feel better [that] ‘This is going to be a good play.'”
At the start of the spring, Maye had a repeat performance behind veteran and current starter Jacoby Brissett and 2022 fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe. By the end of the spring, he was representing just behind Brissett for most of the year.
Still, coaches emphasized patience. The same goes for Maye herself.
“I feel like I’ve made some progress. There’s a lot of work to do at the same time. I haven’t even touched it yet. I’m the quarterback in the red jersey,” he said. . “It’s different to get hits from them, some of the big guys up front.”
Jacoby Brissett on Drake Maye: “You’re seeing his development come to life.” pic.twitter.com/TKnbLcWjHj
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) June 10, 2024
Returning offensive captains David Andrews and Hunter Henry praised Maye’s approach. Andrews said he was “doing all the right things” and Henry noted his positive attitude and “what a fun guy he is to be around.”
“He’s moving in the right direction,” first-year coach Jerrod Mayo said. “Now that I say it, we know there are going to be some down days. One thing I tried to emphasize to him was, ‘Just keep hitting the rocks and get 10 percent better every day. It’s not always going to be that way. It’s going to be really good.’ He’s done a good job.”
2. Godchaux’s Transaction: Starting defensive tackle Davon Godchaux did not practice during mandatory minicamp last week, and Mayo confirmed he is one of a “bunch of guys” they want to “redo their contracts.” Mayo added that Godchaux is “one of our best players” and shows up at the facility every day and both sides are working through it.
Godchaux is scheduled to earn a base salary of $7.15 million in 2024, the final year of his contract, and could receive an additional $1 million in roster bonuses. None of that money is guaranteed.
So Gosho’s status is one of the contract-related issues that executive vice president of athletics Eliot Wolf and his staff will have to address before training camp begins in late July.
Mayo said: “One of the things I’ve learned is that the value a team has for an individual is a little different than the value the market has for an individual. I’m green, but I’m learning. I’m evolving, and that’s what the conversation needs to be about.”
3. 60,000 for Brady: The magic was on the air at Tom Brady’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony in front of 60,612 fans inside Gillette Stadium on Wednesday night. 60,612! Consider the following contrast: When Brady is ultimately enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio (probably in 2028), Tom Benson Stadium will have a capacity of approximately 24,000.
Brady’s inspirational speech, Bill Belichick’s rapturous applause during his first visit to Gillette and Robert Kraft announcing the retirement of Brady’s number 12 and the upcoming statue were among the highlights of Wednesday. As for the unscripted moments that resonated, the way the crowd reacted to Randy Moss and Moss’ emotions were as real as could be. unforgettable.
Brissett, who was Brady’s teammate during his rookie season in 2016, wore Brady’s No. 12 jersey to the ceremony. Additionally, over 1 million users streamed all or part of the event.
all love for @Randy Moss 🥹 pic.twitter.com/8XTi1YYTnW
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) June 13, 2024
4. Maye said: Maye attended Brady’s induction ceremony with a group of fellow rookies and remained there until the end of the three-hour program. May, who met Brady at the NFL Players Association Rookie Premiere event held in Los Angeles after the draft, called him ‘GOAT’. Maye and the rookie class will be in town over the next few weeks for strength and conditioning work before taking a few weeks off until training camp begins in late July.
5. Gonzalez feels good. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, a 2023 first-round pick of the Patriots. gave a positive report We spoke about his health last week after participating in all spring training. Gonzalez missed 13 games last year due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. His ability to regain the form that led him to being named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month last September will be one of the key storylines for the Patriots’ defense.
6. Strange-Mayo Link: The injury that Patriots 2022 first-round draft pick Cole Strange is rehabilitating from (a torn patellar tendon in his left knee last December) is one that Mayo had to endure in the second half of his career in 2014.
So when Mayo previously said Strange was in the “month-to-month” category and that he was tracking that every player except Strange could remain healthy through the first few weeks of training camp, he was speaking directly. The challenging comeback experience that Strange seeks to create.
7. Sow switch: Without Strange at left guard, 2023 fourth-round pick Sidy Sow has had the most reps at that position this spring. In a way, it was a return to his roots, as he started 44 games at left guard (plus 11 at left tackle) at Eastern Michigan before finding a home at right guard in his rookie NFL season (13 starts).
“It was fun transitioning back there,” he said, citing the early chemistry he was able to develop with left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor.
Minicamp/Spring Practice Wrap Up: Final play sparks hope for future with top draft pick, but OL questions loom. pic.twitter.com/w6Ae2JzG9L
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) June 12, 2024
8. Gibson’s impression: Mayo said he hopes the spring will help his players bond, and in the case of free-agent signing Antonio Gibson, a former Commanders pass-catching running back, he believes it has helped make a “very smooth” transition to New England. .
“The locker room is very accepting. I think the bond is stronger here. They do a lot together. It’s nothing against brothers on opposite sides, but everyone communicates with each other, from offense to defense.” said. “It’s a good feeling to come here and be accepted by them.”
9. They said this: “Don’t be stupid and go out there and gain 35 pounds like you didn’t do anything. Get ready. Camp is coming and you could get a job there.” — Sow, on the message the coaching staff will give to the players over the next month.
10. Did you know? For the second straight year, the Patriots will not face the Giants in the preseason. This is the first time since 1999-2000 that the two teams have not met in the preseason for two consecutive years.
