Some Patriots news and notes on this Thursday:
Maye Finishes Strong at Minicamp
Rookie quarterback Drake Maye put together another good performance on Wednesday, closing things out strong as the Patriots finished up minicamp.
The players will now get some final time off before they come back to Gillette Stadium a little over a month from now to begin training camp.
It’s been a long road for everyone, with Maye having been on quite a whirlwind since his final college season ended. He’s obviously had pro days, team visits, and then the draft, which then saw him immediately get to work here in New England with his new football team.
Now he’ll be able to come up for air, with the rookie admitting that he’ll be here for a couple of more weeks putting in some additional work with whatever “receivers that are here” before taking a break as he’ll “go home” before it all starts back up again.
“First real break I’ve had in a long process,” said Maye. “So just time with family, but still get to work. Got a season to get ready for.”
The rookie put together some big throws at the end of practice, one of which reportedly included a touchdown pass to Ja’Lynn Polk with just one second left and push-ups on the line for both the offense and the defense.
The diving reception made by Polk for the touchdown kept the offense safe but the defense suffered the consequences, likely providing a little bit of motivation before they come back next month.
Kayshon Boutte also reportedly had a strong showing, catching multiple touchdowns from his rookie quarterback, with Maye crediting his receiver for winning the match-ups and making the plays.
“Yeah, some of it was just the read,” said Maye. “You get one-on-one. That’s what these guys are paid to do, win one-on-one matchups. He’s a good ball player. He played in the SEC, so he can make plays.”
Maye seems to be the player who made the most noise, with Jacoby Brissett seemingly struggling at various points. Part of that reportedly had to do with the protection, while there were some other throws that weren’t quite what they needed to be.
Meanwhile, the rookie made some terrific throws that certainly caught everyone’s eye. The tough part heading into training camp seems to be whether or not those moments would be enough to put him ahead of Brissett, if things continued on their current path.
“Here’s what I would say. His high-end moments are better than what we’ve seen from Jacoby Brissett,” said NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry on the latest Tom Curran’s Patriots Talk Podcast. “That was true in minicamp practice number one when I said he was the best quarterback on the field. It was true again today where the flash plays are really flashy.”
“But again, he probably should have been picked off twice early in the practice. So does that outweigh the high-end moments, and do you go with the more consistent guy?”
Zappe Appears Safe Heading into Camp
Jerod Mayo had previously suggested that the club might pare its quarterback group down to three ahead of training camp, but it sounds like – at least for now – the club will head into next month with four.
“Absolutely. That’s how I see it right now,” said Mayo when asked on Wednesday if the club would carry four quarterbacks into training camp. “Look, we’ll have these conversations as the week progresses, but that’s how I see it right now.”
What that means is tough to say. It’s possible when Mayo initially spoke about the quarterback situation previously that they might have believed that Milton could have been a possibility to overtake Zappe for the #3 spot on the depth chart.
However, it’s possible there’s some doubt and that Zappe remains the safer option. Although, on Wednesday, the third-year quarterback saw very few snaps during the session.
Either way, for anyone who thought Zappe might be on someone else’s roster this summer, it looks like the scrappy quarterback from Western Kentucky could be sticking around a little longer.
A Big Night at Gillette as Brady’s Inducted
Wednesday night at Gillette Stadium was obviously huge, as Tom Brady was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
There were some unbelievable moments, which included some massive ovations for both former Patriots receiver Randy Moss, along with previous head coach, Bill Belichick.
The one for Moss was incredible. That came as he was part of a group of former players who had sat down with Brady to talk about their time with him, and as Moss spoke, the cheers grew to the point where he stopped because the crowd drowned him out.
Moss’ eyes then welled up, as he was clearly moved by the reception by the fans.
But Moss’ reception paled in comparison to the one Belichick received. The former coach, who was seemingly back at Gillette Stadium for the first time since the press conference where he and Robert Kraft announced they were parting ways, received an incredible ovation that lasted nearly two minutes.
“Tom, it’s a lot better reception than we got in L.A.,” joked Belichick, obviously referring to the quarterback’s roast on NetFlix.”
He then spoke to the crowd again, which finally began to quiet down after nearly two full minutes.
“Thanks so much,” said Belichick. “That’s such a warm welcome. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to come back here and see the great Patriots fans. Thank you.”
Things obviously closed out with Brady getting his red jacket and making a speech to the crowd that lasted nearly 20 minutes as he reflected back on his time, with Brady ending things by saying, “You humble me. You make me proud, and I am eternally grateful.”
“I am Tom Brady,” he said. “And I am a Patriot.”
Odds and Ends
Next month, at some point, Jerod Mayo will have to make some difficult decisions that will likely include some tough conversations. He’s already had to have them after the handful of personnel moves they’ve made, but there will most certainly be more ahead. “The process, it has been tough, but I would say even when I was a linebacker coach, I’ve always looked at these as long term relationships and have always tried to treat those guys with respect and transparency,” said Mayo. “And those conversations are hard. At the same time, there’s a business side of it that I think most of the guys understand.” … New linebacker Sione Takitaki has been sidelined dealing with some soreness but Mayo didn’t sound worried, and he likes what he’s seen from the newcomer so far. “It’s been great having Takitaki here,” said Mayo. “I’ve actually watched him the last two years. It was always that, ‘Man, this is a good guy to have.’ He’s good to be around. He understands the defense, the Xs and O’s, and dealing with a little bit, just some soreness or whatever. But once again, it’s a new program. It’s expected.” … Maye was asked about which element he believes he’s made the most progress on and he talked about both his footwork and his command of the huddle as being two areas he’s pleased with. “Just the footwork,” said Maye. “Coming in here, first off, left foot up, right foot up in the gun, under center. It was a new game for me. Just kind of getting the little details. I think more and more of the huddle calls are coming together. I don’t sound like I’m fumbling words in there and telling those guys. I sound like I know what I’m doing. I think that’s the biggest thing.” … Maye was also asked about his experience with using virtual reality and its benefits, which he believes is helpful. “I think getting that in the works, I think it’s just another chance to get reps,” said Maye. “It’s hard to simulate real reps, real live reps with guys coming at you. I don’t think that part of virtual reality is still there, but just seeing things, seeing routes, seeing concepts, seeing defenders. It all helps translate and get you ready for, especially our concepts, getting them in there and just mastering them.” … Former Patriots receiver Deion Branch was on hand on Wednesday taking in practice. Branch went on to have an important role during Brady’s induction ceremony, as both he and Troy Brown ended up as the duo that introduced Bill Belichick. … Maye joked about how his dodge ball appearance this week and the fact he knocked out center, David Andrews, during the game. “Yeah, DA. He’s a good athlete for how big he is,” said Maye. “But I think DA tried to fire something back. It’s kind of an unfair match, but it was fun out there.” Good stuff.
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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.
