Here’s what New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye had to say on Saturday as he spoke to reporters during Patriots rookie minicamp.
Opening:
“What’s going on, guys? Everybody doing all right?”
How are you doing?
“Sweet. Doing well.”
How is it to be out there?
“Yeah, it’s awesome. Excited. Being out here with the guys. Just getting out here on field again. Been training and doing all the stuff on my own. Getting out here with the team and going through some plays and just trying to soak it all in and have fun and learn as much as I can.”
On how much information he’s had thrown at him so far:
“Yeah, thrown at a lot. Obviously, we only got a couple of days, two or three days. So we’re trying to pack it in and they’re just trying to soak it all in and ask as many questions as I can. Coach Van Pelt and TC. And from there, just try to draw it up and repeat it and repeat play calls and cadence. So it’s been fun. It’s been a lot, but it’s been fun.”
On the fact Jerod said he was here pretty late last night just going over stuff:
“Yeah, I think as a quarterback, you got to know what everybody’s doing on the field in the offense. You got to know all 11. You got to know not just my job. So you got to know what everybody’s doing. I think it takes extra time and takes extra drawing up, extra questions. So just trying to get not on myself on my own, but get the other guys around me, get them with me, staying later, getting here earlier. Just told the receivers to go and watch practice and just hear it from my perspective because that’s what happens on the field. If the ball is in my hands, then I’m going to distribute it to them.”
On his first impressions of Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker:
“Yeah, man, they look good. I know you all just watched them. They look good. They made some plays in seven on seven. I don’t know if I threw a couple behind them, but they still made the catches. So I don’t know if we have one on the ground yet and knock on wood. So that’s the goal out here, come out here and [inaudible] and be 100%. But those guys, they’re going to be some special players.”
On what that was like and what he’s noticed about working with Joe Milton:
“Yeah, Joe’s my guy. I got to know him throughout college. Saw him down to the Manning camp. So we’re just competing. Two rookies in here just trying to learn it. Competing both. I think we got strong arms, so just out here trying to throw it and let it rip.”
On the fact having the left foot up is a big part of Alex Van Pelt’s offense:
“Yeah, that’s a good question. Yes, that’s very detailed. That’s been good. I think kind of the first day, just feeling it out and just getting more and more reps. That’s all something new takes. Just getting more reps at it. I think there’s some perks to it. Quick game’s a lot quicker, and trying to get that. I think under center stance, I’m trying out two new stances that I’m getting used to. Just working on it, repping it, and I felt pretty good out there today, so just got to keep working.”
On the communication with Van Pelt, T.C. McCarthy, and Ben McAdoo, and who has been in his ear:
“Yeah, I think all three of them kind of got their own niches. I think TC is a quarterback coach. He’s in there talking to us in the meetings. Coach Van Pelt is an offensive staff, and he’ll chime in on the quarterbacks when he needs to. Coach McAdoo is awesome. He’s seen a lot of great quarterbacks do it. He got old tapes of Rodgers, Eli Manning, and watching different routes and how they did it, different drops. Just trying to use them any way that they can. They know a lot of football, so just trying to be a sponge.”
On what his day looks like after this and how much more studying he has:
“We’ll be here till 7, 8, or 9:00. We’re just going here for a lift, and then we got some meetings and just being around the guys. That’s the best thing about mini-camp, getting around the guys for the first time. At the hotel together, right across rooms and watching film and looking at the script for the next day together. A lot of time. We got nothing else to do up here, so why not do football?”
On the fact it wasn’t quite true New England weather but if today gives him a good taste of what he could be dealing with in November, December:
“Yeah, I’m thinking it’ll get a little colder than this, but definitely nice to get out here. You don’t have to throw at the wind. That’s football, playing outdoors. So getting adjusted to that and see what takes the ball. Hopefully, just try to throw through the wind, but at the end of the day, the wind can get strong.”
Just wait till the snow.
“Yeah, exactly.”
On the footwork conversation and the fact Brian Hoyer said, “it’s one of the easiest things to clear up quickly” and if he sees what they’re saying about what he needs to work on:
“Oh, 100 %. Footwork is huge. I think Brian did a long time as quarterback in the NFL. I think it’s something not easy, but like I said, once you get it and match it up with the routes and just get coached, get coached hard. He’s doing a great job of coaching me hard. I want to be coached hard. And once you kind of time it up, like you said, I think it comes easy. It kind of comes with rhythm and match-up concepts and footwork.”
On if he sees what people are saying relative to his footwork and other things he needs to work on:
“Not every time. Everybody knows what’s going on. Just trying to play ball and try to win games and learn as much as I can.”
On what it’s been like to connect with Jacoby Brusset so far:
“Yeah, he’s been good. The old vets, I think they’re off this this weekend, obviously, with us coming in. But it’s been good. He’s been awesome. He’s asking me how my cadence is and all that. He’s been checking in, texting me yesterday. It’s looking forward to getting to work with him.”
On how he’d describe Alex Van Pelt’s coaching style:
“I think he understands it. He played the position. He coaches a lot of different quarterbacks. He understands, it’s the best thing you want to see from a coach. He doesn’t expect anything right away. He knows it’s going to be a growing side, a mental side to it. He’s understanding. But also, if you’re not doing the right job, he’s going to tell you. It’s been awesome so far. Trying to ask him many questions and looking forward to it.”
(Editor’s Note: This transcript is done via the available footage and is subject to typos. If you spot something, please take a moment to let me know in the comments below.)
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
