Patriots QB Drake Maye 'has a lot to work on,' says coach - ESPN

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — First-year New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo might not be as hard-lined as Bill Belichick when answering questions from reporters, but he delivered a Belichick-type response when asked his first impressions of quarterback Drake Maye at rookie minicamp.

«He has a lot to work on. A lot to work on,» Mayo said Saturday, repeating himself. «But I have no doubt that he will put the time in. He was here all night trying to get on the same page as everyone else.»

Mayo has said that his legacy — as well as that of newly appointed executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, who officially was named to the position Saturday — will be tied to the team's selection of Maye third overall in last month's NFL draft.

Friday and Saturday marked Maye's first practices as a Patriot, as he donned jersey No. 10, the same as former Patriots first-round pick Mac Jones.

Reporters were present for Saturday's hourlong session, which featured a heavy emphasis on footwork fundamentals. Specifically, Maye spent the first few periods of practice taking snaps directly under center instead of the shotgun, which he mostly used the past two seasons at North Carolina.

«It's been good, kind of the first day feeling it out and just getting more and more reps,» Maye said. «That's all something new takes — getting more reps at it. I felt pretty good out there today, so just have to keep working.»