Latest news with #DrakeMaye
CBS News
2 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Kayshon Boutte bringing the right mindset to Patriots' wide receiver battle
Kayshon Boutte knows he's going to have to fight for a roster spot this summer with a crowded receiver room in New England. But the 23-year-old is bringing the right mindset to the Patriots' offseason workouts. Boutte understands there is not enough room on the roster for all 12 receivers currently on the depth chart in New England. Chances are only half will make the final 53 come September. He heard his name in trade rumors around the NFL Draft, and fully understands the roster crunch going on at his position this summer. But Boutte is blocking out all of the noise, and is simply focused on getting better as he heads into his third season in the NFL. "I heard about it, but I tried not to really put too much time into that," Boutte said following Wednesday's OTA practice in Foxboro. "You know, there's just a lot of people just sitting behind phones and just typing. It's got nothing to really do with me." What does have to do with Boutte is how he performs on the field over the next three months. That is completely in his control, and he's going to take advantage of every opportunity he gets to prove himself. "I made a couple plays last year, but the goal is to always make more plays," he said. "Everybody got goals on being a 1,000-yard receiver, but it starts on days like this and getting on the same page as Drake [Maye]. As long as we are on the same page, everything else will take care of itself." Kayshon Boutte with the Patriots Fighting for a roster spot is nothing new for Boutte. He was once seen as a potential first-round pick during his early days at LSU, but his draft stock never really recovered when his play took a hit after a 2021 ankle injury that required surgery. With some off-field questions as well, he fell to New England in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He had just two receptions for the Patriots in his rookie season, but Boutte broke out a bit in 2024 with 43 receptions for 589 yards and three touchdowns. He was one of the lone bright spots in a disappointing group of Patriots pass-catchers last season, highlighted by a strong finish when he racked up 240 of those yards over the final three weeks. But nothing will be given to Boutte this summer, not with a new regime taking over in New England. Mike Vrabel makes it three different head coaches for Boutte in his three NFL seasons, and he'll be on his third offensive coordinator in Josh McDaniels. But that doesn't mean everything is completely different for Boutte in New England. "Nah, it don't feel new. Foxboro is starting to feel like home," he said. "It's what I'm used to." But will Foxboro continue to be his home after training camp? Patriots wide receiver battle Getting passes from Maye or New England's other quarterbacks might prove to be difficult this summer, with a dozen players looking to make their mark. And that's just the receivers on the field and doesn't account for the tight ends or pass-catching running backs. Every snap, every route, every target is going to matter for the team's receivers. The Patriots brought in Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in free agency and drafted Kyle Williams in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The odds of those three making the team is extremely high, which will account for half of New England's receiving corps. Along with Boutte, Demario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, Ja'Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, and practice squader John Jiles are holdovers from last season. Undrafted free agents Efton Chism III (who had turned heads in OTAs), Jeremiah Webb, and Demeer Blankumsee were also brought in this offseason to compete for a spot. Douglas should be a lock for a roster spot, which makes the margin of error extremely slim for everyone else. "We've got a lot of guys," Boutte said Wednesday of New England's receiving corps. "There's 12 of us. At the end of the day, there will probably be six of us if we're being honest. Every day is another opportunity to get better and be great. We all know we're in competition, but it's up to us at the end of the day." Making plays on the field is really just half the battle though. Having a good head on their shoulders throughout the competition will also factor in, and it sounds like Vrabel likes the approach and demeanor Boutte is bringing to the field. "[He's] working hard. I think that he's gotten in better shape as we started to go on to the OTAs, and I think that's really started to help him as we stack plays together," Vrabel said of Boutte on Wednesday. "In the game, you don't just take a play on and just come off and then go back and forth. Hopefully, you can string together four or five plays as we work down the football field. "So, I think that he's working to do that. I like his attitude," added Vrabel. "I enjoy his willingness to continue to improve and maybe do some things a little differently." It will likely be an uphill battle for Boutte this summer, but he's bringing the right mindset and approach to the fight. And while no one knows how the receivers room will ultimately shake out, Boutte says everyone needs to up their game for the Patriots to reach their potential in 2025. "I feel like we can be so much better. We haven't really reached our potential," said Boutte. "We all know as players that we can improve."
