FOXBOROUGH - After watching last year's quarterback room treat each other - and at times, teammates and coaches - like they had a transmittable disease, seeing Drake Maye dap up fellow signal-caller Joe Milton and make his way up, down and through the offensive group during Saturday's rookie mini-camp was a breath of fresh air for an organization that needed fumigation.
"He's a leader," said fellow draftee Layden Robinson. "We see each other around the facility, too, and chop it up and have fun. I mean, he let me borrow his pen one time. So you know, Drake's a great, great guy, and I just love his energy and intensity when he's in a huddle."
That energy was palpable standing next to Maye as he spoke post-practice, and that smile never left his face.
"It's awesome. Exciting," he said. "Be out here with the guys; just get out on the field again. Been training, doing stuff on my own, (now) getting out here with the team, going through some plays, and trying to soak it all in, have fun, and learn as much as I can."
On the field, there was little to be gleaned. There were no competitive drills individually or in a team setting - how can there be in shorts, t-shirts, and a helmet? - but Maye was generally on target and efficient with his ball placement.
He and Milton spent considerable time on footwork drills, including pocket movement. They also spent a lot of time under center, which is not something either of them was asked to do often in college, and that stood out to Maye when we spoke to him.
There was always a camera on the QBs, perched on top of a monopod, usually 5 or 10 yards behind them. But there were also the eyes of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, QB coach T.C. McCartney, and assistants Ben McAdoo and Evan Rothstein. In fact, Van Pelt spent a lot of time alongside Maye and occasionally visually demonstrated the technique.
"We do have a group of coaches that have quarterback backgrounds, but I would say overall it would be AVP (Alex Van Pelt) as far as that lead guy," said Jerod Mayo when asked about the "primary" person in the rookie's ear, equating it to his situation. "Honestly, that's my own life. You hear all these voices, but you have to have a small circle that you really talk to and trust."
Maye spent a lot of time throwing to Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, commenting on how good those two made him look on a couple of misplaced balls. There is a little hitch — let's call it a shoulder shrug — in the former North Carolina star's delivery that needs to be cleaned up. On several occasions, it appeared as if the 21-year-old was intentionally taking some velocity off throws - cautious even - in a way that didn't look like anything I noticed on his college tape, but that could be at the direction of the coaches as overall, the practice speed wasn't full bore.
Off the field, Maye is doing everything he's asked and then some, staying after hours (not that this is a 9-to-5. Do those exist anymore?).
"Early impressions of Drake? Look, he has a lot to work on," opined Mayo. "A lot to work on. But I have no doubt that he will put the time in. You didn't see him out here yesterday, but he was here all night trying to get on the same page as everyone else."
"Quarterback - you got to know what everybody's doing on the field on the offense," said Maye of the later nights. "You got to know all 11. You don't just gotta know my job. You gotta know what everybody's doing. It takes extra time, extra drawing up, extra questions, so trying to get not only myself but the guys around me to get 'em with me, staying later, getting here early. I just told the receivers to go and watch practice and hear it from my perspective because that's what happens on the field. The ball is in my hands, and I'm going to distribute it to them."
When the short session (one hour in length) was done, and a select group spoke (six of the eight draft picks. Milton and Baker were omitted), Maye and Polk left the field together. Polk made sure he got the media's attention and declared, "This is the guy right here," while pointing at the quarterback.
All I could think of was that's the hope.
PATRIOTS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE ELIOT WOLF AS PERSONNEL CHIEF
The Patriots sent out the following press release after practice, which was shocking to absolutely no one. We'll see if the team gets penalized for making a mockery of the Rooney Rule. - Greg A. Bedard
The New England Patriots announced today that Eliot Wolf has been named executive vice president of player personnel. In that role, Wolf’s responsibilities will include the overall direction of the personnel department, the management of the salary cap and in control of the 53-man roster. The 42-year-old Wolf is a veteran of 20 NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers (2004-17), Cleveland Browns (2018-19) and Patriots (2020-23).
“As I have started multiple times during the offseason, the plan was to observe the working relationship and involvement between Eliot and Jerod and see how they managed our offseason personnel decisions,” said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. “Then, following the draft we would formally undertake a process for setting up the permanent structure of our personnel department. I have been impressed with Eliot’s management style and experience and I’m excited that he has agreed to take on this new position.”
Wolf, who is entering his fifth season with New England, spent the last two seasons as director of scouting, after originally joining the Patriots as a scouting consultant in 2020.
"It is an honor to accept this position with the New England Patriots,” said Wolf. “I am grateful to the Kraft family for this opportunity and want to thank my family, especially my wife and children, for the support and strength they have given me as I move forward in my new role. I also want to thank all of the people I have worked with and learned from over the years.”
Prior to joining the Patriots, Wolf spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons as the assistant general manager for the Cleveland Browns. He joined the Browns after spending 14 seasons in various roles with the Green Bay Packers. During his time in Green Bay, the Packers earned 10 trips to the playoffs, seven NFC North division titles and a victory in Super Bowl XLV.
Wolf originally joined the Packers as a pro personnel assistant in 2004. He was promoted to assistant director of pro personnel in 2008. Wolf spent the 2011 season as assistant director of player personnel, before serving as director of pro personnel for three seasons (2012-14). He was elevated to director of player personnel in 2015 and spent his final two seasons (2016-17) with the Packers as director of football operations.
Wolf is the son of former Green Bay Packers general manager and 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Ron Wolf. He earned a B.A in English from the University of Miami, where he served as a volunteer in the recruiting department from 2000 through 2003.