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7 takeaways from last day of Patriots minicamp
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- 7 takeaways from last day of Patriots minicamp
FOXBOROUGH – There was a play during Patriots minicamp on Monday where Joshua Dobbs hit Kyle Williams for what looked like a 40-yard touchdown.
The rookie receiver showed great speed as he blew through the defense and split safeties Dell Pettus and Jaylinn Hawkins for the score. There was some question, however, as to whether or not Dobbs would've been sacked on the play.
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Since it's a non-contact practice, contact isn't allowed – Patriots defensive players must pull up before they get to the quarterback.
"They're rushing three steps, four steps, trying to pull off, take care of the quarterback," Vrabel said. "It depends on who you ask. You ask the defense, every play is a sack. Ask the offense, every play is not a sack. It just depends on who you ask."
A day later, the defense left no doubt on their ability to rush the passer.
On Tuesday, the final day of Patriots minicamp, the defense shined. The practice saw four 11-on-11 periods with two being in the red zone. Unlike Monday, the Patriots offense had little success when near the end zone.
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In Monday's practice, Drake Maye threw three touchdowns in two red zone periods. On Tuesday, Maye's group didn't reach the end zone.
The defense had 'sacks' by Keion White , K'Lavon Chaisson, Milton Williams , and Marcus Jones in competitive drills. Christian Gonzalez intercepted Maye, which marked the quarterback's first turnover since the first open practice.
The Patriots also had pass breakups by Marcus Jones (in the end zone), Alex Austin , and two by undrafted linebacker Cam Riley.
Here are the main takeaways from the last day of Patriots minicamp:
Drake Maye was up and down
Drake Maye didn't have a bad day on Tuesday. The quarterback started 4-of-4 in team drills. He was 6-of-7 when he tried to hit Kyle Williams deep down the right sideline. That's when Gonzalez jumped up for an interception.
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The Patriots cornerback made it look easy, which speaks to his athleticism.
Overall, Maye completed 64% of his passes (9-of-14) to go with the turnover. Maye's group wasn't as efficient in the red zone. On Monday, he was 6-of-9 with three touchdowns in two red zone periods. On Tuesday, Maye was 3-of-6 with no touchdowns and a quarterback sneak.
The performance wasn't all on Maye. Patriots receivers struggled to get open when the ball was placed at the 11 or 5-yard line.
That was also the case when backup quarterbacks Joshua Dobbs and Ben Wooldridge were on the field. Dobbs went 9-of-15 with one touchdown. Wooldridge finished 2-of-5 on the day.
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Offensive highlights
Although the defense stole the show, there were still some nice moments from Maye's offense on Tuesday.
During 11-on-11 drills, Hunter Henry made a nice one-handed catch from Maye. Jabrill Peppers was in tight coverage, but the veteran tight end hauled in the pass with one out-stretched right hand. It served as a solid reminder that Henry continues to be Maye's go-to receiver when in a jam.
In the first full-team period, Maye wasted no time testing his veteran cornerbacks. On his fourth pass, he beat Carlton Davis as DeMario Douglas made a great catch on a deep ball down the left sideline.
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Douglas had a solid spring and could be bound for a big season under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Stefon Diggs looks healthy
Stefon Diggs doesn't look like a player who suffered a torn ACL last season on Oct. 27.
The Patriots receiver has been limited in the three open practices seen by the media. He said he wanted to do more, but the team wouldn't allow him to participate in full-team drills.
Despite the knee surgery and rehab, Diggs has showcased a surprising burst of speed during individual drills. That was seen on Tuesday when he took a pass and sprinted down the field.
After practice, Diggs said he was on schedule with his rehabilitation.
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"It's pretty good. It's always been a process. I was seven months on Saturday," Diggs said. "So it's a nice seven-month reunion, and I feel great. Been out here grinding with the boys. Been definitely a process but it's on the back end now. I wanted to mix it up a little bit but I don't make the rules."
Diggs spent most of his offseason rehabbing in Florida at Alkeme Sports RX with Dr. Sharif Tabbah. When he visited the Patriots during free agency, the team examined his knee and felt so good about Diggs' health that they signed him to a 3-year, $69 million contract.
Diggs has said that his goal is to play in Week 1.
"We'll see how it goes. Obviously, I don't make the rules," Diggs said when asked about his timeline. I'm grinding each and every day, though. I can't do too much of the team stuff, but I'm eager to get out there, so whenever they do press the button, I'm going to be ready. I'm grinding, though, every day."
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Veteran running back feels the heat
Antonio Gibson had a good practice on Tuesday, leading all pass catchers with four receptions.
All those catches, however, came from Dobbs as opposed to Maye. The reason has been due to the emergence of rookie TreVeyon Henderson . The second-round pick caught two passes on Tuesday, but both came from Maye.
Henderson has been rotating in with Rhamondre Stevenson , which shows that the Patriots have big plans for him. It'll be interesting to see how that affects (if at all) Gibson's standing with the team.
Former first-round pick shines
As the Patriots dialed up their pass rush on Tuesday, it was notable how much K'Lavon Chaisson was on the field.
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Drafted 20th overall by Jacksonville in 2020, Chaisson signed a 1-year deal with the Patriots this offseason after making a career-high five sacks in 2024 with Las Vegas . On Tuesday, he had a split sack on Maye along with Milton Williams.
Chaisson could be Harold Landry 's top backup but also has a chance to shine as a situational pass rusher for the Patriots.
Kicker battle
This season marks the third straight year where the Patriots will have a new kicker. It appears as though the team has finally solved their kicking woes.
On Tuesday, Andy Borregales finished minicamp with a perfect 4-of-4 showing in field goal attempts. The sixth-round pick hit 45 and 51-yard field goals to end an impressive spring. The rookie finished OTAs and minicamp going 19-of-20 in his field goal attempts.
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Borregales will now enter his first training camp as a massive favorite over Parker Romo, who made 14-of-20 attempts this spring.
Attendance
The Patriots ended minicamp with the same attendance.
On Tuesday, the team was without Mack Hollins , Tyrese Robinson , Miles Battle , and Wes Schweitzer , who retired. The Patriots had a long list of limited players. That included Diggs, Ja'Lynn Polk, Mike Onwenu, Kyle Dugger , Austin Hooper , Vederian Lowe , and rookie Jared Wilson .
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Read the original article on MassLive .
