Patriots
Maye is looking to improve his footwork, trying to match it with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s system.
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Drake Maye is very aware of what evaluators viewed as the biggest concern for him ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
So, the new Patriots quarterback is working on it. But while Maye’s footwork was commonly listed as the biggest negative in his draft profiles, he also wants to improve his footwork to help match offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s system.
This weekend’s rookie minicamp was the start of that process, with Maye telling reporters that it’s “been good, kind of the first day feeling it out, and just getting more and more reps.”
“That’s all something new takes, is getting more reps at it,” Maye said. “I felt pretty good out there today, so just have to keep working. As opposed to a game, it’s a lot quicker. We’ll get that. I’m trying out two new stances that I’m getting used to. I’m just working on it, repping it, and I felt pretty good out here today, so just got to keep working.”
Van Pelt’s offensive system has some West Coast elements to it, with the quarterback frequently lining up under center during his stint as the Browns’ offensive coordinator. Maye spent most of his college career working out of the shotgun for UNC’s offense.
Maye is OK with putting in the work necessary to make sure his footwork, rhythm, and timing fit well in Van Pelt’s offense.
“I think [Van Pelt] is doing a great job of coaching me hard, and I want to be coached hard,” Maye said. “Once you kind of time it up, it comes easy. It kind of comes with rhythm and [you] match up concepts with footwork.”
Maye’s also appreciated Van Pelt’s teaching style.
“He knows there’s going to be a growing side, a mental side to it, so he’s understanding,” Maye said. “But also, if you’re not doing your right job, he’s going to tell you. So it’s been awesome so far.”
The rookie quarterback’s work hasn’t been exclusive to on-field matters, either. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo shared on Saturday that Maye “was here all night trying to get on the same page as everyone else” a day prior.
Maye’s impressed his fellow rookies with his conduct. Second-round receiver Ja’Lynn Polk and fourth-round guard Layden Robinson both called the rookie quarterback a “leader” on Saturday.
“The guy can sling it, man,” Polk told reporters of Maye.. “He’s very confident. He’s a leader, very vocal and just trying to find ways to put this team in the best opportunity possible.
“He’s setting the tone in practice, trying to get guys moving around and operating at a high level.”
Maye’s also been in contact with some of the veterans as well. He shared that he’s been texting with Jacoby Brissett, who he’ll likely battle with for the starting quarterback job over the coming months, as the veteran asked the rookie how his cadence has been.
Following Saturday’s practice, Maye said he told the receivers to “go and watch practice” so they could understand things from his perspective because it’ll help him become a better distributor.
Maye believes that all of that extra communication comes with the job of being a quarterback in the NFL
“I think as a quarterback, you’ve got to know what everybody’s doing on the field on the offense,” he said. “You’ve got to know all 11. You don’t [have] to know just my job. You’ve got to know what everybody’s doing, and that takes extra time. That takes extra drawing up, extra questions.
“So I’m just trying … get the other guys around me. Get them with me. Staying later, getting here earlier.”
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