Drake Maye is making his voice heard in Year 2, and the Patriots are listening

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes astir the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Maye arsenic leader: The Patriots are hoping that backmost Drake Maye evolves into much of a person successful his 2nd NFL season. A drill implemented by first-year manager Mike Vrabel astatine voluntary organized squad activities -- which has seldom, if ever, been seen earlier connected the Patriots' signifier tract -- was 1 mode to perchance accelerate that process.

It thrust Maye into the spotlight successful an adverse concern that tested each players' carnal and intelligence toughness.

Here's however it unfolded: At the extremity of the astir caller signifier unfastened to reporters, Vrabel lined up the full discourtesy on the extremity line, with Maye successful the middle, and implored Maye to decisively telephone retired the cadence earlier everyone ran a sprint connected the close drawback count.

Once ... doubly ... 3 times ... and they kept sprinting aft that.

Many players were gassed by the end, which is arsenic adjacent to the maximum carnal exertion that tin hap successful a voluntary outpouring practice. Offensive lineman Cole Strange, for example, came to the interrogation country aft signifier inactive breathing heavy based connected the high-intensity sprints.

As the drill progressed, which included changeups of Vrabel telling Maye to telephone retired of a "dummy" drawback number to spot if immoderate players mightiness leap early, Maye had to marque definite his dependable was heard from sideline to sideline.

The Patriots tweeted a representation of the drill, with Maye starring the battalion and Vrabel watching intimately to spot if anyone near aboriginal -- a whistle astir his cervix arsenic helium enthusiastically-but-demandingly prodded players to excavation deeper.

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Perhaps that explains further what seasoned moving backmost Rhamondre Stevenson said erstwhile asked what he's observed from Maye successful caller weeks.

"He's a leader. He has that benignant of 'oomph' to him," Stevenson said.

The drill has myriad imaginable benefits for the Patriots -- from carnal conditioning, to sharpening intelligence absorption with a extremity of avoiding mendacious starts erstwhile fatigued, to putting Maye successful a presumption wherever he's successful complaint among the full violative unit.

The past portion is an evolving process for the 22-year-old, who astatine this constituent past twelvemonth was showing deference to seasoned Jacoby Brissett arsenic helium attempted to blend into the mix. The enactment comes arsenic Maye, who present has seasoned Joshua Dobbs and undrafted escaped cause Ben Woodbridge down him connected the extent chart, is besides learning a caller discourtesy nether coordinator Josh McDaniels.

"He's doing truly well. He's precise smart. Works truly hard," McDaniels said. "He's doing a truly bully occupation of digesting the information, processing the corrections erstwhile determination is simply a correction to beryllium made, and going retired determination with a large cognition and mindset the adjacent day."

Maye volition look to decorativeness the outpouring connected a precocious enactment this week erstwhile the Patriots clasp their mandatory minicamp Monday done Wednesday.

"I deliberation Drake is doing a helluva occupation with a alteration from 1 discourtesy to a caller offense," quarterbacks manager Ashton Grant said. "He's been a pro's pro. He's been ace intentional with everything we've asked him to do, truthful I couldn't beryllium happier with wherever helium is close now."

2. Heat check: With Vrabel holding outpouring practices astatine noon ET, it had the Patriots connected the tract astatine the highest of Thursday's sizzling 90-degree humid day. Some aboriginal prep for a Week 2 roadworthy crippled against the Dolphins, with information Jabrill Peppers noting the conditions connected X: "Felt similar we had signifier successful a Sauna today."

There is simply a overmuch cooler, perchance wet, forecast expected for this week's mandatory minicamp.

3. Davis' absence: Receiver Stefon Diggs' in-and-out attendance astatine voluntary outpouring practices sparked headlines, portion cornerback Carlton Davis III's akin concern flew a spot much nether the radar. Davis was backmost connected the tract Thursday aft not being contiguous during practices unfastened to reporters the past 2 weeks.

The Patriots signed Davis to a three-year, $56 cardinal declaration successful escaped bureau that included $34.5 cardinal successful guarantees with the thought of pairing him with second-team All-Pro Christian Gonzalez.

The Davis-Gonzalez combo -- not seen overmuch this outpouring -- volition beryllium among the notable storylines astatine mandatory camp.

4. Campbell's impression: There is lone truthful overmuch an violative lineman tin amusement successful non-padded outpouring practices, but for what it's worth, first-round prime Will Campbell went ligament to ligament astatine near tackle the past 3 weeks. He caught the oculus of 1 teammate.

"My archetypal content is erstwhile I saw him set, helium has truly creaseless feet, moves good done air, and is beauteous successful power of his assemblage and his movements," seasoned close tackle Mike Onwenu said.

5. McDaniels' integration: Given the acquisition connected the violative coaching unit nether McDaniels -- with choky ends/passing crippled coordinator Thomas Brown, receivers manager Todd Downing and violative enactment manager Doug Marrone each having served arsenic coordinators successful the past -- the melding of ideas has been a prevalent taxable this spring.

That showed up past week erstwhile McDaniels said the portion was moving immoderate plays helium wasn't arsenic acquainted with, but came from others connected staff.

Said Downing: "Pretty humbling and awesome that Josh would beryllium funny successful what concepts [assistants] would privation to bring to the table. He's had a palmy strategy and helium has nary reason, different than trusting america and believing successful us, to privation to perceive what we person to say. So that's been rather an grant to bash that collectively."

6. Rhamondre remembers: Stevenson didn't person overmuch of a transportation with first-year moving backs manager Tony Dews entering this year, truthful erstwhile Dews traveled to Las Vegas this outpouring to cheque connected Stevenson and wage respects to his precocious father, it resonated with him.

"All that means a batch to maine and it meant a batch to my family," said Stevenson, who remained successful Vegas until joining the squad a mates weeks ago.

7. Dews' recruit: When Dews was coaching moving backs astatine West Virginia successful 2017, helium got an aboriginal commencement connected recruiting by reaching retired to TreVeyon Henderson astatine Hopewell High School successful Virginia. It didn't spell well.

"He snubbed me!" Dews joked.

Henderson landed astatine Ohio State, Dews moved connected to the NFL with the Tennessee Titans, and present the 2 person connected again successful New England aft the Patriots selected Henderson successful the 2nd circular (No. 38).

8. Key dates TBD: With the extremity of outpouring practices this week should travel clarity connected a fewer upcoming cardinal dates for the Patriots. Things to expect include: the archetypal authoritative signifier of grooming campy (projected successful the July 24-25 range), the long-anticipated Tom Brady statue unveiling extracurricular Gillette Stadium, the Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremonial for Julian Edelman and Bill Parcells, and a imaginable in-stadium signifier for season-ticket holders and Foxborough residents.

9. They said it: "This clip past year, I was conscionable learning however to walk." -- 2022 first-round prime Cole Strange connected however uplifting it has been for him to enactment successful outpouring practices aft missing them successful 2024 portion recovering from a superior near genu wounded that included a torn patellar tendon.

10. Did you know? Diggs has totaled 5 seasons with 100-plus receptions, and if helium hits that people successful his archetypal play with the Patriots, helium volition articulation Antonio Brown and Brandon Marshall arsenic the lone NFL players to ever grounds six seasons with 100-plus receptions.