Summer is here, even if the calendar says it officially happens on June 20th at 4:50 p.m.. Sorry, Mother Nature, but my body operates on the football clock, and with the Patriots' mandatory mini-camp completed, we are here. But before I kick off the shoes and find a beach somewhere, I'd like to give you a quick progress report on the eight draft picks and, as a bonus, a few of the team's veteran signees.
Drake Maye - Leave it to the well-traveled, seasoned Jacoby Brissett to sum up Maye's first six weeks or so: "You're seeing his progression come alive." There has been a steady ascent from rookie mini-camp through Wednesday's workout. No, it doesn't always look how they want, but anyone who expected the first-rounder to rocket into the stratosphere is smoking the funny stuff. This isn't some finished product. He's 21-years-old. But, at least in t-shorts and shorts, Maye has improved his footwork, his accuracy has been solid, and he's working his ass off.
Ja'Lynn Polk - When I started talking up Polk months before the draft, I didn't do it because I knew the Pats were interested. I did it because I saw a good football player, regardless of his testing numbers. Guess what? That's precisely what I've seen on the Foxborough practice fields. I don't know his ceiling as a player, but I can already see the floor. Polk's put himself in a position to be one of the top wideouts this summer. After that? I'll get back to you sometime in August.
Caeden Wallace - The Pats thought he could slide from the right to left side after playing right tackle his entire collegiate career. That's how the offseason program started, but he was mostly back on the right by the time they wrapped things up. What are they seeing? I'm not jumping to any conclusions because nothing sucks worse for offensive linemen than this portion of the schedule. When the pads come on, we'll have a much better idea.
Layden Robinson - Found himself working with the ones early. I lost sight of him as the process wore on (Bedard does more work on the big guys). Like Wallace, pads will show us much more, especially for someone with road grader qualities.
Javon Baker - Meh. Made a decent first impression but then had a physical setback and was a non-factor/partial participant these last couple of weeks. This next month, it is essential for Baker to get right if he hopes to push for real playing time early. Considering the depth chart at the "X" - Thornton, Reagor, Boutte - there could be an opportunity. I like that he has been with Polk and Maye in many of their post-practice work.
Marcellas Dial - He hasn't stood out when he's been on the field.
Joe Milton - Looks every bit as advertised: big arm, average processor. His opportunities dwindled as the weeks went on, but mainly because Maye got increased reps, especially when he jumped from #3 to #2 on the depth chart that supposedly doesn't exist...A dice roll.
Jaheim Bell - Another young player who got a little lost in the shuffle here in June, but when you consider the offense Alex Van Pelt has brought, there is a definite skill set match as a move tight end. Had one day where he popped a couple of times. Pats are lean in that room.
K.J. Osborn - He's solidly built, and it's played at times, especially in the red area. The problem? His hands have been inconsistent. Time to hit the JUGS machine. Been a positive influence by all accounts. The anti-Devante Parker, if you will.
Antonio Gibson - Would like to see more burst. Has caught almost everything thrown his way. He and Rhamondre Stevenson seem to have bonded. That can't hurt.
Austin Hooper - Had an awful drop the other day. Actually, it wasn't a drop. The ball literally whistled through his hands and kept going. That's the only time I've starred something he's done, but we know he fits this offense and knows what's expected. Sound but not spectacular, which is why he won't pop this time of year.
Jaylin Hawkins - The safety has gotten a fair amount of run with the big dogs and has yet to look out of place. He has some solid movement skills. 4th safety, with the potential to play free safety if they want a little more range.
LONG LIVE
Travis Kelce plans to play football "until the wheels come off." Speaking at the Chiefs' mandatory mini-camp this week, Taylor Swift's boyfriend spoke glowingly of getting paid well to play a game.
"I really can't put a timeframe on (retirement)," he said. "I love coming to work every single day. Obviously, I know there's opportunities outside of football for me. You have to keep in perspective that I'm still a little kid when I come into this building, man. I know I'm 34 years old, but I have a love to do this right here, in the middle of the heat in June. I love coming to work every single day."
Kelce just inked a two-year deal that makes him the highest-paid tight end in football for the first time in his 11-year career. He deserves it, even though he's declining as a player. The Chiefs had to manage him during the regular season, and though he still caught 93 passes, he finished with less than a thousand yards. That hadn't happened since 2015, his second season in the league.
