Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I don’t know who coined that, and can’t even be bothered to Google it to find its origin (no guarantee it’s true anyway, the internet and all ...), but now that mandatory minicamp and voluntary workouts are in the rearview, I figured now was as good a time as ever to give you 10 things I think I think about the Patriots (ode to Peter King) as we head into the summer. Some of you are counting down the days till training camp. I will not be among those people. I protect these five weeks or so like a mama bear protects her cubs.
1. Drake Maye looked so comfortable, and that translates to all facets of what we saw this spring. Between interactions with teammates and coaches and his performance in the sessions we witnessed, dare I say, the soon-to-be 24-year-old seems poised to take that next step? What is that, exactly? As I illustrated this weekend, it’s the control he has at the line of scrimmage, the pinpoint accuracy -- he attempted and completed a variety of throws where the ball was precisely where it needed to be -- and just a ‘swag’ or ‘aura’ about how he did it. Teammates noticed. So did I.
2. I love the quick, twitchy little wideout almost as much as the next guy (some of you are a little overboard, but I still love you). However, there is something about seeing the offense break the huddle in 11 personnel with A.J. Brown (6-foot-1, 225ish pounds), Romeo Doubs (6-foot-2, 204) and Mack Hollins (6-foot-4, 221) deployed as interchangeable pieces across the formation that gets the blood pumping. For the better part of the modern era of Pats football, their best playmakers at the position have been the slot guys. Now, the offense’s best path toward success in the passing game may be bully ball. Again, we’ll get a better idea of what it looks like when camp heats up, and we see joint practices with the Eagles and Colts, but Vrabel wants more physicality. That would be one way to get it.
3. I’ve done a lot of recon on the aforementioned Brown. Yes, the act wore thin in Philly, but there’s still a lot of love in that locker room and building for him. The term “great teammate” got thrown around a bunch. I wrestle with parts of that. Winning may not always have been the priority. Even Mike Vrabel may have revealed that when asked what motivates Brown, saying, in part (and more generally about players), "I hope on the top of the list, that -- it may not be the top -- but that it’s winning. But then there are always things that motivate different players, and when you give an opportunity to talk to A.J., I’m sure he’ll be able to express those for himself."
So I asked Brown.
“What's my motivation? My motivation is just to come out here and just be the best I can every single day," he answered. "Simple as that.”
4. There will be pressure on Maye and Josh McDaniels to make sure Brown is engaged and involved week-to-week. Part of that will be identifying mismatches by moving Brown across the formation, although there are plenty of layers to that conversation.
“I’m sure he'd probably be the first one to tell you that he's a mismatch,” McDaniels told me. “So, I'm not sure how long I have to hunt for him, but I understand the level of player, the scheme, how they try to take players away -- or at least limit them. That impacts all of our decisions every week, and how we go about trying to create the best offensive performance for our team.”
5. As for the little fellas in the slot, Pop Douglas was very active and targeted the third most of any receiver in the workouts we saw (with Brown and Hunter Henry ahead of him). Felt like the trust has grown between him and Maye, at least when it comes to playing against the Pats defense. We’ll see if that continues into the summer and then fall because, quite frankly, we were here at points last year around this time. As for Efton Chism, they clearly see him as a better blocking option from that position, but he still doesn’t have the quickness that Pop possesses. Chism also appears a little thicker in his lower half, which will help if he’s gotta dig out safeties and linebackers.
6. I’m trying to convince myself the Pats should retain Kayshon Boutte. It’s not for anything he did at minicamp; rather, this is about the team clearly operating as if this is an all-in year and, damit, the more depth the merrier. Brown hasn’t been an ironman the last two seasons, nor has Doubs, and Hollins is 33 years old. I still deem it as unlikely, though Boutte is probably going to have to show out in training camp before something happens. I’ve seen some mention of Boutte’s experience at the ‘X’ being beneficial to Brown moving around, but both Doubs and Hollins can take snaps there, and Kyle Williams has to find a role as well.
7. I understand Vrabel publicly backing his edge group, but I’m not buying what he’s selling. Perhaps his proclamations were meant to poke at the unsigned and knee “procedure”-recovering Gabe Jacas. Something like, "See, buddy, we’re good. You’re gonna have a hard time cracking this group." Then I look at the depth chart and say, "You’re no better off than you were last year, and it was a problem.” Maybe not with a capital ‘P,’ but they blitzed because they couldn’t win consistently on the edge. Perhaps second-year pro Elijah Ponder really is about to come into his own. Historically, however, the odds of a UDFA becoming a damn good pass rusher are slim. (I did Google that one: James Harrison, Michael Bennett and Shaq Barrett are the ultimate exceptions.) Let’s reconvene a few months from now, especially if Jacas isn’t ready for prime time.
8. Cornerback depth is definitely a thing. Someone will need to emerge, whether it be fifth-rounder Karon Prunty (didn’t see him make many plays); Mr. Irrelevant Kobee Minor, who got worked over consistently; or well-traveled vet Kindle Vildor. Charles Woods was passable when he had to fill in for Carlton Davis for stretches. Based on what else has shown -- or not -- the Pats may need that again.
9. The defensive staff gave veteran Mike Brown a longer look as the third safety, and with his size (6-foot-1, 218 pounds), he looks like he could withstand some of the bigger bodies that come with playing closer to the line of scrimmage. I remain bullish on Dell Pettus, but he might have some work to do to hold off/wrestle away (depending on your vantage point) that spot.
10. Lastly, I don’t know how this Christian Gonzalez situation will play out. As we discussed on the All 32 pod (collab this weekend with Andrew Callahan), the Pats will almost certainly have to do something with Brown’s contract (be it this year or next) because he has only $4 million in guarantees for 2027. You don’t trade a first and fifth to be a one-and-done scenario. That will be big money. Maye is eligible for his massive extension next offseason. That means that if the Pats pay Gonzalez what he’s worth, they’ll have three guys at or near the top of the market. Ownership has never done that before. They should, but until they do, I’m dubious.