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Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Rookie report: When quarterback Drake Maye arrived for his weekly news conference with reporters last week, he wore a long-sleeved hoodie that included the Patriots’ logo and the words “2024 season rookie class.”
Maye has delivered so far as the No. 3 pick. The rest of the class not so much.
The Patriots (3-8) visit the Dolphins (4-6) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), and while Maye will make his seventh career NFL start as he has breathed life into the offense, the lack of on-field contributions from his ’24 classmates has been notable for a franchise with a stated goal of drafting and developing.
Of the team’s eight picks, seven came on offense, and coordinator Alex Van Pelt said the team retains promise they will emerge.
“All are going to be good players, I believe, for us. They are at different points of their development and progression right now, but I do feel like all the guys we brought in that class are going to be able to help us in the future,” he said.
Second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk, a wide receiver from the University of Washington, has been given more chances than the rest. The No. 37 pick has played 358 of 711 snaps, but his production hasn’t matched the playing time, with only 11 receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
Maye has attempted to uplift the 6-foot-1, 203-pound Polk, who isn’t a burner but showed a knack for contested and tight-window catches in college. That hasn’t shown up yet in the NFL.
“I think he’s going to be a great player in this league,” Maye said. “He’s getting thrown in there at different times, to block some, and we need to find a way to get him the football.”
Meanwhile, third-round pick Caedan Wallace, an offensive tackle from Penn State who opened the season as a backup and started in Week 3, sustained an ankle injury Sept. 29 and has been on injured reserve since. He’s expected back “soon,” according to Van Pelt.
Fourth-round pick Layden Robinson, a right guard from Texas A&M, has started six games but recently has slipped out of favor after struggling against Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons on Nov. 3. An ankle injury sustained Oct. 20 against the Jaguars stunted his momentum, with offensive line coach Scott Peters noting he was playing well in that game before departing, highlighting his ability to play with power and physicality.
“He’s a hard worker and has a good future,” Peters said.
Fellow fourth-round pick Javon Baker, a receiver from Central Florida, was pulled from last week’s game as the top kickoff returner because of shaky ballhanding and communication. He has played only 19 offensive snaps this season, with Van Pelt saying he “will make plays for us down the stretch once he becomes familiar with the whole system.”
Patriots special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer said rookie Javon Baker will return kicks again after being pulled in last week’s game – possibly as early as this week.
“Definitely not giving up on the guy,” he says, adding that he can do a better job coaching him.
“When the… pic.twitter.com/1CjZqLrh7m
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) November 22, 2024
Quarterback Joe Milton III, a sixth-round pick from Tennessee, has spent the year as the No. 3 QB behind Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett. He has been awarded the practice player of the week three times as the leader of the scout team, with coach Jerod Mayo pointing out he has taken advantage of the team’s virtual reality system behind the scenes.
And seventh-rounder Jaheim Bell, a tight end from Florida State, has spent the year as the No. 3 option behind veterans Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper. He has played sparingly on offense (25 snaps), with one catch for one yard, making his primary impact on special teams.
“He’s doing it the right way, working his butt off,” Van Pelt said.
With six regular-season games left, an ideal scenario for the team would be for some rookies to generate positive momentum heading into the offseason. Van Pelt struck a positive tone despite the modest results.
“That’s a group of talented guys,” he said. “We were excited about them when we drafted them, and are now, too.”
2. More Maye energy: Among the areas that Maye has targeted for improvement is his energy in the huddle before short-yardage running plays, as he wondered what he could do to energize his teammates in those situations — especially in the red zone. Quarterbacks coach TC McCartney confirmed that’s something regularly discussed among Maye, Brissett and Milton.
“Some of that is definitely part of knowing situation and going into the huddle and getting the guys fired up,” McCartney said, adding that Van Pelt has highlighted the point.
3. Pacing Barmore: Defensive tackle Christian Barmore has been limited to one practice each of the past two weeks since returning from being diagnosed with blood clots, and he played 21 snaps in his season debut last week (three tackles). It’s part of a medical-based plan to ease him back into the mix, which is why he’ll continue to have a niche role on game day.
“He’s been in all our meetings and he’s a smart guy. When he gets in, he knows what to do and how to do it. It’s just getting game reps,” defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington said.
4. Improved areas: Mayo said in his initial team meeting this past week he highlighted areas the team has grown since the start of the season, and then identified new targets to hit. He believed players “really took that stuff to heart.”
Left tackle Vederian Lowe said the offense’s ability to move the ball was noted as greatly improved (back-to-back games with 300 yards), with a message that the key now is to finish off those drives (just three TDs in last nine red zone trips).
Meanwhile, safety Kyle Dugger said the communication among defenders was highlighted as much improved since the start of the season, while the need for producing more turnovers (one in the last five games) was noted.
5. No pads: Some players were surprised when Mayo didn’t have players in full pads for the first Wednesday practice last week. One player noted that Sunday’s matchup against the Dolphins is more about speed, so lightening the load would ideally have them best prepared to meet the challenge in that area.
Players expected to be back in pads next Wednesday, knowing a more physical run-based team in the Colts is coming to town.
6. Pick No. 6. With six games left in the regular season, the Patriots are projected to have the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller’s most recent mock draft had two quarterbacks off the board within the first four picks, which would be ideal for New England considering it already has that position well accounted for with Maye.
It’s early, but envisioning Maye throwing to someone like University of Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan is intriguing.
7. Durable Gonzo: When cornerback Christian Gonzalez unexpectedly popped up on the injury report Friday (hip/questionable), it was a reminder of how durable he has been this season — one of the questions surrounding him after a rookie season in which he was limited to four games after tearing the labrum in his right shoulder.
Gonzalez has started every game, playing 98% of the defensive snaps, more than any other player on that side of the ball.
8. Strange at center: Cole Strange, the Patriots’ 2022 first-round pick from Chattanooga, returned to practice for the first time Wednesday after tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee last December. Although the entirety of his NFL experience has been at left guard, the coaching staff began his work at center, where his long-term future might be.
“We thought get ball in his hands and see how he looks,” assistant coach Scott Peters said, noting Strange’s quickness and intelligence as important traits for the position, and how his former team, the Browns, liked him coming out of the draft.
9. They said it: “He’s the main reason I’m here. It’s no secret. I had a couple different options; it’s fun when you’re in an offense like this with a coordinator who wants to spread the ball around. Last week, six different guys had four-plus catches, so the beauty of the scheme is to spread the ball around.” — veteran tight end Austin Hooper (23 catches, 231 yards, TD), on how the presence of OC Van Pelt led him to sign with the Patriots last offseason
10. Did you know? Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is 6-0 in his career against the Patriots, which is tied with Earl Morrall for the second-most wins without a loss against New England in Patriots history. Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway, who played for the Broncos, was 10-0 in his career vs. the Patriots.
Source: www.espn.com