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10 hours ago
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4 things to watch in Patriots' third open practice
Organized team activities should be taken with a grain of salt. It's an exciting time in the offseason when we get a brief look at the Patriots. Historically, the media views between 3-5 open practices during May and June. Sometimes, the players who stand out make a name for themselves. Advertisement For example, in 2021, Kendrick Bourne led all Patriots receivers in receptions during OTAs and minicamp. That led to a strong training camp followed by a career year where he finished with 800 receiving yards and five touchdowns. The next offseason, however, the leading receiver during these spring practices was Nelson Agholor. In 2023, it was tight end Mike Gesicki. The Patriots will wrap up their last week of OTAs this week. The media will be present at Monday's practice. Next week, the team wraps up their spring practice schedule with a three-day mandatory minicamp. All practices are open to the media. The only difference between OTAs and minicamp is that OTAs are optional while minicamp is mandatory for players. Advertisement Here are five things to watch in today's final open OTA practice of 2025: Drake Maye We shouldn't overreact to a couple of bad practices in the spring. However, it would be nice to see Drake Maye look like the star we all think he can be. So far, the performance has left a lot to be desired. Through two practices, Maye has completed 61% of his passes (20-of-33) with four interceptions. This marks his first offseason with Josh McDaniels. Last year, he completed 66% (29-of-44) of his attempts with three interceptions – while also learning a new system. Maye needs to show improvement – and to dominate. The future of the Patriots franchise hinges on his development, so although it's not the time to sound the alarm, it would be nice to see him finish strong this spring. Wide receivers When it comes to Maye's development, it would be nice to see his receivers step up. Advertisement Over two practices, his leading receivers in team drills are Hunter Henry (five catches) and Kendrick Bourne (four catches). After that, the numbers fall off – DeMario Douglas (two), Kyle Williams (two), Javon Baker (one), and Austin Hooper (one). It's noteworthy that Williams is already on the field with Maye while Baker has spent more time with Joshua Dobbs and Ben Wooldridge. One name to keep an eye on is Efton Chism III. The undrafted free agent has a team-high six catches in two practices. All those are from Dobbs and Wooldridge, but he's making the most of his opportunities. Left guard Who will start at left guard for the Patriots? Advertisement At this point, that's anyone's guess. Through two practices, the Patriots have rotated several players in at left guard. There doesn't seem to be a clear favorite right now. The leading favorites are Cole Strange, Tyrese Robinson, and Wes Schweitzer. Layden Robinson could also factor into the equation along with undrafted free agent Jack Conley. Right now, it's hard to evaluate since there is no contact allowed, but this is one of the bigger question marks on the Patriots roster. Josh McDaniels Speaking of Maye, it'll be interesting to hear what Josh McDaniels has to say about the young quarterback. On Monday, all Patriots assistant coaches are expected to speak with the media before the start of practice. Advertisement McDaniels hasn't spoken with the media since the start of OTAs. It'll be fascinating to hear what he says about Maye and his recent struggles. In one practice, Maye threw four interceptions. In the next, he completed 53% of his attempts. BETTING: On bet365, The Patriots are listed at +170 to make the playoffs. If you're a new sports bettor, make sure to check out our Massachusetts beginner's guide. For all of the best Patriots over/under bets, take a look at our expert analysis. More Patriots Content Read the original article on MassLive.
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10 hours ago
- Sport
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Karen Guregian: Should the alarm bells sound with Drake Maye's 4-pick performance in OTAs?
