Phase 3 of the offseason rolls on for the New England Patriots as OTA’s are in full swing.
Before all the attention turns back to the practice fields for Week 2, let’s clean out the notebook with our Sunday Patriots Notes.
1. Pared down: As the New England Patriots began their three week long organized team activities this past Monday, all eyes were on the quarterbacks. They were hard to miss, as four players donned red non-contact practice jerseys at the position.
Throughout the two hour practice session open to the media, veteran Jacoby Brissett led the way through positional and team drills. He was followed by Bailey Zappe before rookies Drake Maye and Joe Milton saw their respective reps — until a late split squad session paired Brissett and Maye together on one field.
“I think it’s a day-by-day thing,” head coach Jerod Mayo said of the quarterback reps. “You know, you try to keep all those guys around the same rep count, but at the same time, in any given day, this guy could get 30 reps and another guy could get five. But then as we work through the week, it could kind of flip.”
“Honestly, all these guys will get opportunities. It’s really not about how many reps here and there, it’s about the quality of the reps that you get. That’s what I preach.”
While the first OTA of the spring shouldn't draw overreactions, the practice showed signs of a logjam at the quarterback position. New England’s main goal this summer should be to get their highly drafted 21-year old as much action as possible on the practice fields, as reps are at a premium before the focus shifts to game planning in the regular season. But, with four QB’s on the roster, there was too much watching for Maye on Monday.
Mayo seems aware of the situation.
“Once we get to training camp, that’s real football, so out here in the spring, we’ll rock with four. But, as soon as we get to training camp, you have to start pairing down the roster,” he said.
While the pare down will likely come at the cost of Zappe, who has proven to be a backup capable of winning a start or two when needed, Mayo was complimentary of the 25-year old.
“I think about Zap as a true professional,” Mayo said. “You know, we drafted two quarterbacks. Obviously, he is going to be competing with those guys, but at the same time, he is an open book. He is a resource. He has started games in this league, and that’s more than the other two quarterbacks can say.”
Despite Zappe’s experience in the league, his role is tough to see with Maye serving as the future, Brissett operating as the hand-picked veteran who can start Week 1, and Milton tagging along as the late-round project. Throughout the rest of OTA’s and training camp, developing those roles should be New England’s priority.
2. Mayo impressed by Maye: It’s been just over one month since the Patriots officially selected Maye in the first-round of the NFL Draft. Since, Mayo has been impressed by his new quarterback.
“I thought Drake did a great job not only progressing on the field, but also off the field. You can already tell like he is going to put in that extra work,” the head coach said before OTA’s. “You know, I walked by the quarterback meeting room, he’s just in there by himself, watching film. Those are the things that you want to see. I am excited to see his growth going forward.”
3. Bye-week thoughts: Similarly to Mac Jones’ rookie season, the Patriots will have a Week 14 bye (the latest bye week possible) this season. New England therefore will not have a week off following their international travel to London in Week 7 and additionally may not have the luxury of inserting Maye into the starting lineup with extra time to prepare.
“That whole process, I think they always give teams the option to have it right after an international game. Now look, would I have wanted it a little bit earlier? Maybe like Week 10. Who knew it would be Week 14? But it is what it is,” Mayo explained. “It seems like a long way out. It is what it is. At the same time, I think it will be a welcomed break for our guys. We will be grinding through, and I think our guys will be up for the challenge.”
4. Four-man fronts: While the Patriots work to establish a new offense, not much is expected to change on the other side of the ball under new defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. Cornerback Marcus Jones shared that Covington has put new twists on a rather familiar defensive scheme, with one noticeable twist to defensive line Christian Barmore.
“More four man fronts,” Barmore said. “Just playing, everybody win their matchups. Wherever you go, you got to win.”
5. New hook: Nearly two months prior to signing a massive four-year, $83 million extension, Barmore bought his mother a new house. So, the defensive lineman had others thing in mind after inking his new deal — which did not include a luxury Rolex watch like Michael Onwenu purchased following his extension.
“I don't like watches, man. I don't like jewelry like that,” Barmore said. “I like going fishing. I got a new fishing hook.”
6. Maye on the mic: New England mic’d up Maye (and Mayo) during Patriots rookie minicamp earlier this month, which gave a behind the scenes look at the quarterback’s leadership qualities and how he interacts with his teammates — which has been praised throughout his football career.
The 21-year old Maye received much praise online for how he carries himself, with one note from former wide receiver Eddie Royal standing out:
“If you understand ball or ever been in a huddle you know how important this video is,” he shared on X. “I didn’t need to see one throw to know he’s going to be a star. This type of communication coming from a rookie is off the charts”
If you understand ball or ever been in a huddle you know how important this video is...I didn't need to see one throw to know he's going to be a star. This type of communication coming from a rookie is off the charts https://t.co/bhvhYVQCzh
— Eddie Royal (@EddieRoyalWR) May 20, 2024
Next up on the mic should be offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who wore a microphone during Monday’s OTA session.
7. Offensive outlook: “It’s an AVP offense,” Mayo explained when asked how New England was building out their offensive playbook. “And once again, sometimes I think we read too much into that stuff, especially when you’re talking about early downs... Once you get to third down, it’s a little bit more exotic, and you can say, “oh, this is an Alex Van Pelt offense,” or whoever you want to use.”
8. Grinders: It’s been well documented that New England’s coaching staff is larger in year’s pasts. The group includes two coaches with local ties: Special teams assistant Coby Tippett, who played at the University of Rhode Island, and defensive assistant Vinny DePalma, who played six seasons at Boston College.
“They are hard workers,” Mayo shared. “I think that, first and foremost, has to be something that we focus on, is having guys, “grinders” is what we call our guys, are here at 6:00 in the morning and leave here when work is done. They have done a great job for us.”
9. 100 percent: “I’m feeling good. I’m 100 percent ready,” said cornerback Marcus Jones, who suffered a torn labrum in Week 2 last season. “Just happy to be back out here with my brothers.”
Jones, who recorded four receptions and a touchdown as a change-of-pace player on offense his rookie year, was also decisive in what side of the ball he’d play moving forward.
“I’m 100 percent defense. I’m down for whatever the team needs me to do, but I’m defense,” he said.
10. Setting up the week ahead: The Patriots will be back in the facility for Week 2 of OTA’s this week, with three straight sessions Wednesday through Friday. Wednesday’s practice sessions (May 29) will be open to the media.
