QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE
PRESS CONFERENCE
June 9, 2025
Q: What's the adjustment been like to Josh [McDaniels] and the offense? How's that coming for you? Other than the world fell into a panic when you supposedly threw four interceptions on that first day.
DM: I think it's feeling good. I think we're catching the stride. Trying to get as many reps out there as possible. I think you got to take the meetings and what you learn from when you do get a chance to run the plays, just take it and take it in the next time you run it. It's all the same concepts in the league, but it's different verbiage. Mostly same guys running them, but just feeling out how they run it, timing and just getting different concepts. I think it's been good. I think I'm starting to find a stride. I'm bummed out we're about to leave, but it's fun. Anytime we're going against a great defense, you got good players, two great corners. I tell Gonzo every day, 'I'm going to test them.' I'm not going to not throw at him or CD [Carlton Davis], two of the best corners and one of the best duos in the league. What an opportunity for us to go out there every day and throw against those guys.
Q: Drake, how much have you, Mike [Vrabel] and Josh talked about the expectations for you as a leader on this team going into your second year?
DM: Yeah, I think it's an opportunity for me to take a jump. I think from last year being a rookie, trying to come in here and earn my stripes, earn my keep through hard work. I think this year is the same approach. You got new guys in here, new staff, got to keep on getting to know everybody, show my work ethic. From there, as the season comes around, try to take the next step in leadership and leading the offense and hopefully leading this football team.
Q: Drake, as a voice and as a player, how would you define your comfort level now compared to one year ago?
DM: Oh, yeah, it's world's different. I was talking to Pep [Jabrill Peppers] about that earlier. I remember this time last year, Pep and Dug [Kyle Dugger], I was playing quarterback back there and we had a one high, two high read, and they were playing with me basically the whole snap. I messed it up. Just confidence and being out there, having reps, seeing some of these plays, seeing how these guys on defense play. I think it's world's different. It's a little different to have a new offense, new verbiage. I think finding where we're at in the offense and finding what we're going to be good at in our duties, It's been fun. It's been cool.
Q: We've seen Stefon Diggs out there with you guys a little bit more in the past few weeks. What are your first impressions of him and getting to play with him?
DM: Yeah, he seems like an awesome teammate. He's my locker mate, one down from beside me. We talk all the time. He's a veteran in this league. He's made a lot of plays, played in a lot of big time games. Just an awesome voice for the receiver room, for this offense. He's played in some playoff games. He's had some big games. Once he recovers, and he's getting back out there, I'm looking forward to being able to throw him some footballs. It's always good having a guy like that on your team.
Q: Have you seen Stefon's work ethic in action?
DM: Yeah, he comes in here, lifting. In the meetings, asking questions, asking me after plays, 'Hey, what should I have done there? Hey, in the past, I've done this when the guy's playing this leverage,' stuff like that. He's seen a lot of different things, played a long time in this league. It's been great for me. A veteran receiver, him, Mack [Hollins], Kendrick Bourne. We got three, not really old heads, but old heads in their 30s. It's been awesome for us to find how they lead the room and help this offense.
Q: Drake, with the expectations that are coming, it's a lot of improvement on the coaching staff, the roster. It's your second year. You had such a good, at times, rookie year. The expectations are already growing. How do you react to those and feel about high expectations?
DM: You want high expectations. I think that's what you want. I think this city, you know, the Patriots are used to winning, and that's what we're trying to get back to. I think you want people to expect you to play well. I think that pressure is what fuels you to be out here, what fuels you to get the rep right in practice. It's what fuels you to work hard in the meetings, the weight room, or not what happened last year happen again.
Q: What accompanies that in Boston is an impatience. Like he's supposed to be… this much better. Do you anticipate that? Do you realize that?
DM: It's hard to anticipate anything. I'm just trying to focus out here on practice. Hopefully when the game time comes, I'm going to try to play my best football. I think from there, just try to help this team win.
Q: On that last drill, when everyone's lined up and you guys are doing the sprints. How does that challenge you vocally and physically?
DM: Yeah, not really a challenge. I'm just trying not to screw the guys over with the cadence and have them jump offsides. I'm just trying to help the guys out, give them a little heads up in the front, but it's good for us to hear cadence. Cadence is a big thing in this league to see what defense is doing, help the guys up front blocking. Every D-line in this league is good. It's a great way for those guys to listen in on cadence and also conditioning, when they're tired, listening to the cadence.
Q: Drake, does this Josh McDaniels system have more post-snap adjustments than you've used in the past, and how do you feel like you guys are dealing with those?
DM: Post-snap? I wouldn't say that. I think every offense has different pre-snap, different post-snap. I think Coach does a great job of getting guys in match-ups and letting them win. I'm looking forward to doing that. I've got to do my part in getting guys lined up, playing the right side and just doing my part of taking what's open. Taking the first thing, sometimes when you tend to wait for the big one, holding the ball, and sometimes it's not open.
Q: Why is it important for you to test Christian Gonzalez?
DM: I think just getting them work. I know there's going to be guys and quarterbacks in this league with big-time receivers that are going to go at Gonzo, go at CD. If we were playing our defense, I get those guys excited in the receiver room to play in such a good cornerback duo who gets a lot of hype, and it's well-deserved. I'm picking myself for those guys on our side, but playing someone like that, you want to prove them wrong and 'Hey, this guy's making a bunch of money. Let's go out there and show them what we can do.' That's our mindset if we're playing somebody like our duo. Just giving them work, I think that's what's great. Gonzo wants work. Try to throw them back shoulder if you're staying on top, or try to throw them on a slant when you're sitting inside, or throw them on an in-cut when you're in the back end zone. I think stuff like that, it gives them good work, and I think when the season comes, it's going to help out.
