Stefon Diggs rejoins Patriots and other takeaways from Monday's OTA

CBS News

6 days ago

Monday was the final day of Patriots OTAs that reporters got to watch, and there were several notable takeaways from the practice. Chief among them: Stefon Diggs was in the house after an eventful week away from Foxboro.
Following last week's viral video controversy, Diggs was back on the field and participated in wide receiver drills throughout Monday's session. He didn't do anything team-related until the final series, when he came in for a handful of plays but didn't see any passes go his way.
Diggs still isn't moving at full speed as he recovers from the ACL surgery he underwent last October, but he looks good for a guy who just had ACL surgery last October. He also spent time working with Ja'Lynn Polk throughout the day, a nice sign of what the veteran could bring to the mix when he's around.
Monday's session closed with Mike Vrabel having the team run 40-yard sprints. The head coach had everyone run 8-10 of those sprints, starting with the offense followed by the defense.
Monday was much more than just the return of Diggs. Here are the other takeaways from New England's latest OTA practice.
Drake Maye showed more command, poise
Quarterback Drake Maye had a good day, as he completed 14 of his 16 passes in 11-on-11s. He had the throw of the day when he completed a nice wheel route to Rhamondre Stevenson, which is hopefully a sign of things to come in Josh McDaniels' offense. The play was notable in the sense that players from both sides of the ball seemed to be chirping about it, and it even looked like Vrabel turned to Diggs on the sideline to comment on the play.
Maye also had a beautiful deep ball to Kayshon Boutte, who made a nice fingertip catch on the pass. Monday was the best day we've seen from Maye this offseason, as he seemed a lot more in command and a lot more decisive than he had been in previous sessions.
The defense tipped a few passes that ultimately ended up in a receiver's hands, but Patriots QBs threw just one interception on Monday. It was thrown by third stringer Benn Wooldridge, who was picked off by UDFA safety Josh Minkins.
As a whole, the Patriots appeared to be much better connected as a team throughout Monday's practice.
Efton Chism stands out
New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III catches the ball during OTA offseason workouts.
Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
We've heard a lot about the undrafted receiver, and it doesn't seem like that's going to go away anytime soon. No. 86 kept popping throughout Monday's practice with a number of catches, as Chism brought in all seven passes quarterbacks threw his way. Chism played with all three QBs on Monday and got some extended run with Maye, a sign he's working his way up the depth chart this summer.
Josh McDaniels on setting up a new offense
McDaniels is back for his third go as Patriots offensive coordinator. While he's no stranger to the Patriots, he's currently installing a new offense, which remains a work in progress. There are still things the team hasn't yet done on the practice field, including red zone work.
Growing pains are expected as everyone learns a new system, but McDaniels has been pleased with the progress he's seen. He said everyone is taking an extremely positive approach to the task at hand.
"I feel at this time of the year, it's either a good play or we're going to learn from it, so it's a positive result either direction," said McDaniels. "That's the mindset we're taking."
Offensive line shuffle
While Cole Strange was at left guard at times on Monday, veteran Wes Schweitzer saw a lot of time at the position. Those two will be battling for the starting role throughout camp.
Strange spoke with us after practice, and said he feels much better with his "anchor" this year as he heads into training camp healthy. He said he's trying to be as versatile as possible, and will play wherever the team wants him to play.
Jahlani Tavai injured
Linebacker Jahlani Tavai went down with what looked like serious, non-contact injury to his left leg. He had to be helped off the field by his teammates in order to get to the sideline.
We're hoping for the best, but Tavai's injury looked pretty serious Monday afternoon.
Patriots OTA absences
Six players were missing from Monday's session: cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones, linebacker Anfernee Jennings, running back Trayvon Williams, guard Tyrese Robinson, and receiver Kendrick Bourne. Wide receiver Mack Hollins didn't participate in the practice, but he was out there in street clothes with the team.
Diggs was among the players limited in Monday's practice, a group that included Polk, guard Mike Onwenu, and tight end Austin Hooper.
Patriots kicker battle
In the kicking department, rookie Andy Borregales was a perfect 4-for-4 on his kick attempts. Parker Romo, meanwhile, was 2-for-4 on Monday.
What's next for the Patriots?
The team will have two more OTA sessions this week (both are closed to the media) before next week's Mandatory Minicamp, which runs from June 9-11.