According to beat reporter Doug Kyed, Patriots QB Drake Maye had an “up and down camp overall.” Maye will make his preseason debut in tonight’s game against Carolina.
Patriots rookie WR Ja'Lynn Polk has impressed over his first week of training camp. NESN's Sean T. McGuire praised Polk's work across multiple drills and situations Tuesday, adding that the rookie "continues to stack [good] days."
Patriots QB Drake Maye struggled throughout the first day with contact at training camp. QB Jacoby Brissett drew rave reviews and continues to lead the QB competition.
The Patriots on Sunday activated RB Antonio Gibson off the non-football illness list. He missed less than a week of training camp.
Patriots DT Christian Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots this weekend and treated at Massachusetts General Brigham Hospital, the team announced Sunday.
The Patriots are finalizing a three-year extension with S Jabrill Peppers, according to ESPN's Field Yates. The deal will pay $24 million, with a max value of $30 million.
The Patriots have placed RB Antonio Gibson on the non-football injury list for the start of training camp. We've seen no indication yet of what ailment has Gibson sidelined. New England can activate him as soon as he passes a physical.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, when asked about the team's QB competition, Patriots HC Jerod Mayo commented that Jacoby Brissett "is the starting QB at this point in time".
The Athletic’s Chad Graff believes there’s only a 35% chance of Pats QB Drake Maye starting Week 1. Graff notes that “most” of the rookie’s offseason reps came with the third-string offense – and none with the starters.
The Patriots agreed this week to a three-year extension with LB Jahlani Tavai that will pay him at least $15 million and as much as $21 million, according to ESPN. That locks in a starting LB who was set to enter the final season of his existing contract.
ESPN's Mike Reiss posited this week who the early favorites might be to lead the Patriots at WR. "Former Viking K.J. Osborn ... has positioned himself as an early leader among Patriots receivers," Reiss wrote. "Second-year slot receiver DeMario Douglas appears as quick as ever. Add in [rookie Ja'Lynn] Polk, and that could be the team's top three targets if everyone is healthy." That assessment came amid a longer intro that focused on Polk's work. The second-round pick has reportedly impressed with his work in practice. He -- and the others -- face a seemingly wide-open fight for jobs in a WR corps that stunk last year and didn't spend much on adding to it this offseason.
Chad Graff of The Athletic says Patriots WR Demario Douglas had an impressive spring. "Douglas was by far the Patriots’ best and most explosive playmaker in practice this spring," Graff says. "Every time he got the ball in his hands, good things seemed to happen for the offense."
The Patriots have agreed to a four-year, $36 million extension with RB Rhamondre Stevenson, according to multiple sources. The pact includes $17 million in guarantees, indicating he'll play through at least two years of it. The extension also gives Stevenson the seventh-highest annual average salary among RBs, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Chad Graff of The Athletic says Patriots rookie QB Drake Maye "is going to have to be the obvious winner" over Jacoby Brissett in their training-camp competition to take the starting job at the beginning of the season. "If the competition between them is even close, Brissett is probably under center in the opener."
Patriots new RBs coach Taylor Embree has been impressed by RB Rhamondre Stevenson's passing-game skills so far this offseason. Stevenson has averaged 4.8 targets and 3.7 catches per game over the last two years, although he's been just average in terms of efficiency. Stevenson ranked 18th among 43 qualifying RBs in yards per route in 2022 and then sunk to 27th out of 43 last year.
The Patriots added Florida State TE Jaheim Bell in Round 7. Bell broke out as a 2021 sophomore at South Carolina, leading that Gamecocks team with five receiving TDs and ranking second in both catches (30) and receiving yards (497). His numbers took a step back in 2022 (25-231-1), but Bell rebounded this past year after transferring to Florida State. He ranked third on the Seminoles behind only WRs Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson with 39 catches and 503 yards. Bell’s 1.97 yards per route beat Coleman and ranked 13th among 81 qualifying TEs. He’s undersized at 6’2, 241 pounds. But Bell clocked a 4.61-second 40 time at the Combine and earned an 8.45 Relative Athletic Score. He projects as a catch-first TE in the NFL. Bell joins a Patriots TE room led by Hunter Henry, who’s under contract through 2026. Henry turns 30 in December, though. We’ll see if Bell can build any momentum this summer. He’s just a flier in dynasty rookie drafts.