Of course, true to form, Kelce elevated in the postseason, helping KC to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl winner since the Patriots. But the Chiefs are doing their best to lessen his overall workload, drafting Giardi-fav Jared Wiley out of TCU and signing former second-round pick Irv Smith Jr.
"It's my job to make sure that Coach Reid has full confidence in me whenever he needs me out on that field or whenever I'm out on that field," said Kelce. "As much as I want to be out there every single play, I understand that it's for the betterment of the team when I'm not.
"I'm more comfortable with that right now because of the guys that we have in the room ... We've got a lot of great tight ends in the building, and it's fun seeing them have success as well."
BURROW'S BOO-BOOS
Joe Burrow is one of the best quarterbacks in football - when he's healthy. But that qualifier is important because the Bengals signal-caller has had two of his four NFL seasons end prematurely because of injury. In 2020, his rookie year, he blew out his knee. This past year, after fighting through a troublesome calf issue to finally find elite form around October, Burrow hurt his wrist in week 11 and had season-ending surgery. These physical failings forced the 27-year-old to step back and reflect on how fragile this football life has been.
"Whenever the injuries start to stack up, your football mortality kind of comes into the back of your mind," he said. "So, that's definitely something I've thought about and something I have had to fight through. That is every injury that happens. They stack, and you continue to think about how you can get better from those and how you can come back as an improved player when maybe you aren't getting the reps you had because of your injuries. It's always a challenge; it always is. But I'm built for it."
The former number-one overall pick has been practicing this spring. The Bengals are still managing him, and the QB is still managing himself. It's been seven months since the surgery.
"I'm going to definitely not quite grind as much for this next month and a half," he said. "My offseason has been about 10 weeks longer than everybody else's (because of rehab). So, I've had 10 weeks of work everybody else hasn't. So, I feel really good about where I am going to be at come training camp."
Burrow wouldn't reveal exactly how that wrist is feeling, and head coach Zac Taylor noted that they were scheduling one day off per week for their franchise player, at least through the spring. But the team and player are on the same page, which is to say everyone knows a healthy Burrow makes Cincy a real threat to dethrone KC.
"That's what this offseason has been about for me," he said. "It's not pushing through some things that I have pushed through in the past. I've always prided myself on my mental toughness to be able to push through pain and push through those injuries. That has kind of been my growth this offseason is taking a step back and understanding my value to the organization and the team."
The Bengals had to operate the majority of this offseason without their big-time receivers, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who are both searching for contract extensions. Higgins still hasn't signed his franchise tag, but Chase attended this week's mandatory training as he is looking for a Justin Jefferson-like deal ($110 million guaranteed). I'd expect Chase to find something close to that, but it feels more and more like Higgins may just have to play on the tag and take his chances in free agency a year from now, assuming they don't tag him again.
If anyone can make that work, it's a healthy Burrow.
COMMANDING PRESENCE
Terry McLaurin hasn't been in the NFL all that long — he was drafted in 2019 — but the Commanders' star receiver has seen some things, most of it not good. That was the "joy" of the Dan Snyder ownership and the instability that caused it.
Well, Snyder is gone, and McLaurin is hoping so, too, is the quarterback roulette. In five seasons, McLaurin has caught passes from 11 different passers, none of who were at the top of their game or had a game where elite traits were distinguishable. The list is mainly forgettable: Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins, Colt McCoy, Alex Smith, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, Garrett Gilbert, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Carson Wentz, Sam Howell, and Brissett. But the selection of Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels second overall has energized McLaurin.
"He's very charismatic; I think he's really personal when he walks into the building; he just has a calm demeanor about him," said the wideout of his rookie QB. "He's very approachable. So guys have no problem, whether you're an offensive lineman, receiver, or running back, talking to him, communicating what the objective is of this play or what he's seeing or what he's thinking. And he came in really prepared. I feel like when he was getting ones reps or where he's working with the twos, he does a great job of getting the most out of the reps that he needs to accomplish.
"I think he's going to be a really good player because of the time and the work that he puts in. I don't think I've had a young quarterback that really has come in and within the first week he's like, 'Hey, can we get this route,' or 'Let me get this rep after practice.'"
Daniels has taken ownership of the offense and has had moments this spring where that deep ball accuracy that helped define his college career has shown up in a big way on the practice field. Mind you, it's in shorts and t-shirts, but there is little doubt that that skill will deteriorate once the pads go on.
"He's played at the highest level," said McLaurin. "He's played against really good competition, and he knows that he can make all the throws. He's not putting the cart before the horse. He's literally taking this thing day by day."