Six Takeaways On the Patriots Offense as the Quarterbacks Take Center Stage in OTAs

As one would expect for a rookie in his first OTA, there were some good and bad things from Maye. The good was his urgency to get to the top of his drops. He worked quickly through his five and seven-step drops from under center, which is what you want to see. His footwork through the bags could be more efficient on some reps, but this is progress.

In the tweet, the clip on the left shows the hitch that BSJ’s Greg Bedard pointed out from rookie minicamp. When he separates his hands to begin his motion, Maye’s shoulders shrug with an unnecessary hitch. He also has a long wind-up with an elongated release. It needs work, but it already appears to be improving based on what we saw last weekend.

The other debate we’ll have with Maye’s mechanics is his shoulder tilt on deeper throws. There isn’t necessarily a correct answer, but some prefer the shoulders to be level or even when the quarterback throws. Maye throws with a slight backward tilt, which can put an upward trajectory on the ball. It’ll be interesting to see if AVP wants him to be more level.

Overall, you see minor improvements in Maye’s mechanics from his work with the Patriots coaching staff. Right now, they’re taking things slow, as they should, focusing on process over results. We’ll worry about completion rates and explosive plays later.

2. Coach Mayo Gives Injury Updates on WR Kendrick Bourne and LG Cole Strange

Although it’s nice to highlight the players who were participating, Mayo gave an update on two players recovering from injuries this offseason.

The Patriots head coach said Kendrick Bourne won’t participate in spring practices as he recovers from a torn ACL he suffered last October. That’s not surprising, with the hope that Bourne could get back on the field in the first half of the 2024 season. Strange, on the other hand, is a situation that bears watching. The third-year guard’s hold on a starting job is not overly strong, and now he’s not healthy and might not be for a while.

“That is an interesting one. He is another guy you would normally say day-to-day. He’s more of, let’s say, week-by-week, or you can go month-by-month if you want,” Mayo said on Strange.

Sticking with the veteran theme, New England had veteran guard Nick Leverett at right guard while Sidy Sow repped at left guard without Strange on the interior. After two disappointing seasons for the former first-round pick, Strange is on the hot seat while rehabbing an injury.

3. Offensive Line Takes Shape for New England

The Patriots are initially rolling with the veteran offensive line combination: LT Chuks Okorafor, LG Sidy Sow, C David Andrews, RG Nick Leverett, and RT Mike Onwenu.

Leverett is a typical wide-bodied New England guard with the look of a Patriots right guard, while Sow got the first reps in Strange’s usual spot. Last week, fourth-round pick Layden Robinson was working at left guard, so the Patriots are already working contingencies if Strange misses time during the season. Okorafor also seemed uncertain at left tackle in his post-practice comments, speaking about the adjustment period. It’s also interesting that it doesn’t appear that Onwenu has slimmed down to play tackle.

As mentioned, Vederian Lowe got the next left tackle reps, followed by rookie Caedan Wallace. Atonio Mafi got reps at all three interior spots, including center, while Robinson worked at right guard with the other rookies. Like at quarterback, the vets had priority.

4. RB Antonio Gibson Looks Like a Nice Fit for Van Pelt’s Offense

During the spring, a few skill players always catch the eye. Some don’t pan out, but Gibson has enough proven NFL production to treat this differently. The free-agent addition was active in the passing game and showed some juice. He looks like a natural pairing alongside Rhamondre Stevenson in the Kareem Hunt role to Stevenson’s Nick Chubb.

5. Is a Healthy JuJu Smith-Schuster Competing for a Job This Summer?

Patriots wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster spoke after practice, where he told reporters that he was at “60 percent” this time last year compared to 100% this spring. Smith-Schuster arrived last offseason coming off a knee injury that limited him during Kansas City’s playoff run. Then, the knee issue lingered into the 2023 season. Although we’ll need to see it to believe it, Smith-Schuster is in a better place physically.

With 11 wide receivers on the roster, there aren’t any roster spots for dead weight. Smith-Schuster will need to earn his spot, as will free-agent signing KJ Osborn, who had two drops during team drills. Tyquan Thornton’s “best shape of his life” campaign got off to a decent start with a nice post-corner route where he got separation from CB Alex Austin.

6. Maye, Polk, and Javon Baker Stay Late for Some Extra Work

It wouldn’t be spring football without a tidbit like this to end the notes: Drake Maye led a post-practice throwing session with Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. The trio stayed on the field for an extra ~15 minutes and were the last three players off the practice field. Hopefully, that indicates the culture Maye and his rookie wideouts are trying to build here in New England.