Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel Praise ‘Baller' Rookie Following Impressive Debut

Yahoo

6 days ago

The Patriots have to be feeling good right now. The team has had plenty of positive vibes around this summer, and the optimism will only grow after the team's blowout win over the Commanders in the preseason opener.
The Patriots came away with a 48-18 win at home and the team looked sharp in all three phases. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson got things started by taking the opening kickoff 100 yards to the house, and the offense had no trouble moving the ball for much of the night.
One of the players who had a big game was none other than undrafted free agent wide receiver Efton Chism III. Chism had a solid camp and was already inserting himself into the conversation for a roster spot. With his stellar showing against the Commanders, Chism should be that much closer to securing his place in Foxboro for the 2025 season.
Chism caught six passes for 50 yards and one score in his debut. The receiver showed an ability to run crisp routes and even chipped in as a blocker. After the game, Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel both offered praise for the receiver.
'Yeah, he's a baller. I mean, he loves coming up, asking me questions about routes and things. He loves talking football. He's just a football player. And you saw tonight, you know, making plays,' Patriots' quarterback Drake Maye said. 'Glad he got in the end zone and then almost should've got in the end zone again on the screen, he got chased down. But, yeah, I think just blocking hard, doing all the right things.
'I think that kind of is what we're preaching the offensive room. You know, you do keep doing things the right way and keep showing up, you're gonna get rewarded.'
Vrabel took notice of Chism's ability to catch the ball in traffic and run through contact. Chism caught six of his eight targets on the night and several of the catches were in tight windows.
'I think his play strength stood out to me just from the sideline. I think just the way that he blocks and, you know, his ability to catch the ball in traffic,' Mike Vrabel said. 'The ball was basically tipped or bobbled, I mean, coming out of Ben's hand, and he kind of ran through a tackle and ran through contact and then we threw him a screen. So those are all positive things, I think is play strength to me, is what stood out.'
Vrabel isn't known for throwing compliments out, so it's noteworthy that he felt the need to brag on his receiver. This could be a good sign for Chism, who is trying to stand out in a suddenly deep receiver room in New England.
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