5 biggest takeaways from Patriots' final open OTAs practice (2024)

May 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo watches practice at the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Some will surely overreact to any takeaways or observations they read regarding spring practice, but it’s also important to keep in mind that this isn’t anywhere near the complete picture for the Patriots.

Multiple key players have been out. Some of those players have missed the entirety of OTAs up to this point. These are still voluntary practices with makeshift lineups to ease players back into football mode.

It was a long absence list for the Patriots on Tuesday with players like Mike Onwenu, Matthew Judon, Marcus Jones, Davon Godchaux, Jahlani Tavai, Jonathan Jones, Cole Strange, Chuks Okorafor and Kendrick Bourne all being out.

Here’s the complete list of absences:

It’s important to let the process play out. We should have a better indication of where the team is at by mid-training camp and preseason.

Jul 26, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (50) makes his way to the practice fields for training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The Patriots had the second-worst scoring offense in the league with an average of only 13.9 points per game last season. So it would make sense that red zone offense would be a sticking point in the early practices.

The coaching staff committed Tuesday to red zone work with all four quarterbacks taking reps. Those sessions typically favor the defense with a shorter field to work. But it’s also a real game situation that the team will have to face throughout the season.

At this particular practice, the defense was the dominant force on the field, and they were missing key players on the unit. They still had cornerback Christian Gonzalez locking things up in the backfield, while Christian Barmore gave the offense plenty of problems up front. Second-year cornerback Alex Austin also continued to stand out and make plays on the field.

The defense has a chance to be even better this year with players returning, such as Gonzalez and Marcus Jones. There’s also hope that young players like Austin, defensive end Keion White and linebacker Marte Mapu will make a significant leap.

May 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive tackle Caedan Wallace (70) and guard Layden Robinson (63) arrive at practice at the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The offensive line was an issue at practice, and it showed up the most in 11-on-11s. It’s important to note that the line was missing three starters in Mike Onwenu, Chuks Okorafor and Cole Strange.

The quarterbacks were consistently under pressure, and it created some uncomfortable moments in the pocket. Drake Maye in particular threw two interceptions and went 4-of-7 passing. It was tough situational football for a rookie throwing on a shortened field against a great defense with little pass protection up front.

Veteran Jacoby Brissett didn’t do much better. He went 3-of-12 passing and would have been sacked four times. Throw in wideout K.J. Osborn dropping two touchdown passes and it’s clear this was a frustrating day for the offense.

Everything starts up front with the offensive line.

Strange could miss a significant chunk of the regular season, and there are no guarantees that Okorafor, who played right tackle with the Pittsburgh Steelers, will have success moving to the left side. There are still far too many questions for the Patriots along the offensive front to feel completely comfortable heading into the season.

Everything hinges on either Okorafor or rookie Caedan Wallace transitioning successfully into blindside protectors.

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 29: Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots walks to the field during the New England Patriots OTA Offseason Workout on May 29, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Those wanting rookie quarterback Drake Maye to get more reps got their wish at Tuesday’s practice. Jacoby Brissett topped the list with 25 reps in live team work, but Maye’s 14 reps surpassed Bailey Zappe’s 10 reps for the second-most at quarterback.

Joe Milton III came in at a distant third with only four reps.

It looks like Maye’s stock is rising at quarterback, and Zappe’s position on the roster could be in serious danger. Coach Jerod Mayo has already said that he plans to narrow the quarterback room down heading into training camp. That doesn’t bode well for Zappe when competing against two rookies and a superior veteran.

As far as Maye is concerned, he still has his work cut out for him to earn the starting job. Brissett still looks like the starter under center, and even offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt alluded to it when speaking with the media before practice.

Sep 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas (81) makes a catch during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Patriots offense.

DeMario Douglas came away with multiple touchdowns in the red zone work, and he clearly looked like the best receiver on the field. That shouldn’t come as any surprise considering that was the case last season as well.

Douglas has the potential to be one of the best slot receivers in the league. He could be even better if the Patriots had another wideout to complement his efforts on the outside. Could that be one of the rookies, Ja’Lynn Polk or Javon Baker?

Someone else will have to step up if the Patriots hope to find more success on offense in 2024. Third-year receiver Tyquan Thornton flashed at the last open OTAs practice, but he was once again quiet in this session. He’s another player the team would benefit from seeing in a more prominent role.