While the rookies got some work in previously ahead of this week’s OTAs sessions, what went down this week on the practice field behind Gillette Stadium will certainly lay the foundation of this New England Patriots team heading into 2025.
For anyone hoping that second-year quarterback Drake Maye and the offense would come out clicking, that unfortunately wasn’t the case here in the early going. Maye threw four interceptions during Tuesday’s open media session, indicating it’s going to take a little time to master a Josh McDaniels offense that’s probably a little more advanced than what he and the rest of that group played in last season.
With that it mind, when players have to spend a little more time thinking rather than just reacting, that’s usually when mistakes and miscues happen. Such is how things played out on Tuesday.
Those four turnovers reportedly came during the early part of the session, with Maye then heating up, finishing 7-of-8 down the stretch before practice ended. Two of those picks came at the hands of Christian Gonzalez, a player who many believe with potentially be one of the top corners in football this season. Dell Pettus also snagged one, as did rookie safety Craig Woodson.
But one thing that stood out was how quickly Maye turned the page and then finished strong, which is exactly what you hope to see from a young quarterback. However, it seems like it’s been a bit of a learning experience so far, and he took some lumps as he continues getting comfortable in this new offense.
Head coach Mike Vrabel has already said that when it comes to the younger players, the plan is not to hold back and just to keep giving them opportunities and see how they handle it. This is the time of year where it’s generally best to take some shots and let guys to learn from early mistakes, but the goal is obviously to take steps forward and try not to repeat them.
Vrabel also said right now, while it’s tough to get a lot from these sessions, it’s about seeing players handle communication and some of the decision-making, in addition to their level of execution.
“Again, I’m going to set myself up for failure because you’re going to look and read off every single one I say here,” said Vrabel on Tuesday. “That we’re in and out of the huddle, that there’s clean substitution, that there’s communication. You hear the defense making checks when somebody on the offense moves or motions, there’s coordination, and that the offense is moving with urgency, and that the play clock isn’t sitting at zero for four seconds, and all the operational things. Then obviously, there’s got to be a level of execution when we’re in the speed, and then when we get to the jog through, can we practice at a tempo that’s less than 100% and still get something out of it?”
Vrabel also added that seeing how well players have been studying and how well that translates is also something they’re watching.
“Do they know their assignment? Can they adjust? Do they make the same mistake over and over?” explained Vrabel. “Then there’s a level of physical ability that we have to be able to evaluate. So, I would say that there’s still an evaluation, even though we don’t have pads on.”
It’s still too early to make any real evaluations, and the overall tenor of the sessions were reportedly more intense than how they looked a year ago. But one theme so far has been that the bar has been raised and the expectations are high for a group that needs to keep pushing the envelope heading into training camp.
Baker, Chism Among WRs Who Make Noise Early, Stevenson Returns
Rookie Kyle Williams made some noise, with several videos showing off his speed and quickness during Tuesday’s practice. But one pleasant surprise was the fact that second-year wideout Javon Baker sounds like he put together a pretty good showing.
Baker hauled in what seems to be the consensus play of the day after Maye tossed a perfectly thrown deep ball up the sideline, which Baker hauled in despite Gonzalez being in coverage.
Last year’s fourth-round pick struggled for much of the 2024 season, with Baker unable break into the line-up and make an impact. He didn’t snag his first NFL reception until the finale against Buffalo, which came in the third quarter of that contest from former Patriots QB, Joe Milton, and went for 12 yards. Maye was 0-for-3 targeting him last season.
Meanwhile, rookie second-round RB TreVeyon Henderson showed off his speed on Tuesday, showing some good balance and acceleration during the session while also catching two passes. He’s received a fair amount of praise from reporters who were on hand, adding some intrigue to when fans will hopefully get a look at him a little over two months from now.
Undrafted free agent Efton Chism has been garnering some praise, with Boston Globe Patriots beat writer Christopher Price believing that he’s among the favorites when it comes to UDFAs who might land a roster spot this summer.
“He looks competitive. He didn’t look overwhelmed at all when we saw him out there on Tuesday,” said Price during an appearance on our podcast Patriots No-Huddle earlier this week. “He looked very natural, he looked very composed. He was running with the twos and threes, but at the same time, that’s where you want to start. And I would submit to you, that if he continues on this path, he is either going to make the team or be the victim of the Foxboro flu and go on injured reserve all year. So Efton Chism, right now, is my betting favorite as the UDFA of choice.”
