FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is embracing a new era in the storied lore of the six-time Super Bowl champions.
Heading into his second training camp — this time as the team’s undisputed starter — the Pats’ third-overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft is hoping to reverse the fortunes of a franchise still feeling the effects of consecutive 4-13 seasons.
In short, Maye is eager to bring more victory than defeat to Foxborough — as are his Patriots’ teammates.
“I think you got guys around here that are tired of losing around here and guys that want to win," Maye told reporters following Wednesday‘s practice. “That’s what excites me most.”
Maye began his quest with a strong showing during Day 1 of camp practices, completing 8-of-9 passes during team drills — the first of which went to veteran wideout Stefon Diggs on a crowd-pleasing shallow crosser. Overall, the 22-year-old tossed two completions to Diggs, as well as a pair of impressive connections with rookie receiver Kyle Williams.
Still, Maye knows that in order for him to reach his destination, he and his teammates must keep moving forward.
“I thought we made some plays, made some plays down the field … thought the guys up front fought,” Maye recalled. ”It's hard to block without pads, but I thought they did a good job. And I think just coming out here each and every day, and just trying to build on it.”
In his rookie campaign, Maye played in 13 games, starting 12 after taking over for veteran incumbent Jacoby Brissett in Week 6. The 6’4” 225-pound quarterback completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,276 yards and 15 touchdowns. Despite showcasing impressive poise and resilience at times, Maye was seemingly unable to reach his maximum potential — due largely in part to his being surrounded by a subpar supporting cast and incomplete coaching.
New England sought to mitigate the impact of Maye’s potentially detrimental surroundings by hiring a new head coach in Mike Vrabel, as well as welcoming back Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator.
As a result, Maye has spent much of his time on the Gillette Stadium practice fields to date working with McDaniels on his fundamentals. The Charlotte, NC native made notable strides with improving his footwork, reading opposing defenses and tempering his on-field aggression under the tutelage of former coordinator Alex Van Pelt. Maye’s ability to be a quick study helped him to adapt to the pro offense sooner than most expected.
This season, under McDaniels, Maye is now putting his rapid-learning skills to the test under an offensive guru known for his precision and play-calling acumen. As he attempts to make his second-year leap, his coach’s insight will be an invaluable asset as he hopes to apply what he’s learned.
“It takes a while to master something at the level that some of the guys played at,” Maye said of the new look Patriots’ offense. “So, I think I’ve got a long way to go, but I think I like where I'm at.
“I'm kind of getting outside the pocket, remaining a passer longer, hoping for some big plays, scramble plays and just making the defense…I feel like I had good times last year where I had some guys deep that I may have missed them or took off running instead. So, just trying to remain a passer and just keep trying to work on footwork. I think that's the big thing. New offense, new play actions, new concepts to try to time it up and get a good group.”
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