FOXBORO — Day 2 of Patriots training camp brought a shift in the quarterback reps pecking order, but it didn’t involve rookie Drake Maye.
Maye continued to take second QB reps behind current “starter” Jacoby Brissett. But during team drills, rookie sixth-round pick Joe Milton III, not third-year pro Bailey Zappe, followed Maye. Zappe began the spring as the Patriots No. 2 quarterback until being passed by Maye. He was the third QB on Wednesday, the first day of minicamp.
Mayo said Wednesday that QB reps would be planned out in advance.
“It’s a day-by-day thing, and we meet every morning, we meet every night to kind of script that stuff out,” Mayo said.
Maye was once again one of the first Patriots players on the field. He was also among the last on the practice field, staying 34 minutes past the end of practice to throw with wide receiver Javon Baker, a fellow rookie.
“If there’s something in practice that we feel like we need to get right or if there’s something that Drake feels like he has to get right, he wanted to get right, as well, wanted an extra rep at, it’s our job as receivers to do what our quarterback needs and do what they want,” rookie Ja’Lynn Polk said after practice. “Whatever those quarterbacks need from us, we expect to give it to them.”
Maye was 12 minutes early to practice, jogging onto the field before taking snaps from backup center Nick Leverett. He tossed some passes to veteran tight end Austin Hooper and chatted with Jacoby Brissett before he stood next to his fellow QBs for stretching.
For the second straight day, the offense and defense split up for more stretching. Maye stood between veteran wide receiver K.J. Osborn and undrafted running back Deshaun Fenwick for the second station of practice. Offensive skill players, including QBs, then began a sprinting routine in which they wore weight belts and were attached to retractable wires.
The Patriots then began a walk-through period that pitted offense vs. offense. Brissett led off the group and was followed by Maye.
The quarterbacks then split off to throw into open nets. Brissett and Zappe were both 2-of-2, while Maye and Milton were 1-of-2. Maye and Milton both missed their second attempts, which came with a rollout to the left.
Quarterbacks then went through a similar routine as Wednesday. They threw to the left, middle and right to staffers, practiced handoffs and pitches to running backs and then threw to running backs. Two quarterbacks then worked concurrently throwing to tight ends. The order went Brissett and Zappe, Maye and Brissett and then Milton and Maye with Brissett and Maye getting two reps apiece and Milton and Zappe each receiving just one throw.
Maye completed all of his passes in the next station when quarterbacks threw concurrently to wide receivers in the same order. Maye completed passes to Jalen Reagor, Kawaan Baker, Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, Kayshon Boutte and David Wallis.
The entire team went through a ball security drill next with quarterbacks throwing to running backs, wide receivers and tight ends who then had to protect the football against oncoming defenders.
For the second straight day, the Patriots did not interrupt full-team drills with a special-teams period. The Patriots ran 11-on-11s, followed by 7-on-7s and more 11-on-11s.
The first set of 11-on-11s split the team into first- and second-team units and a scout team, which meant Brissett and Maye worked on the right field, and Milton and Zappe worked on the left field.
Brissett was 2-of-3 in the first set of 11-on-11s. His lone incompletion came on a pass breakup by cornerback Marcus Jones over Polk. Jones might have gotten to the wide receiver a bit early. Brissett completed passes to tight end Hunter Henry and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Maye was 2-of-2 with short completions to running backs Kevin Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson. Cornerback Marco Wilson might have got to Maye for a sack before the completion to Stevenson. Maye also handed off to Stevenson and Harris and scrambled up the middle.
Maye came off the field to chat with quarterback coach TC McCartney after the 11-on-11 session.
After linemen departed to the far side of the left field, 7-on-7s continued with Brissett going 5-of-6 with completions to wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, running back JaMycal Hasty and wide receiver K.J. Osborn. An attempt on a seam route by Henry was broken up by safety Jabrill Peppers.
Maye went 6-of-6, completing short passes to wide receiver Jalen Reagor, Stevenson, Thornton, Osborn, Javon Baker and tight end Mitchell Wilcox.
Milton went 2-of-3, while Zappe finished up the period by going 2-of-3 with a throwaway.
Zappe didn’t get any run on the Patriots’ final 11-on-11 session. Brisset would have been sacked twice and went 1-of-3 with a completion to Thornton.
Maye went 2-of-4. His longest completion of the day was caught by Polk on a deep in cut. Maye threw incompeltions to Thornton and rookie tight end Jaheim Bell. Thornton seemed to want a flag on his incompletion. After the period, Maye met with McCartney and senior offensive assistant Ben McAdoo for pointers.
Milton was 2-of-3 in his final set of full-team drills with catches by wide receiver Kayshon Boutte and Bell. Boutte also dropped a pass from Milton.
Overall, Brissett was 8-of-12 and 3-of-6 in 11-on-11s with two sacks. Maye was 10-of-12 and 4-of-6 in 11s.
The practice concluded with a walk-through followed by sprints to the lower practice field on the hill in the far left corner of the practice field.