FOXBOROUGH - Here are some key takeaways from Wednesday's 90-minute practice, which had more of a school vacation feel because, quite frankly, it's precisely that. Mandatory mini-camp has concluded, and the next time we see these guys all together, it will be for training camp in late July.
• Jerod Mayo has a message for the team, especially the younger ones: "Don't lose the gains that you've made, and either you're getting better, or you're getting worse. There is no maintaining, alright? So, continue to work out at home and make good decisions off the field. If you do that, you'll be okay."
• Drake Maye told us the rookies would stick around for two more weeks, working out and throwing.
• Among those in attendance: the McCourty twins, Deion Branch (who walked on and off the field with Troy Brown), Matthew Slater, and, for the first time I've noticed this spring, Robyn Glaser.
• Davon Godchaux was once again present but not a participant. He did some light running on an opposite field while his teammates were practicing. Josh Uche did something similar. I asked Mayo if Godchaux was conducting a Matthew Judon-like hold-in.
"I wouldn't put it in those words," he said. "But there are guys that, obviously, they want to redo contracts and stuff like that. And not just DG; it's a bunch of guys that want to do those things, and we're working through it. Eliot [Wolf] and his staff, they do a great job as far as handling that. I don't get into the player contracts. What I will say is one thing I've learned is sometimes the value that the team has on a person is a little bit different than the value that the market has on a person. So, those are just things I'm learning, guys. Like I told you guys before, I'm green, but I'm learning. I'm evolving, and these are the conversations that have to be had."
• Absent: Tyquan Thornton, Sione Takitaki, Tryone Wheatley, Jr., Jake Andrews,
Absent (known injury): Kendrick Bourne, Jahlani Tavai, Cole Strange
Limited: Godchaux, Marcus Jones, Javon Baker, Uche (returned), Jon Jones
We saw Tavai, Takitaki, Andrews and Strange eventually make their way out to practice in street clothes.
• Maye is the second quarterback. Bailey Zappe barely saw any reps, and Joe Milton watched, though he did do a back flip during individual drills.
• The offensive line remains in a state of flux. Mike Onwenu was playing right guard for much of the day, with rookie Caedan Wallace acting as the right tackle. That rounded off a group that included Chuks Okorafor at LT, Sidy Sow at LG, and David Andrews at center. Late in the session, Wallace returned to the left side and Onwenu to right tackle. Nick Leverett assumed the right guard spot in that lineup.
• To capture that last day of school feel, the Pats had Hunter Henry and Rhamondre Stevenson throwing passes to the QBs and offensive line. Yes, the OL. Sow made a nice one-hander on a go route, Onwenu snagged a shallow crosser, and Leverett also needed just one hand when he went deep. They were having fun, so there's that.
• The first 11-on-11 reps mimicked a two-minute, no-huddle offense. Jacoby Brissett threw a bad ball to Jalen Reagor and later got bailed out by K.J. Osborn, who elevated to corral a high throw on a curl. Maye's initial reps weren't much better. He threw a couple of checkdowns then overthrew Mitchell Wilcox on a deep over. It wasn't close. The very next throw was more regrettable. Facing pressure, Maye tried to throw a shorter seam ball to Juju Smith-Schuster but faded away, allowing Azizi Hearn to undercut the route and intercept the pass. You can't do that, young Drake.
• Red area 7-on-7's didn't go much better. Brissett should have been picked off by Isaiah Bolden, who slipped inside the receiver running a skinny post. Linebacker Joe Giles-Harris had a PBU on a crossing route to Antonio Gibson, and in his fourth and final rep, Brissett sailed a ball over Austin Hooper's head in the back of the end zone. Maye's second rep also could have been intercepted by linebacker Christian Elliss, then he was a little wide on an out to Kayshon Boutte. His final rep saw him complete a cross-body throw to JaMychal Hasty. Maye put some good heat on that toss. Zappe got four reps and did complete a TD pass to a wide-open Jaheim Bell working across the formation.
• Brissett's issues continued in the next 11-on-11 series. He threw well behind Pop Douglas on a slant, got flushed from the pocket, and overthrew Boutte on a deep out, then later had to tuck it and run when no one uncovered. They moved the ball to the tight red zone, and the vet finally got cooking, connecting with second-rounder Ja'Lynn Polk on a skinny post for a TD. It was a strong hands catch from Polk, who had his most productive day, later catching another TD. Brissett followed up that score with another, this time to Boutte.
Maye entered and had fewer reps but squeezed a TD throw to Boutte between JaWhaun Bentley and Alex Austin. In pads, it's conceivable that Boutte may have been beheaded. Maye returned to the second-year WR from LSU, beating Austin on a comeback. I'm not sure what annoyed Judon, but he did a lot of talking after the play. To finish off his best stretch, Maye lofted a fade into the back corner of the end zone that was hauled in by Boutte (have yourself a day, kid). CB Mikey Victor was victimized on the play.
Brissett re-entered to run some more no-huddle that went nowhere. He threw a comeback high to Reagor and couldn't fit one in to Wilcox near the pylon. Giles-Harris had that play well-covered.
Maye's next series saw some good — a nice layered throw to Boutte — and bad — he held the ball too long on one play, and the refs blew the play dead. Then, he was late to the sideline, allowing Austin to chop at Polk's arms and force an incomplete.
• The day ended in glory or controversy, depending on which side you were on. In the tight red zone, Maye floated a beautiful ball to the back pylon, and Polk had to dive, fully extended. He appeared to not only catch and control the ball but get the feet in bounds. Victor, who was in coverage, immediately signaled incomplete. The refs? They had to talk it over. And over. And over. Assistant wide receiver coach Tiquan Underwood and the rest of the offense all huddled around them, signaling touchdown. The defense argued their case otherwise, including safety's coach Brian Belichick. In the end, it was called a TD, prompting safety Jabril Peppers to yell, "That's some bullshit," before dropping down to do push-ups. And that, my friends, was the end.
"The drive before, Drake goes, 'Be ready,'" said Polk after practice. "So, going in the next drive, I had a fade. We had the option to go to a fade or another route, so I heard it in my head and heard him in my head, 'I'm throwing that fade.' So, in my head, I'm like, 'Go make a play.' He trusts us; he trusts the guys around him, so go do what we do and go make a play."
THREE UP
WR Ja'Lynn Polk: He's shown up nearly every session we've been allowed to watch, and comports himself like he's already a professional receiver. The QBs - all of 'em - seem to like throwing the ball to him.
WR Kayshon Boutte: With Thornton out, Reagor got reps ahead of Boutte at the X. But Boutte made the most of his opportunities, catching four touchdown passes. He's on the roster bubble, has that lingering gambling issue from his time at LSU, and has been relatively quiet when we've been in attendance. Hell of a way to end the spring, though.
CB Christian Gonzalez: He wasn't tested, after getting thrown out a fair amount earlier in the week. Jon Jones said "He's going to be one of the best players in the game."
THREE DOWN
CB Mikey Victor: Sometimes you get the bear. Sometimes, the bear gets you. The bear, or in this case, bears (Polk and Boutte) caught TDs over him.
QB Jacoby Brissett: He wasn't accurate this morning. It was the first time I looked at him and thought he wasn't seeing it well either.
QB Bailey Zappe: He barely got a chance to do anything this week. If I'm him, I've got my agent on the phone and we're trying to see if we can get out of dodge.