The Patriots selected UCF WR Javon Baker in Round 4 of the NFL Draft. Baker’s college journey began at Alabama, where he arrived as a four-star recruit. Meaningful production simply didn’t follow. From 2020-2021, the Georgia native tallied only 9 catches (19 games). He entered the transfer portal in January of 2022 and landed at UCF that June. Right away, he led the Knights in yards (796) while finishing second in catches (56) and TDs (5). Baker’s production hit new highs last fall (52-1,139-7) as he played more of a downfield role. His aDOT finished at 17.1, while he also averaged 7.2 yards after catch per reception. Baker’s 3.21 yards per route run should also open eyes. That ranked eighth among 78 WRs with 80+ targets. Baker doesn’t always show plus speed on tape, but at 6’1, 207, he does a nice job in contested situations. We’ll just have to keep an eye on his hands. For his career, Baker dropped 15 passes for an 11.4% drop rate. The rookie joins a rebuilding Patriots offense that’s also added QB Drake Maye and WR Ja’Lynn Polk so far in this draft. There’s certainly opportunity for Baker to earn a 2024 role, although he’s only worth a shot in deep best-ball drafts for now. Longer term, he could develop into a top-2 option for New England.
The Patriots selected Washington WR Ja’Lynn Polk in Round 2 of the NFL Draft. Polk transferred to Washington following one season at Texas Tech (28-264-2). He proceeded to miss nine games in 2021 with a fractured clavicle. Polk started producing with QB Michael Penix Jr. in 2022. Polk ranked third behind Jalen McMillan and Rome Odunze in all three major receiving categories, though: catches (41), yards (694), and TDs (6). He did lead the group with 16.9 yards per catch. The 22-year-old’s production reached another level in 2023, boosted by several missed games from McMillan. Polk set career highs across the board and popped with a 92-yard TD vs. Stanford. On tape, Polk shows inside/outside versatility and fearlessness over the middle. His hands, body control, and strength allow him to excel in contested situations. Polk also passed the NFL Combine test with an 8.85 Relative Athletic Score. He lands in a New England offense with weak WRs, which presents immediate opportunity -- plus a first-round QB in Drake Maye. We're not especially excited about Polk but will be curious to see how the market treats him. Keep an eye on his rookie ADP heading into your dynasty rookie drafts.
The Patriots drafted North Carolina QB Drake Maye in Round 1 of the NFL Draft. Maye took over as North Carolina’s starter in 2022 and turned in an incredible sophomore season. He racked up 4,321 yards and 38 TDs vs. just seven INTs on a 66.2% completion rate and 8.4 yards per attempt. Maye ranked third among 93 qualifying QBs in Pro Football Focus passing grades, displaying an impressive combination of aggression and decision-making. His 8.4% big-time throw rate – a PFF stat for downfield, tight-window completions – ranked second among those 93 QBs, while his 2.4% turnover-worthy play rate ranked 22nd. Maye’s wrong production took a step back last year: 3,608 yards and 24 TDs. He dealt with an ankle injury, an OC change, and the departure of go-to WR Josh Downs. But Maye still completed 63.3% of his passes at 8.5 yards per attempt and ranked seventh among 95 qualifiers in PFF passing grade. He has ideal size at 6’4, 223 pounds with an explosive release and the arm strength to make any throw on the field. Maye is also a plus athlete, throwing well on the run and rushing for 1,147 yards and 16 TDs over the past two seasons. There are shades of Justin Herbert to Maye’s game; he has that type of fantasy ceiling. To reach it, though, the Pats must upgrade the offense around him. For now, Maye’s looking at a WR corps of Demario Douglas, K.J. Osborn, Kendrick Bourne, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. There’s a chance that Jacoby Brissett is the Week 1 starter. Beyond superflex formats, Maye is off the redraft radar.
The Patriots are signing WR K.J. Osborn to a one-year deal worth $4 million, with a top value of $6 million. That's not enough to guarantee a significant role. But Osborn clearly lands in a place with opportunity. WR Demario Douglas led the team in targets last year as a late-round rookie who played just 14 games. RB Ezekiel Elliott led the team in receptions as a 28-year-old addition averaging just 6.1 yards per catch. And TE Hunter Henry was the only other Patriot to reach 40 catches. We'll see how this year's pass-catching corps sorts out and who's throwing passes. Osborn arrives as an unexciting option, topping out at 3.5 receptions per game in 2022.
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