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
How backup QB Joe Milton is adjusting to Cowboys' new offense
FRISCO, Texas — Players rarely complain when they are traded to the Dallas Cowboys. So, it's not a surprise to learn that Joe Milton III was just fine with the early April trade that sent him from New England to Dallas. Following Thursday's organized team activities at The Star, the second-year quarterback called the move a 'blessing' for the following reasons. Milton was selected by the Patriots with the 193rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, a disappointing outcome for a player who had hoped to go as early as the second round. He didn't play in a regular-season game until Week 18, getting the majority of the work in an impressive showing. The last thing he was thinking at the time was that he'd be with a different team in 2025. Advertisement Milton said he was genuinely surprised to find out on April 3 that he was being traded along with a 2025 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick. New England drafted quarterback Drake Maye third overall in 2024. He's the future of the franchise. Apparently, the Patriots didn't think there would be enough opportunities for a second young arm on the roster. 'We felt like his reps were gonna be decreased as we worked through the offseason,' New England coach Mike Vrabel told reporters of the trade in April. 'And we felt just like every other decision, we're gonna try to do what's best for the team, and that's the decision that we ultimately made.' Milton's exceptional game against Buffalo, which included completing 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards, one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown, was enough to create serious interest from the Cowboys. They were looking to get younger behind Prescott. Rather than draft a prospect, they traded for one that had already impressed in an NFL game. 'I went in there and did what the play caller and head coach wanted me to do, and that's win the game,' Milton said. 'I didn't know what was going to happen. It was the last game of the season. I was just going off happy. I went out with a win in my first game ever in the NFL. That's pretty much all I was thinking about, until two months later and boom, I'm here. 'After the Buffalo game, I was like, it's fun. I feel like I can keep doing this. I feel like there is more that I need to let out. I was just having fun. It's probably one of the best days of my life.' Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer on Joe Milton: 'I was excited about Joe before we got him. When you go into these deals and you're talking about making trades, we all reach out to people that you know, people that you trust, people that have been exposed to said player at… — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 21, 2025 Milton struggled at times last week during the first OTA practice open to reporters, throwing two interceptions during 11-on-11 team drills. On Thursday, he was much more accurate, looking confident as he threw only one incomplete pass during his reps with the second-team offense. He connected downfield on multiple big plays, including one on a seam route to tight end Princeton Fant. Advertisement 'I was excited about Joe before we got him,' Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. 'When you go into these deals and you're talking about making trades, we all reach out to people that you know, people that you trust, people that have been exposed to said player at college, different programs, friends that have been around him. And you just dig and you ask and you get different opinions and there's always an outlier, good and bad, with each of them. You try to peel those away. 'But from the time he's been here, the work ethic is incredible. He's one of the first people in the building. He's one of the last to leave. The way he's attacked the playbook and picking it up has been incredible. And it's been fun for me to watch Dak and Will (Grier), but really Dak take a mentorship role with Joe. The talent speaks for itself. You guys will see it. He made some incredible throws (last week). He's just an exciting young prospect that I think the sky's the limit for.' Milton has a unique way he learns a new offense. The traditional dry-erase board doesn't work for him. He prefers a piece of tape and poker chips. The tape is the line of scrimmage and the poker chips have letters written on them to symbolize the different skill position players. He prefers moving the chips over having to erase the board. His girlfriend has the script. She calls out a play. Milton repeats it back. He then goes to his chips and lines them up in the formation. The plan is to do that every day during the month between the end of minicamp and the start of training camp. 'It's way different,' Milton said of the Cowboys' offensive language. 