Q: Dan [Roche] was joking about the four interceptions. How do you view that day? At this time of year, are you testing things out, trying things out?
DM: I think there's a balance between trying things out and turning the football over. Going back to that day, a deep one, Gonzo fell off. Not to get into football, but Gonzo fell off. Gonzo made a good play. The other one, they bring cover zero, and you just got to have cover zero answers in this league. I learned with that one. I think Hunter [Henry] got held on one. You can take that stuff with a grain of salt, but at the same time, you don't want to turn the football over and get in bad habits. I feel like I've done a good job of trying to keep the football in our hands, and that's one of our key focuses.
Q: Mike has been big on not repeating mistakes. Do you feel like that's what you're learning as far as coming out with a new day and not repeating some of those things you do?
DM: Yeah, that's what the NFL is. You're going to get knocked down. It's how hard you get up. I'm going to throw interceptions, but it's how hard you bounce back. I learned that in this league really early. You're going to have some bad plays. I think my second or third throw was an interception, so you've got to come back. Those guys are looking at me and looking to me to respond. I think playing this position, it comes with that. I'm starting to feel that out. Take the bull by the horns and go at it.
Q: How's the group coming together pre-snap in terms of pre-snap reads, huddle, things like that? We heard an alert down there. How's that coming together?
DM: Yeah, that's football. You're trying to find out what the defense is doing, and the defense is trying to show you something and play something else. So, that's the NFL, and I think you're finding that. For me, just trying to play the chess match with them. They're going to try to show me something and do something different. Just not getting too much into the guessing game. So, it's been fun. It's a good match between our defense. They do a lot of different stuff, and that's great work for us.
Q: Drake, what are your plans for the next five, six weeks before you guys come back for training camp?
DM: Shoot, my plans, focus on tomorrow. We've got another day of practice. I'm getting married in two weeks. Other than that, just trying to get ready for the season.
Q: Drake, you have a lot of new faces on your offensive line. How do you see them putting things together over time as a unit?
DM: Yeah, I think you're kind of starting to see it. I think Morgan [Moses] and Garrett [Bradbury] coming in, they're veterans, they've played a lot of snaps in this league, a lot of starts. So, it's good to have some guys that have been in here. Some guys last year, Big Trey [Demontrey Jacobs], V-Lowe [Vederian Lowe], Cole Strange and obviously Big Mike [Mike Onwenu]; he's stout as can be. So, I'm looking forward to seeing those guys. They're coming as a group. They're doing their part. [I've got to] get the ball out and help those guys. It's tough out here; the defense knows we're passing. There's not much running game out here in OTAs, so they've kind of got a head start, but it's good for us to get that work. You're going to see their best pass rush on third down because that's where they're going to come. And Big Will [Will Campbell], he's done a great job. It's cool for me seeing Will come in kind of the same situation. Played three years in college, coming in the NFL, never been up here in the Northeast, southern accent. So, it's been cool to kind of be there with him and live through it.
Q: Did you explain to him that there are trees here?
DM: Yeah, exactly.
Q: Based on the few practices you've had here so far, how much do you feel like you know about your offense's identity heading into the season? What is that identity?
DM: I think you're starting to find it. I think it's hard out here because running the football is such an identity for those guys up front, kind of being physical in the running game. Also, it's hard – nobody's getting tackled, so it's hard to tackle these guys. They're just tapping off and saying 'I tackled him,' but that's how it is in OTAs. But I think it's good work. It's good for us to kind of install the plays, get a feel about what I like. Coach McDaniels has been awesome about asking what I like and what he expects from me on certain plays. So, it's been good to be able to get that outside and on the field. It's been fun watching Tom [Brady] and a bunch of great quarterbacks in this offense do it.
Q: Drake, before practice, Mike [Vrabel] was talking about your leadership qualities. He said it's a unique situation; he's 22 years old, you're still a young guy. How comfortable are you, though, as you guys are all learning this new offense, kind of getting after guys if you feel like you need to when things aren't going the way they should?
DM: I think that's something that I think is neat. I think Coach Vrabel has kind of set that tone when he came in here and he got hired of, 'Hey, if you're not doing the right thing for a period of time, there's going to be some consequences,' and I think that's something we need to establish. I think it's something that me growing up with three older brothers and [being] around older people my whole life, I've kind of been comfortable, once I got acclimated, which I feel like I definitely am now, to kind of step into that zone. Hey, especially offensively, if somebody's not doing their job – and it starts with me, I've got to do mine first – but if somebody's not doing their job and repeating mistakes, I think there's got to be a consequence. I think at some point it hurts the football team, and I think it hurts everybody in that building.
Q: What are your impressions of the skill position players you guys added around the draft? Efton Chism [III], Kyle Williams, TreVeyon Henderson?
DM: Yeah, I think you just saw it. I mean, they're making plays all day. So, we've got to find a way to get them involved. I'm looking forward to seeing kind of how they kind of shape their role in training camp, and I think they're shaping it out here. I think you saw plays from everybody. TreVeyon caught a touchdown, Kyle caught a deep ball, Chis [Efton Chism III] had about 50 catches, I feel like, in OTAs. So, these guys are just showing the work and showing up. I've been through it with the rookie – they're here in some rookie meetings until 5 o'clock, some NFLPA meetings. So, they've got a lot on their plate, and I think they're responding well. So, I think what you realize is young players in this league are good for the program and good for the organization. So, I think finding a way to have those guys help us early is something that we can kind of build, build a young group and a young core.