When it comes to the kicking position, it sounds like rookie Andres Borregales made a solid first impression. He reportedly hit all four of his field goal attempts on Tuesday, with Parker Romo finishing 2-of-4 on the afternoon.
Borregales was the lone selection in the sixth round among the group of 2025 Patriots Draft Picks, with the former Miami standout getting off to a good start.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who suffered the loss of his father this offseason, was reportedly back with the team on Thursday. Vrabel has said he’s been in communication with Stevenson throughout the offseason, and his teammates have also indicated that they were planning on ensuring he received plenty of support when he did return.
Stevenson is coming off a tough year with turnovers, but Vrabel has already said they expect him to be a big part of the offense this season.
Drake Maye OTAs: Can He Handle the Heat?
For Maye, his turnovers on Tuesday have remained a talking point. The biggest issue in 2025 is going to be that the expectations are higher, which will shine a spotlight on any miscue we see from him this season.
In 2024, things were different. He was a rookie, and the hope was that he’d sit and learn, but then, hopefully, when he hit the field, there would be an upward trajectory to close out the year.
While the latter happened, the problem was the mess that we saw as the year progressed from the coaching staff, with Jerod Mayo sabotaging any chance he had of making it out of year one. Another 4-13 season had a different feel, leaving many fans disgusted with just how ugly it really was, which seemingly played into Robert Kraft’s decision to turn the page and ultimately hire Vrabel along with McDaniels.
However, the expectations now, especially with the addition of left tackle Will Campbell, free agent Stefon Diggs, along with the selections of Henderson and Williams, are that the offense will be more dynamic this season. The hope there is that we’ll see better coaching on defense, which would hopefully see more production on the offensive side of the football.
With better coaching and a better foundation on offense, the pieces are there for the Patriots maybe having a shot at making some noise and possibly even pulling off an appearance among the teams playing deeper into January.
But an interception-filled campaign by Maye in 2025 would definitely have a negative impact on things. If that were to happen, it’s probably safe to say there will be those who turned quickly just three games into Mac Jones’ sophomore season, and would likely do the same if Maye falters badly for any stretch into his.
Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston talked about this very scenario on Thursday afternoon during an appearance on The Afternoon Show on WEEI. Curran believes that while it’s still early, Maye will need to hopefully settle in and stack some good practices together both now and into training camp, because he’ll likely see fans be a little less patient this season.
“He’s about to get the [Jason] Tatum treatment,” said Curran. “Where people expect a lot from a third overall pick, and perhaps a franchise-savior type player. And is he ready for it? Is he ready to be called out? Is he ready to for people to flip out about four picks at an OTA? Because he’s not Mac Jones, and he’s not Joe Milton. He’s the third overall pick and everybody has thrown boquets and sung hosannahs and hallelujas since he got here. And they want a return on the potential. So that, I think, is very interesting to watch unfold.”
Maye’s already been a target of criticism this offseason locally, with the former North Carolina QB sitting with Josh Allen-esque expectations ahead of his second season.
For a region that’s been on the sidelines the last few years watching other AFC teams jump into the postseason fray, the hope is that Maye can take the next step and be the solution that’s been missing after so many great years of football here in New England.
It’s a lot to ask, but while most QBs coming into the league like to talk about winning, Maye’s now playing for a head coach and offensive coordinator who clearly know what that feels like.
Turnovers are something Maye already said two weeks ago that can’t happen at this level, and hopefully he’s getting them out of the way now as he continues learning a new offense.
“I think you go back and you see, you know, obviously negative plays or sacks, or turnovers, I think there’s always some ways to improve and protect the football,” said Maye. “You know, we’re preaching protect the football. You got to … turnovers in this league are no good. They don’t result in wins in this league.”
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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.
Maye and “taking the next step”…. well Kraft and the Patriots Football Operations sent Maye and everyone on that offense back to “square one”, in almost holistically bringing in new coaches and indeed a whole new offense to learn. Especially with bringing in McDaniels and some remnant of an old offense that historically some players couldn’t learn at all in the Brady era. The media should not only know this, they should be expecting it and talking about what Sept/Oct may look like in terms of how long it will take to smooth out the roughness aspect of such a… Read more »