FOXBORO – After watching an unpadded, no-contact practice for 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon, one hopes to have something to hang one’s hat on by the time he leaves.
So what does one have?
Actual practice snaps from center David Andrews to rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
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Intrepid snap chronicler Phil Perry had this to say during our Quick and Dirty Practice Wrap mere moments after the aforementioned snaps occurred.
“At the end of practice, you saw Drake Maye taking some snaps from David Andrews,” said our guy Phil. “Mike Onwenu, Sidy Sow, (Chukwuma) Okarafor, Vederian Lowe -- the same ‘starting offensive line’ we’ve seen out there for weeks (was out there at the time).
"That’s the first time Drake Maye has taken snaps behind that line in a practice setting. He got a handful in the first preseason game of the year, but that’s the first time I’ve seen David Andrews snap a football to Drake Maye.”
Ascension????? Hold the phone, says Perry.
“That said, those were not -- to me -- competitive periods of practice. But we’ve been saying they need to give (Maye) more reps with the ones, those are technically reps with the ones.”
After Maye’s highly competent Thursday night performance in relief of starter Jacoby Brissett, Friday was spent lamenting Maye’s slow-tracking so far this summer. That included just six reps in the preseason opener and him being on the field with backup offensive linemen most of the time.
The line depth has been an issue, which head coach Jerod Mayo pointed out after the preseason game against the Eagles.
“I would say there's a dramatic drop-off, not really physically, but just knowing what to do between the first line and the second and third guys,” Mayo said. “They have to get better as a whole, as a unit. They just have to get better, and that comes from playing football games. We have another preseason game coming up. We're going to play. That's the only way you're going to get better at football is playing football.”
Mayo added that the quarterback competition was ongoing, saying, “We have three more days of training camp practices, and it's our job as coaches to evaluate. The competition isn't over. They're still going to go out there, and they have to show not only themselves and their coaches but also their teammates. So, it's definitely still a competition."
The primary thing Mayo wants to see from Maye is speed.
“First and foremost is just the entire operation,” he said. “I think it needs to be faster. I think he needs to get those guys in the huddle faster, get them out of the huddle faster, get to the line and just be on point. I think that's definitely a thing that he has to work on, and I think he is. Like I said, we have three more days of camp, and that's going to be my point of emphasis for him.”
On Sunday, the team will likely ramp it back up and be in full pads as they ready for their final preseason game next week at Washington. It will be interesting to see if Maye gets more than just a cameo with the first-team offensive line.
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A few other notes from this one…
-- There was a lot of juggling on the offensive line with players in spots they haven’t been. Notably, Onwenu was out at tackle for a handful of snaps.
Asked about the switching after, he said, “We’ve just got a few guys out,” Onwenu said. “So, I mean, we’re all kind of getting reps and just (preparing) for the worst.”
Asked how the line’s been on a daily basis, Onwenu said, “Each day’s been good. Some days we’ve regressed but each day is a day for us to try new things, get better and compete.”
Reasons for mistakes the group’s made, he said, are often apparent when they break it down after practice.
“I wouldn’t say it’s an easy fix, but it’s more of our technique or our individual (mistake) that happens as opposed to us getting beat by our opponent.”
-- The team went through about 40 minutes of special teams, stretching and positional drills before breaking into 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 periods for the rest of practice.
Brissett, whose play in practice has leveled off in the workouts we’ve seen since last Sunday, was not terrifically accurate on some outside throws. The best throw of the day came from Maye on a perfectly placed 35-yard wheel route to running back Kevin Harris down the right sideline.
Joe Milton, who had limited reps in the 11-on-11s, got picked on a throw forced into double-coverage in the red zone.
-- Tight end Austin Hooper left practice midway through with an undetermined injury. Hunter Henry remains out of practice as well, so the tight end depth is being tested.