2025 Patriots Training Camp: 5 Things We Learned From Day One
Follow us
Follow Us
🕑 Read Time: 3 minutes
Posted Under: Patriots News
HOME > Patriots Blog > Patriots News
Wednesday was the start of New England Patriots training camp, and here is a quick rundown of a few things we learned after the first session.
Based on what we saw on Wednesday, the offseason work Drake Maye and his fellow players put in seemed to play dividends, with the second-year quarterback looking completely different than he did a year ago. There was a much better comfort level, and he certainly exuded more confidence heading into his second season.
Stefon Diggs was the player he made the first connection of the day with, which drew a nice reaction from the fans who were on hand.
Leadership has been a focus from Mike Vrabel when it comes to Maye, and it’s something that he’s continuing to embrace.
“I think he does a great job of kind of giving me points where I can improve or points where, ‘Hey, maybe do this.’ I think he’s also letting me go and kind of see where I’m at,” said Maye of Vrabel. “I think it’s a challenge for me to lead this football team and lead this offense.”
Overall, reports had Maye hitting 8-of-9 during 11-on-11s, and things felt like they got off to a good start. It’s still early, but Wednesday was a strong foundation for him to continue building off of in the coming weeks.
Diggs was tested before he even took the field, with the players bringing out puppies as part of a pet adoption initiative the team took part in.
The veteran wideout put his puppy on the ground and went to grab the leash, but the puppy instead scampered off. It ended up testing both Diggs’ acceleration and change of direction, before he eventually corralled it.
Following that hilarious moment, Diggs made his way onto the field and showed no signs of any issues with his surgically repaired knee. He looked strong and definitely stood out, and it didn’t take long for him and Maye to make a connection. Diggs ended up with the first completion of the day from his young quarterback, and Diggs also added another before the day was over.
“Can’t get too excited,” Diggs told reporters after the practice. “It’s Day 1.”
The fact that he’s where he is this early in camp is a great sign and should hopefully allow him to continue building chemistry with his young quarterback in the coming weeks.
Rookie receiver Kyle Williams looked solid on Day one, making a couple of nice grabs, including a back-shoulder throw up the sidelines against Christian Gonzalez.
We all know what New England’s history has been like drafting wide receivers, and for Williams, the team definitely needs him to come through on the promise he’s shown during the spring.
So far, his speed and quickness was noticeable on Day 1. The hope now is that he’ll be able to continue that once the pads come on.
Cole Strange got the nod with the first team on Wednesday, but both Caedan Wallace and Jared Wilson (who also got reps at center) were also in the mix.
That’s the position that seems to be in question up front, and Strange’s situation is certainly interesting. The club declined his fifth-year option this offseason, making this potentially his final year in New England.
They’ve been a better team running the football when he’s been on the field, but injuries the last two years have hampered him. It feels like there’s going to be a pretty good battle there, and the door might be open for someone to push him for that spot. On Wednesday, it was Wallace, who after dealing with an injury of his own last year, might now be competing for an opportunity at a different position.
It’s difficult to judge much of anything without pads and we’re only one day in. But it’s clear that spot will remain one to keep an eye on.
Newcomer Mack Hollins was sidelined yesterday, which wasn’t surprising after the veteran had been put on PUP ahead of the start of training camp. However, the fact that Ja’Lynn Polk didn’t participate on Wednesday was a surprise.
Polk faces a significant challenge this preseason, as it includes a wide receiver group with 12 players competing for a roster spot. He’s a player who had just recently boasted on social media that he was looking forward to silencing the doubters, yet he wasn’t part of the group running routes on day one.
The second-year receiver underwent offseason shoulder surgery, but he did take part in the workouts in the spring as well as the recent pre-camp workouts organized by Maye.
Why he wasn’t out there was certainly a mystery, and it’s not a great start for someone looking for redemption after a tough rookie season.
From our archive - this week all-time:
April 2 - April 17 (Through 26yrs)
Join 2,000+ fans getting exclusive stats, analysis, and insights delivered straight to their inbox every week. Never miss a play.