EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:1. Maye's new center: In the moments before quarterback Drake Maye led the offense in its first full-team drill of training camp Saturday, he had a lighthearted question for his new center, Jared Wilson."It was funny, he was like, 'You good? Just me and you, right?'" Wilson said. "It was supposed to happen a couple years ago, but I went to Georgia, he stayed at home [at North Carolina]. We talk about that all the time."Wilson had initially committed to North Carolina in the same class as Maye in 2020 before pivoting to Georgia, explaining the playful ribbing Maye was giving him in the huddle Saturday.The moment highlights one of the Patriots' more intriguing stories as they look to defend their AFC championship. The team is banking on Wilson, a 2025 third-round pick who started at left guard as a rookie despite primarily starting at center in college, to transition back to center. Wilson fills the void created by trading last season's iron man starter, veteran Garrett Bradbury, to the Chicago Bears for a fifth-round draft pick.Wilson joked Saturday "that it was always meant to be" between him and Maye.The importance of the QB-center exchange, and the unique relationship between the two positions, has been a notable part of Patriots history. Tom Brady had his centers use a hefty amount of baby powder while also stuffing towels in their pants to manage sweat and limit the possibility of getting snapped a wet football. He also once said, "There's only one other butt on this planet I like -- [center] Dan Koppen's and my wife's."For his part, Maye referred to Wilson (6-foot-3, 310 pounds) as a "natural" at the position."He's real smart," Maye said Saturday. "I wanted him to play with me in college, but he went to the SEC; I don't blame him. I think he's done a great job of understanding what comes with playing center. You've got to be loud. You've got to be 'me and you, it's our show.'"Wilson said the two most important things to him about the QB-center pairing are "communication and the snap." With time comes more comfort, which is why he believes "reps are everything."The two had one hiccup in Saturday's practice, with Maye saying it was his fault for holding the cadence too long. That appeared to lead to the football slipping out of his hands before he gathered it and flipped it to running back Rhamondre Stevenson.Maye and Wilson credited their time with Bradbury for the foundation on which they began practicing Saturday. Wilson also said he spent the offseason studying Miami Dolphins center Aaron Brewer and his "ferocious" style of play, noting "he's undersized, but he plays a lot bigger than he is." Wilson also shared his admiration for former University of Georgia and Tennessee Titans center Ben Jones as a "tough-as-nails" player.Jones played for coach Mike Vrabel, who shared Saturday what he views as critical for the QB-center pairing."The unspoken communication -- to be able to see it quickly and see it the same, whether that's pressure or a defensive front. To be able to set the defense or get us into the right play," Vrabel said."The center is the conduit to the rest of the offensive line. When the quarterback needs to get something to the line, the center is the easiest way to get it, and his communication to everybody else has to be great. We're looking forward to seeing Jared in that transition and working with Drake."2. D-Hop's presence: Veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins' presence at the start of training camp while working with the offensive coaching staff has caught the attention of players. Hopkins is considering a career in coaching, according to Vrabel, and Maye is among those on the team who seem to enjoy having him around."I'm from the South, and he went to Clemson, which is two hours down the road. That's my era of watching college football, and seeing him in the NFL, having him on my fantasy team -- it's cool to shake his hand, and his hands are twice as big as mine," Maye said Saturday. "Just having him be out here, a legendary player to share some information, it's awesome."3. Boutte's big play: Owner Robert Kraft made the point Saturday that the Patriots' wide receiver room "is pretty full," and how that shakes out is arguably the team's biggest roster-based question in training camp.Along those lines, Kayshon Boutte made an early "don't-forget-about-me" statement in Saturday's practice by delivering the play of the day -- a diving 35-yard catch -- that had Maye saying after practice: "It's nothing new. All year last year and the year before, he just keeps doing things right."Yet, in a reflection of the deep receiver room, Boutte's reps seemed limited after the big play.4. Gonzalez's respect: Maye said players were in the locker room early Saturday, wondering if cornerback Christian Gonzalez would participate fully in practice because of his unsettled contract situation. Gonzalez did, with his one-on-one matchup against receiver A.J. Brown a highlight, which was a hot topic in media interviews after practice."That's just who he is," defensive tackle Milton Williams said. "He wants to be here. He's showing up for us, even though he has a situation going on. I feel like the contract will handle itself."Kraft said the Patriots have made Gonzalez an offer that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL and the highest-paid player in franchise history.5. Jacas' approach: Second-round pick Gabe Jacas, the outside linebacker from Illinois, agreed to terms with the Patriots on Saturday after a lengthy impasse that led to him missing the entire spring. Though Jacas could be on the field as early as Sunday, assuming he passes a physical after undergoing a knee procedure in the spring that a source described as more of a routine cleanout, Vrabel hinted that the team will be taking it slow."I think we, admittedly, will be somewhat cautious, just because it's a unique situation," Vrabel said.6. Raridon's role: One of the trickle-down effects of veteran tight end Julian Hill landing on season-ending injured reserve (knee) and CJ Dippre opening training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list (brace on left wrist) is that third-round pick Eli Raridon (Notre Dame) was thrust further up the depth chart. Raridon took reps after veteran starter Hunter Henry on Saturday and had a catch on a deep corner route.Henry, entering his 11th NFL season, said of Raridon: "It's obviously a brief thing in the spring, but he continued to get better every single week that we were out there. That's what you're going to have when you're young in this league; we're throwing so much at you. I'm excited to see that growth through training camp because there's going to be a lot more reps and you're stacking days and days. The ceiling is high for him."7. Ponder thought: From the "what a difference a year makes" department, outside linebacker Elijah Ponder worked with the top defense in Saturday's practice, then was one of six players to visit the interview area. At this time last year, Ponder was a long shot to make the team as an undrafted free agent out of Cal Poly.Part of Ponder's rise is tied to starter Harold Landry III opening camp on the active/PUP list (knee), but after carving out a niche as a rookie on special teams (53% of the snaps) and defense (24% of the snaps, 4 sacks), he's primed for a possible larger role in 2026.Ponder (6-3, 261) said increased attention on better nutrition, such as consuming fewer fried foods, has him feeling good entering camp. 8. Baringer's gesture: The Patriots had their second annual dog adoption event to kick off training camp Saturday -- creatively called "Pawtriots" -- which featured 50 shelter dogs finding new homes.An under-the-radar aspect of it, which is spearheaded by Dr. Dana Kraft, was punter Bryce Baringer and his wife, Bella, underwriting some costs to make it happen. Kraft called it an "above and beyond" gesture.9. They said it: "We are the team that's being hunted. We have to wear that chip on our shoulder every single time we get out there." -- Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones, on opening training camp as defending AFC champions10. Did You Know: Maye completed an NFL-best 48% of his passes into tight windows, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, and the league average on such passes was 31%. Maye also had the second-most touchdowns (6) and passing yards (554) on tight-window throws in 2025. Tight-window throws are defined as having less than 1 yard of separation.