FOXBOROUGH - Tuesday marked the media's first look at the Patriots with the entire squad battling on the practice field. It was the first chance to watch Drake Maye, and see first-hand how he was progressing in the early camps with new head coach Mike Vrabel at the helm and Josh McDaniels returning as offensive coordinator. Advertisement So at first glance, how did Maye look during the competitive reps the second day of OTAs? Scary, as in bad, not good. The Patriots franchise quarterback threw back-to-back interceptions during 11-on-11 reps not once, but twice. What should we glean from that? Well, here's the snap judgment view: Maye is on his way to taking a step backwards in 2025 thanks to having to learn a new offense, with his second coordinator in as many years. That's rarely a recipe for success. While that take isn't out of the realm, it's just not that cut and dried. Is it worrisome? Sure. But it's May. The regular season doesn't start for another four months. Let's not overreact to one OTA practice. As a rookie, Maye didn't exactly light it up early on before hitting his stride later. Advertisement So while there's concern, there's no need to panic and write off Maye. Tight end Hunter Henry, who spoke with the media following the workout, did a good job putting Maye's day in perspective in terms of the trials of a young quarterback getting a handle on McDaniels system. 'I think he's acclimating great. It's a lot. And it's really early. It's only May, man,' Henry said with regard to Maye's struggles. 'We just got together a month ago and put this all in. So there's a lot thrown at the wall right now that we're trying to make stick.' Henry played his first season with the Patriots with McDaniels in charge of the offense. While he knows the offense, there are still adjustments he has to make. Advertisement Maye is starting from scratch. 'I've been in this scheme, but I haven't been in this scheme with all of these guys. So we're trying to mesh ... it takes time, man. It takes a lot of time,' the veteran tight end said. 'On offense we've got to be in tune. We've got to be connected.' Bottom line, it's going to take some time. After the first series, throwing his first pick to safety Dell Pettus, who looked like he was the receiver, and the second to Christian Gonzalez, who made a diving catch, Maye stood back and watched as Josh Dobbs took over. Maye had his helmet raised up off his face, and had both hands on his hips. Advertisement It was easy to see the smoke coming out of his ears. At first, quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant conversed with Maye. Then, it was Mike Vrabel. The Patriots coach spoke with Maye before he went back in for this next series. Vrabel made a lot of gestures with his hands trying to get a point across. Soon, Maye got back under center. After hitting Antonio Gibson and Hunter Henry with a couple of short passes to get a little confidence back, Maye was back on pick patrol. Gonzalez got his second on Maye's overthrow of rookie Kyle Williams, then rookie safety Craig Woodson made a catch on a ball intended for Henry, who appeared to be held. Advertisement The silver lining? Throwing four picks on eight throws could mentally cripple plenty of quarterbacks. Granted, it's wasn't a game, but the response from Maye was encouraging. He got back in the saddle, and finished strong, completing 7-of-his-next-8 passes. And these weren't easy dump offs. He threw a pair of perfectly thrown long balls, one to Williams, the other to Javon Baker with Gonzalez in coverage. 'I think he finished practice as good as you can especially with how things sometimes go when the ball doesn't bounce the way you want,' Henry said. 'That's what football is. Things don't always go your way. You gotta keep playing.' Advertisement That said, mistakes by Maye can't be totally overlooked, especially if they evolve into a habit. Turnovers are killers, for any team, much less one that's trying to emerge from back-to-back 4-13 seasons. While Henry stressed that it's early, he agreed that doesn't necessarily excuse the mistakes. 'They all matter. I'm saying it's early, but it's early in the sense of ... we can fix these things,' he said. 'Obviously, we don't want to put the ball in harm's way. That's probably the biggest priority in the league ... turnovers win and lose football games in this league. 'So, that's a huge priority of ours on offense that we have to be better at. We weren't good at that last year. so we have to fix that now, for sure.' Advertisement Maye was one of the biggest offenders, throwing 10 picks versus 15 touchdown passes. He also put the ball on the ground nine times, losing six fumbles. So it behooves him to kick the habit quickly. If he throws four more picks during next week's open OTA session, that would more troubling. As in get the alarm bells ready. More Patriots Content Read the original article on MassLive.
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10 hours ago
- Business
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Has Josh McDaniels' complex offense truly been streamlined? One Patriot responds
FOXBOROUGH - In April, Josh McDaniels talked at length about the offense, and simplifying it to make it easier for Patriots players to pick up. McDaniels indicated he was working with the offensive coaches on the verbiage. Advertisement 'Our language has been refined a little bit between last year with the time that I had and then this spring with the coaches,' McDaniels told the media last month. 'I think that it's really getting streamlined.' Whether it's been streamlined enough, or needs more refining remains to be seen. On Tuesday, following the Patriots OTA workout, Hunter Henry, who learned McDaniels' offense when he was first signed with the team in 2021, was asked if he noticed any changes. Henry was somewhat cryptic with his answer. 'It's pretty similar to the past, to be honest with you, in a lot of ways,' Henry said. 'Obviously, I think compiling stuff, there's definitely some new stuff. So I guess you guys will have to keep watching.' Advertisement There was some concern the new offense might be too difficult for players to grasp. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye seemed to be processing more, as opposed to playing confident and freely with the system. He threw four picks on Tuesday. Henry said if needed, he's happy to fill in the blanks. 'There's things I can help with,' the tight end said. 'I'm always there to help, help Drake when I can.' More Patriots Content Read the original article on MassLive.
