FOXBOROUGH - We've heard from many players over the first five days of practice. Now is a good time to empty the notebook and share some of the sounds that stood out over that stretch.
- Pop Douglas has been Drake Maye's most frequently targeted receiver thus far and, except for a drop in one-on-ones on Monday, is catching them. He also had the play of camp so far, getting loose during Saturday's practice for a 55-yard touchdown. That came when Maye bought extra time, drifting to his right in the pocket (detailed that in Saturday's story) before uncorking a bomb. The offense has taken to calling that "fastbreak football", something Douglas is comfortable with.
"Y'all see my Liberty film when I was in Malik Willis?" he wondered. "You know, he a scrambler. So that was a lot in our game."
Mike Vrabel revealed that Douglas was one of their offseason award winners (along with Khyris Tonga, Cole Strange and Truman Jones), and one of the reasons Pop thought he got the nod is his influence on the rest of that receiving crew.
"I changed as a person, growing in the classroom and becoming that leader," he said. "I wasn't a vocal leader back then, but now I'm not scared to, you know, say, like, 'Come on, I expect more out of you.' I feel like they (the coaches) have seen that growth. I mean, watching film, they probably knew I could play. But it's like that different step, that extra step, that I took."
QUIET KYLE
After an impressive first day in camp, Kyle Williams is still getting plenty of reps with Maye and Josh Dobbs, but hasn't had much production. Of course, when he's on the field with Douglas and Stefon Diggs, the rookie from Washington State isn't likely to be the first or second option (or even third, if Hunter Henry is out there). Still, he's had both QBs in his ear at various times, and it's all about one thing: trust.
"Oh, for sure," he said. "I mean, without trust. I mean, what is there? It's like a relationship with your girl. You can't have a relationship with no trust. So, yeah, trust is big."
Look at the young man, handing out life lessons. Williams is also trying to learn the football ones from Diggs.
"It's been a blessing," he smiled. "I mean, that's always been my favorite receiver, so just being right next to him, it's just a gift."
What drew him to Diggs?
"He was just different. You know, he was crafty. Like something about him that just stuck out to me, and then I just gravitated towards it."
The 22-year-old - and everyone else - should absorb as many route-running tips as Diggs is willing to share. Williams has had some trouble with the physicality he's encountering at the top of his routes, and at times that has disrupted his footwork. He's got plenty more days to learn, and stack, before the Pats get into a game that matters.
DR. GIBBY SEES DIFFERENT LEVEL IN LB ROOM
Former Tennessee Titan linebacker Jack Gibbens has shown up in recent days, both in pass coverage - he had a PBU Saturday - and during the first fully padded practice on Monday.
With his build, Gibbens looks more like a safety than a linebacker. But then you see his physicality versus the run on Monday and realize there are plenty of reasons for Vrabel to be partial to the young veteran, who he once dubbed Dr. Gibby.
In case you don't remember that story, apparently Gibbens always had the correct answers when Vrabel would pepper him with questions or hit him with a pop quiz. Hence, the nickname.
Now, Gibbens is part of this revamped linebacker room in New England, and it's one that he calls smarter than any he's been in.
"(In) our meetings, everybody's got questions," Gibbens elaborated. "We're not going over just the basics of the playbook, X's and O's, like, this is your job. It's, Oh, if I get this play, or they have this type of player here, what kind of adjustments can we get to?' It's just kind of next-level stuff that you only get with veteran guys that have been around. We're not so worried about this is where I need to line up, and this is my key, and this is my job. We're kind of taking it to the next level. We've been doing that since back in the (spring)."
As of now, Christian Elliss continues to receive the most reps next to Robert Spillane, with Gibbens being the next in line.
STILL HERE
The offensive coaching staff didn't love what they saw from Kayshon Boutte the first time they had him back in the spring - his conditioning was subpar. But Boutte repped with the ones then, and as his conditioning clearly improved - Vrabel even mentioned it back in May - the third-year pro has remained the team's top option as the 'X' receiver, ahead of Williams, ahead of Javon Baker, and, my guess is that even when Mack Hollins does return, ahead of him as well.
On Monday, the former LSU product cooked Christian Gonzalez twice during one-and-ones. As I noted on social media, Boutte didn't go through some elaborate three-second release to get off the line. He was decisive, and he used his solid frame to power through one of the league's best corners.
"I feel like I'm a bigger guy, so I'm not really the shifty type," he told me. "So you kind of just gotta get open instantly and catch the ball."
Boutte took a massive leap from year one, when he was buried for nearly the entirety of the season, making 48 catches for almost 600 yards and three touchdowns. But after a 4-13 season, and with the coaching changes, the Pats signaled they weren't satisfied or beholden to almost everyone on the roster. They aggressively pursued a number of options at receiver, including one in D.K. Metcalf, who would have undoubtedly never come off the field as the primary 'X' receiver. But after being told no by the player and missing on a couple of other options, Boutte has a pathway to significant playing time once again.
"I think, kind of really no matter where you at, you got to work everywhere, honestly," he said when asked what he's been told by Vrabel and Josh McDaniels. "So whether I'm here or another place, it's just work every day."
Maye seems comfortable with him - leaning on him a number of times last season. That trust doesn't just disappear because of the moves the team made, and Boutte is proving that.