New England Patriots
“I’m going to keep going at it, and it could be the fifth play in a row, I’m going to give him the rock.”
Drake Maye was nearly flawless during team drills on Friday. Christian Kantosky for The Boston Globe
July 31, 2026 | 5:35 PM
5 minutes to read
FOXBOROUGH — After a slow start to training camp, A.J. Brown is starting to find some traction with his new quarterback.
The Patriots’ top offseason pickup had another productive morning during New England’s second padded practice of training camp on Friday — with the veteran wideout reeling in several throws from Drake Maye during both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills.
There’s only so much that can be drawn from the first few camp practices, especially when it comes to the operation of an offense before joint practices and preseason action commences.
But it was a strong performance from Maye throughout the morning as the third-year QB looks to build off a breakthrough campaign in 2025 — especially alongside his new top target.
Here are five takeaways from another spirited practice on the muggy practice fields behind Gillette Stadium.
Drake Maye has been nearly flawless since padded practices began
After a quiet couple of practices in which Drake Maye struggled to get on the same page with A.J. Brown, the Patriots QB has settled into a groove ever since the pads came on.
As noted by MassLive’s Mark Daniels, Maye was a perfect 11-for-11 on throws during 11-on-11 drills on Friday — with Maye completing 18-of-19 throws in team drills since padded practices began on Thursday.
Brown was a familiar target for Maye throughout Friday’s practice, even beating Christian Gonzalez at 11-on-11s with a quick double move — getting the better of the star cornerback while beating him down the right sideline.
“Just giving more chances to him,” Maye said of building a rapport with Brown. “I think you see with the ball in his hands what he can do. So just finding more chances intermediate, short, deep, just not shying away from him. I’m not going to shy away from it. That’s how I play.
“I’m going to keep going at it, and it could be the fifth play in a row, I’m going to give him the rock. So, I think just finding a way to balance that with a player like him, and also you got Romeo [Doubs] and Pop [Douglas] and Hunter [Henry], and you got guys, Rhamondre [Stevenson], TreVeyon [Henderson]. I got guys that can stress the defense. So, knowing the right play to make, first off, but also finding some time in training camp to give some chances that maybe in a game I may pass on that.”
Doubs has top play of practice
A lot of the focus on New England’s offense so far this camp has revolved around a new pickup in A.J. Brown, rookies like Eli Raridon, and players linked to trade rumors like Kayshon Bouute.
As such, Romeo Doubs — who signed a four-year, $68 million contract with New England earlier this offseason — has flown under the radar a bit, despite serving an essential role in the Patriots’ revamped offense moving forward.
The former Green Bay Packer hasn’t popped to the same degree as someone like Brown or Boutte so far during camp.
But the 26-year-old wideout had the top play of Friday’s practice during a 7-on-7 session in the red zone — beating Christian Gonzalez on a fade ball in the right corner of the end zone.
Despite Gonzalez’s standing as one of the top defensive backs in the NFL, Maye didn’t shy away from targeting his teammate during Friday’s drills — completing multiple throws with Gonzalez in coverage.
“I love going to good players, and I think he wants that,” Maye said of going at Gonzalez. “So that’s fun to go against a guy like him, especially when we got guys that I feel like give him some good work. … I’m the type that wants to go over there and challenge him.
“So, he knows that. And obviously he’s a great player in this league, and I love having him on my team.”
Attendance Report
As expected, Patriots players on both the PUP and NFI lists in Gabe Jacas, Harold Landry, Terrell Jennings, Brenden Schooler, and CJ Dippre didn’t take part in Friday’s practice.
Once again, veteran cornerback Carlton Davis III wasn’t spotted on the field after he appeared to tweak something during a 7-on-7 drill on Tuesday, while Christian Barmore wasn’t present as well.
Barmore’s situation is worth monitoring, although the defensive tackle was also prescribed several rest days last season as New England tried to manage his workload and health over the grind of a long football season.
Veteran right tackle Morgan Moses has also been on a unique practice schedule since arriving in New England, with the Patriots also carving out plenty of rest time for the 35-year-old in order to limit the wear and tear on his frame.
Moses had a lighter day on Friday, making his way down to the lower fields once team drills commenced.
Will Campbell settling in, Caleb Lomu labors
Padded practices at least offer a prime opportunity to assess play in the trenches — with New England’s offensive linemen and defensive linemen engaging in several pitched bouts on Friday.
There have been plenty of eyes on second-year pro Will Campbell, especially given his high draft pedigree (No. 4 overall in 2025) and his struggles during last year’s run to Super Bowl LX.
But New England’s starting left tackle more than held his own during 1-on-1 drills Friday, with Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar having Campbell down for a perfect 3-0 in those drills— including a win over veteran free-agent signing Dre’Mont Jones.
It wasn’t as clean of a showing from rookie tackle Caleb Lomu, who went 2-2 in the same drills and labored at times against speedy edge rushes like Bradyn Swinson.
Those growing pains should be expected for a player like Lomu, who is expected to serve more as New England’s swing tackle this season before carving out a starting role in the coming years.
Raridon continues to stand out
Another day, another encouraging performance from Patriots rookie tight end Eli Raridon.
The 2026 third-round pick was once again a regular target during team drills, reeling in a touchdown from Maye during 7-on-7s with Craig Woodson in coverage.
Even though Raridon has earned a majority of his reps on the second unit with QB Tommy DeVito, the former Notre Dame standout is seemingly solidifying his spot as New England’s backup tight end behind Hunter Henry.
“Have you seen him? That’s a big target,” DeVito said when asked what stands out with Raridon. “I bet you’d want to throw to him, too. He’s big, he’s athletic, his confidence is growing … Awesome hands. He’s got the frame. He’s got everything going for him. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
