FOXBOROUGH - In two weeks, Drake Maye will be getting married to his longtime girlfriend, Ann Hudson. The two have been dating since they were 12. That's considerably more time than the Patriots quarterback has spent in the Josh McDaniels offense, but perhaps they, too, are progressing toward a long-term relationship.
Maye continues to look more comfortable in the McDaniels' scheme, playing confidently on the first day of this two-day mandatory mini-camp (Mike Vrabel will have the players in on Wednesday, but they will not practice).
"I think I'm starting to, kind of, you know, really, kind of find a stride. I'm kind of bummed out we're about to leave," said Maye, speaking to us for the first time since May 1st.
Monday's sessions were just a continuation of what the Pats had been doing in their previous nine practices, and the level of competitive periods was once again limited. But when the opportunity came, Maye delivered several well-placed strikes (Kendrick Bourne on a deep stop route, a corner to Demario Douglas, and a crosser to Hunter Henry).
It wasn't all perfect. Maye held on to the ball too long as Jabril Peppers came unabated on a safety blitz, then later didn't like his first read, clutched, failed to reset his feet properly, and threw low and incomplete to TreVeyon Henderson in the left flat.
Of course, that's a far cry from the four-interception performance that happened during the media's first look at this group in the spring. It was clear that Maye had heard the chatter about how that day was perceived, so I asked how he had processed it.
"I think there's a balance between trying things out and turning football over," said Maye. "I think going back to that day - deep one, Gonzo fell off. ... made a good play. On the other one, playing cover zero and just got to have cover zero answers in this league. Learn with that one.
"I think Hunter got held on one. So it's like I still have a grain of salt, but at the same time, you don't want to turn the football over or get bad habits. I've done a good job of trying to keep the football in our hands, and that's one of our key focuses."
Vrabel, like any coach, wants players that aren't error repeaters. He's discussed that with us earlier this spring, and Maye has taken it to heart during the times we've seen him. For instance, today, the ball was never put into a position where the defense could make a play on it. Again, this wasn't the most competitive practice you'll see, but it's better to throw it away or miss to a spot where only the receiver can get it than be overly aggressive.
"That's what the NFL is," he said. "You're gonna get knocked down hard. I'm gonna throw interceptions. How do you bounce back? I learned that in this league really early: you're gonna have some bad plays. I think maybe my second or third throw is intercepted. So, you've got to come back, and those guys are looking at me, looking to me to respond. And I think playing this position comes with that. Starting to feel that out. Take the bull by the horns and go at it."
Without Jacoby Brissett around, there's no wondering who the starter will be when week one arrives. This is Maye's time - he earned that once given the opportunity last year. But instead of having Brissett or others to lean on, now the 22-year-old has all eyes on him, not just as a player but as a leader. Maye can't be the go-along-to-get-along guy. He has to be willing to say what needs to be said to whoever on that offense needs to hear it, whether they want it or not.
"Yeah, this is pro football. I don't think everybody's going to like you," said Vrabel when asked if that's a hard line to walk for Maye. "I don't think that’s something that is possible. We have to do our job. We have to make sure that we're prepared and that, ultimately, the players can hold each other accountable to play to our standard, play to our identity, and know what to do and perform."
"Me growing up with three older brothers, around older people my whole life, I've kind of been comfortable, and kind of once I got acclimated, which I feel like I definitely am now, to step into that zone," said Maye. "And hey, I think, especially for offense, if somebody's not doing their job - and it starts with me, I got to do mine first - but if somebody's not doing their job and repeating mistakes, I think you got to be consequence, I think at some point it hurts the whole team. I think it hurts everybody in that building."
With a year's experience, Maye is starting to see the entire picture, especially as it's being painted by his new head coach and new offensive coordinator. To have those three in lockstep is not only desirable but also necessary for this program to climb back out of the depths of NFL irrelevance. This spring has built a solid foundation. Let's see how that carries over when the team returns to Foxboro in late July.