'This offense here brings me back more to my college days. My last offense was more everybody get tagged on which routes. This offense here is more fast and for sure explosive. '… I feel like we're taking the right step in the right direction every day. We're paying attention to small details.' Milton envisions a great opportunity to learn from an experienced veteran like Prescott, who has started 122 NFL games. Schottenheimer believes Dallas has the ideal quarterback room for a 25-year-old Milton to grow as a player. 'It never stops,' Schottenheimer said. 'I've had young starters and veteran backups. I've had veteran starters and young backups. The quarterback position is a position that gets so much scrutiny that you're always trying to place an emphasis on: Are they getting better? Are they getting consistent? Are they doing the things they need to do? You try to piece that room together. Advertisement 'It is something you talk about, the mixing and matching and how it looks. I've heard other stories where some rooms didn't get along great and that's never a good thing. But we don't have that here. We have a great room. With Dak, Joe and Will, it's been awesome.' (Photo of Joe Milton: Fred Kfoury III / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Kevin O'Connell: Vikings have full participation at OTAs [RAW]
What to expect from Drake Maye in second season | Football 301 Yahoo Sports' Nate Tice, Charles McDonald and Matt Harmon reflect on the Patriots quarterback's rookie season and if he can 'break out' with a new offensive coordinator in New England. Hear the full conversation on 'Football 301' - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. 2:10 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former University of Colorado Heisman Trophy-winner Travis Hunter gets married
Patriots OTA takeaways: Mike Vrabel's vibes and Drake Maye's relationship with Josh McDaniels Steve Burton welcomes ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss onto WBZ-TV's Sports Final to get his takeaways from last week's OTA sessions in Foxboro. Reiss chats about Mike Vrabel's incredible vibe and energy, and also highlights some big players on defense. He also discusses Drake Maye's rough Tuesday and why it's not a concern, and the QB's relationship with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. 6:46 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Examining Drake Maye's demeanor and work ethic at OTAs
Examining Drake Maye's demeanor and work ethic at OTAs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston Drake Maye has experienced some growing pains through his first few OTA practices as the New England Patriots' second-year quarterback. Advertisement In the Patriots' first OTA open to the media, Maye looked out of sorts as he threw four interceptions. He was better in Wednesday's practice, but it still was an uneven day for New England's offense. NBC Sports Boston's Phil Perry was at Gillette Stadium for both OTA sessions. On a new mailbag edition of the Next Pats Podcast, Perry was asked how the 22-year-old signal-caller has carried himself amidst his struggles. 🔊 Next Pats: Taking you INSIDE Patriots OTAs – How does Drake Maye look? | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube 'I'm just curious as to Drake's demeanor and work ethic. Is he putting in the extra hours after practice with any other receivers? How is his body language out there? Is the new system and rough start to training camp rattling his confidence any?' Advertisement 'His body language and his demeanor have been fine,' Perry answered. 'You're not seeing what we saw — I think it's important to point out this kind of example — what we saw from Mac Jones. Mac Jones, he was nicknamed McEnroe for a reason by Nick Saban at Alabama, and he wore his heart on his sleeve out there on the field, both good and bad. He'd be dancing one minute, the next, he'd be firing off his chinstrap and having to blow off some steam, pacing back and forth with our buddy Brian Hoyer because he didn't like what was going on out there on the field. So, to me, (Maye was) more even-keeled, and the demeanor was OK. … 'In terms of his work ethic, that, to me, is not a question. You do see him staying after practice and throwing to guys after practice. A lot of the young receivers are out there late, (Efton) Chism and Kyle Williams, the two OTAs we've been to. I think this is something worth noting. Doesn't mean either of them are going to be All-Pros this coming year, but I think it's good. … 'So, Drake Maye's doing all those things and his body language, I think, is fine. It has been a rough start through these two practices that we've seen for Maye. It does, to me, seem like he is clearly still thinking his way through this offense, as opposed to just knowing it so cold that he is now just reacting.' You can hear everything Perry had to say about Maye by listening to the new episode of the Next Pats Podcast, or watching the YouTube video below. Advertisement Also in the episode: Should we expect growing pains with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to carry over into the season? How will Patriots handle the Stefon Diggs situation? Perry breaks down his QB rankings.