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10 hours ago
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Stefon Diggs returns to Patriots OTA after viral video
FOXBOROUGH — Stefon Diggs is back in Foxborough. The veteran wide receiver was present for Monday's OTA in his No. 8 jersey. Diggs said 'nice to see you' to a crowd of reporters and waved as he trotted onto the field for the voluntary session. Diggs made headlines last week as he was taped in a viral yacht video with a mystery substance. Advertisement 'He's here today and we're excited to have an opportunity to work with the guys that are out here and available to us,' offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said before practice. 'I know he's staying up on the information and the material. There's so many things and opportunities for us to teach all of our guys going forward... I'm not concerned about Stef in that regard.' After the video of Diggs surfaced, Mike Vrabel emphasized the importance of 'making great decisions.' Coming off an ACL tear, Diggs signed a three-year deal in Foxborough this spring that could be worth up to $69 million, but only has $16.6 million fully guaranteed. Wide receivers coach Todd Downing also said he was pleased with what he's seen from Diggs thus far. 'He's working hard,' Downing said. 'I think there's a little carryover with the stuff he did in Buffalo with (Brian) Daboll back in the day... a little bit of a refresher course. But yeah, he's been working hard.' More Patriots Content Read the original article on MassLive.
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10 hours ago
- Sport
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Stefon Diggs makes early impression in return to Patriots practice
After making headlines off the field, Stefon Diggs returned to Patriots practice for the first time in front of the media on Monday. The receiver looked like he might be in hot water after a video surfaced of him on a yacht handing out an unknown substance to a group of women. On Monday, however, Diggs walked onto the Patriots practice field and said, 'Nice to see you' to a crowd of reporters. Advertisement Diggs was limited in practice but looked good for a player who suffered a torn ACL last fall. Before practice, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said he wasn't worried about Diggs on the field. 'He's here today and we're excited to have an opportunity to work with the guys that are out here and available to us,' McDaniels said. 'I know he's staying up on the information and the material. There's so many things and opportunities for us to teach all of our guys going forward... I'm not concerned about Stef in that regard.' The veteran receiver had a notable burst of speed during position drills. Diggs was among the Patriots receivers to go first in these drills. After warming up, he caught several passes from Maye. These drills didn't have any defensive players on the field, but Diggs caught every pass thrown to him. Advertisement When the Patriots broke off into competitive team drills, Diggs worked off to the side with Patriots offensive assistant Riley Larkin and receiver Ja'Lynn Polk. The veteran never took a rep in competitive drills but did participate in the walk-through portion of practice. Diggs was on the field with Maye and that offensive group. The Patriots signed Diggs to a 3-year, $69 million contract this offseason. The hope is that the 4-time Pro Bowler will give the Patriots offense something they've lacked in recent years. This marks the final week of Patriots OTAs. Diggs hadn't been seen at the other two open practices – but the team did put out a photo of him at one practice during the first week of OTAs. Advertisement On Monday, Patriots receivers coach Todd Downing said that Diggs' viral video wasn't a distraction for his position group. 'The easy part has been that I'm going to coach really hard the guys that are here practicing,' Downing said. 'Obviously that stuff that you mentioned was not here. So, I really kept my focus on the guys that were here and trying to help them get better and become the players they want to be. 'As far as the conversations with Stef – I'll keep the stuff that we talk about between the two of us.' Diggs, who isn't a full participant due to the knee injury, has said he wants to be ready by the Patriots season opener. Downing noted it's easy to see how hard the receiver has been working this offseason. Advertisement 'He's working hard,' Downing said. 'I think there's a little carryover with the stuff he did in Buffalo with (Brian) Daboll back in the day. So there's a little bit of a refresher course. But yeah, he's been working hard.' More Patriots Content Read the original article on MassLive.
