The chance to work with Josh McDaniels, and play alongside Stefon Diggs, has Patriots receiver DeMario Douglas fired up

Boston Globe

3 days ago

The 5-foot-8-inch, 192-pound Douglas tied for the team lead with 66 catches last year, and finished with 621 receiving yards and three touchdowns. His 115 receptions over the last two years are the most among Patriots receivers. He's been the best and most consistent part of the passing game, an occasional bright light in an otherwise woeful stretch.
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But Douglas is aware that the opportunity to work with McDaniels gives him the chance to take his game to another level.
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'He's a good guy, first,' said Douglas shortly after Wednesday's practice finished. 'Before anything, before we went over plays, he called me and he spoke from the heart, and I feel like that's the coach that you need. Especially as an OC. So, we got close there.
'On the field, I just have to work to gain his trust, you know? That's my duty to fill that role and help this team win.'
Over the years, the Patriots' coaching staff has been known to break out film of former stars as a way to help players refine their game. Receivers have talked about film sessions that include highlights from receivers such as Welker, Edelman, and Randy Moss. Douglas said he's had the chance to sit with McDaniels, watch film, and take notes, something that's helped him push forward.
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'He'll go show me some old film and be like, 'It'll be just like this,' ' Douglas said of McDaniels. 'And I'll come out to practice and be like, 'Man, it was exactly like how he showed me.' The game doesn't change. It just gets faster.'
Two other elements that should help Douglas this season: One,
According to Douglas, Diggs's presence should pay dividends, on and off the field.
'He's a dog. He
talks
,' Douglas said. 'He talks a lot of junk, but it's good. You need that. He's a constructive criticism type of guy. He'll tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. And I feel like that's what you need as a big brother.'
And two, there's
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'The throwing, obviously [was fun], but us bonding,' Douglas said. 'We had a hoop in the garage. We were in there hooping. We played Spikeball. I feel like stuff like that got us closer. We did extra activities.'
It's the sort of leadership Douglas endorses heading into the season.
'[Maye is] definitely becoming that leader,' Douglas added. 'He brings energy into the facility and on the field. He says nothing but encouraging things. If something goes bad, he does nothing but lift us up.'
Christopher Price can be reached at