7 biggest takeaways from Patriots third open OTAs practice

USA Today

2 days ago

The New England Patriots are holding their final week of organized team activities (OTAs), which means Monday was their final open OTAs practice for media members.
As with last week, the hope coming into this practice was to see improvements on the offensive side of the ball. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye cleaned up the turnovers last week, but the offense still sputtered in a head-to-head battle with the Patriots' defense.
Could they put together a better showing in their final outing in front of media cameras before the break? Also, would we get our first glimpse at four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs on the field with Maye and the rest of the offense?
Here are the biggest takeaways from the Patriots' third open OTAs practice:
Attendance report
The Patriots had multiple key players out for Monday's practice, including wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, cornerback Carlton Davis III and linebacker Anfernee Jennings.
They also had several players limited at the practice, including wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Ja'Lynn Polk, along with offensive guard Mike Onwenu, rookie center Jared Wilson and tight end Austin Hooper.
Stefon Diggs arrives at practice
Media members got their first look at four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs on the practice field with the Patriots on Monday. Diggs missed last week's open OTAs practice, but he was the biggest storyline for all of the wrong reasons after a video of him at a boat party went viral.
He greeted media members before jogging onto the field as a limited participant at practice.
Diggs could be seen running routes and practicing high-catching the ball on the sidelines with second-year wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk. The hope is to get him up to speed so that he's ready to go by the start of the season.
It's impressive how far he's come already as a 31-year-old receiver coming off a torn ACL injury from last season.
Drake Maye finds his rhythm
It really would seem like the third time was the charm for Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who had his best practice through all three of the open OTAs practices so far. He went 14-of-16 passing in the competitive 11-on-11s period with one of the incompletions being an intended throwaway.
Backup Josh Dobbs also had a strong day by going 11-of-13 passing, while rookie quarterback Ben Wooldridge went 4-of-8 with one interception.
It's crazy what a couple of weeks can do after the doom and gloom talk following Maye's four-interception performance at the first open OTAs practice in May. If anything, his performance on Monday should serve as a reminder that the offense is still a work in progress with a new coordinator in Josh McDaniels pulling the strings.
Injury watch on defense
Patriots veteran linebacker Jahlani Tavai went down with an apparent leg injury during 11-on-11s. Teammates surrounded Tavai and knelt down next to him after the injury, before he was helped off the field by safety Jabrill Peppers.
Tavai didn't return to practice, and he was seen limiting the pressure he was putting on his right leg.
The Patriots have stockpiled talent at linebacker in the offseason with the additions of Robert Spillane and Jack Gibbens in free agency. They also re-signed veteran linebacker Christian Elliss to a two-year extension.
Time will tell if Tavai's injury is serious enough for him to miss time.
Undrafted WR continues to shine for Patriots
Undrafted rookie receiver Efton Chism III has been one of the bigger surprise stories at OTAs. He has consistently stood out as a playmaker on offense for the Patriots in the practices open to the media. On Monday, he hauled in seven catches in total during the practice session.
It is evident through the route-running, separation skills and catching abilities that Chism belongs on the roster.
We'll see if Chism can continue to make plays when the pads finally come on and things get more competitive over the summer.
The former Eastern Washington standout has broken multiple records previously held by All-Pro wideout Cooper Kupp in college, including the single-season receptions record for the Eagles with 120 receptions.
Experimentation continues at left guard
Last week, the offense had an interesting winkle with Tyrese Robinson getting a healthy chunk of the reps at left guard. However, this week, it was Cole Strange and Wes Schweitzer getting the focus.
Strange has started at left guard for the Patriots when healthy. So the fact that he's getting work at that position isn't surprising at the least. Schweitzer working in at the position does add some intrigue considering he has typically taken snaps on the right side.
If anything, it continues to show how wide open things are for the Patriots at left guard right now. Layden Robinson, Sidy Sow and perhaps even rookie center Jared Wilson could be in the mix as well with the Patriots still searching for their best five-man combination along the offensive front.
Top receivers working with Maye
The Patriots currently have 12 receivers on their roster, which sets the stage for a fierce training camp competition at the position. On Monday, the top receivers working with Drake Maye were Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III.
Kendrick Bourne was absent at the practice, while both Stefon Diggs and Ja'Lynn Polk were limited. This could be an early indicator of the favorites ahead of training camp.
Granted, there are still many more practices for the team before a final decision is ultimately made.
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