Patriots training camp: DeMario Douglas sizzles again, Drake Maye strikes late in scrimmage
· Andrew Callahan · 2026-08-07 · nguồn gốc
FOXBORO — Time for a break.
Six padded practices over eight days preceded the Patriots’ second annual intrasquad training camp scrimmage Friday, where starters were scattered across two teams. Assistant coaches took turns drafting separate squads the night before and were also split into two staffs.
An off weekend awaited, but amid a sweltering heat Friday morning outside Gillette, it was go time.
Full pads. Full speed. Full tilt.
Drake Maye finished 10-of-19 overall, overcoming a slow start to finish his two-minute drill with a successful field goal attempt from roughly 50 yards away. Maye and backup Tommy DeVito both took one series off and gave the keys to seventh-round rookie Behren Morton. Of the three quarterbacks, DeVito had the best day, going 13-of-16 with two touchdowns.
And yet no one on the field out-shone slot jitterbug DeMario Douglas, the recipient of both of DeVito’s touchdowns and four other passes. On his final grab, Douglas split a corner and safety up the right seam and zipped underneath a deep ball that covered at least 40 yards, including those he gained after the catch.
Elsewhere, Caleb Lomu moved back to his old position, Romeo Doubs returned, young edge rushers recorded a few would-be sacks and an unknown receiver and undrafted rookie running back combined for the Play of the Summer.
Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:
Attendance
Returned: WR Romeo Doubs, TE/FB Jack Westover
Absent: LT Will Campbell, DL Christian Barmore, CB Carlton Davis, CB Charles Woods, FB Reggie Gilliam, OL Caedan Wallace, WR Cameron Dorner
Limited: WR Kyle Dixon
PUP: OLB Harold Landry
NFI: S Brenden Schooler
Notes: Campbell (left arm) missed his first practice of the summer after being limited Thursday and wearing a large brace on his left arm the previous two days. He is expected back next week, per Mike Vrabel.
Barmore and Woods left Thursday’s practice early and did not show up for the scrimmage. Davis has been out for 10 days and is expected to miss another week, Vrabel said. Gilliam has been absent for four of the team’s 12 practices this summer as part of a load management plan related to past injuries. Wallace and Dorner were limited and absent, respectively, on Thursday.
Play of the Day
Off deflection, off to races: It took new Patriots receiver Tejhaun Palmer three days into his New England tenure to grab some attention.
He can thank undrafted rookie running back Myles Montgomery for that.
After being claimed off waivers earlier this week, Palmer turned around at the end of a deep comeback route midway through the scrimmage. Rookie quarterback Behren Morton fired for him along the left sideline, where Palmer briefly bobbled the ball and deflected into the air toward the middle of the field. Before anyone standing nearby could snatch it, Montgomery sprinted over from yards away, plucked the ball mid-stride and kept running down the sideline toward the end zone.
Montgomery was tracked down five yards short of the goal line, but the roar of the crowd and shock on the nearby sideline said everything. This wasn’t just a big play. It was the play of the summer.
Player of the Day
WR DeMario Douglas: Two touchdowns. A team-high six catches.
This was the best training camp practice by a Patriots receiver so far this summer.
QB Corner
Note: The passing stats below were tallied during competitive 11-on-11 periods only. The stats in parentheses represent the quarterbacks’ camp-long performance.
Drake Maye: 10-of-19 (88-of-131, 5 INTs, 6 sacks)
Tommy DeVito: 12-of-15, 3 sacks (66-of-96, INT, 6 sacks)
Behren Morton: 4-of-6, sack (32-of-49, 2 sacks)
Notes: Throwing to a skill position group featuring Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Kyle Williams, Eli Raridon and TreVeyon Henderson, Drake Maye took the ball and sputtered. He opened with a completion to Boutte running a curl route versus Christian Gonzalez, then failed to thread a long ball to Raridon running a deep crosser between bracket coverage from linebacker Chad Muma and safety Craig Woodson. Next, Maye tossed two passes away: one while rolling left to escape pressure and another to abort a busted screen.
After that punt, the offense false-started, and Maye failed to connect with Williams along the left sideline and fired a throwaway. Sitting at 1-of-6, he established a rhythm by hitting Raridon up the right seam off play-action, then Boutte and undrafted rookie Nick DeGennaro on consecutive snaps after a short pass Marcus Jones batted away. One more throwaway preceded his first and only touchdown pass to Doubs, who pulled away from Woodson on a right-to-left crosser for a 10-yard score.
Dropped inside the red zone for the start of his next drive, likely a way to simulate situational football, Maye floated a touchdown to Henderson on a vertical route. Finally, over his two-minute drill, he dumped another throwaway on a screen, found Raridon on an out route and a checkdown, Doubs on a quick out and Williams for 15-plus yards on a post. With 18 seconds left, Maye’s last pass was batted at the line for an incompletion.
Studs
QB Tommy DeVito: DeVito was surgical for most of practice, then dropped a 40-yard bomb to Douglas late. Throw in the two touchdowns, and he had a real case for Player of the Day.
OLB Xavier Holmes: An undrafted rookie out of Maine, Holmes tallied a would-be sack of fellow rookie Behren Morton and batted a Maye pass down at the line late in practice.
CB Kindle Vildor: Vildor broke up one pass intended for A.J. Brown on the opening drive of the scrimmage and had tight coverage on another incompletion for Brown two snaps later.
Duds
K Andy Borregales: The first down day of summer for Borregales, who missed an extra point and a field goal try in the neighborhood of 45-50 yards.
PR Kobe Prentice: Claimed off waivers earlier this summer, Prentice is a return specialist who dropped a punt early in practice.
Offensive notes
Top targets in team drills: WR DeMario Douglas 6/6, WR Mack Hollins 3/4, TE Eli Raridon 3/4, WR A.J. Brown 2/4
Drops: N/A
Blue Team offensive line: LT Marcus Bryant, LG Alijah Vera-Tucker, C Ben Brown, RG Mike Onwenu, RT Dametrious Crownover
White Team offensive line: LT Caleb Lomu, LG Andrew Rupcich, C Jared Wilson, RG Mekhi Butler, RT Morgan Moses
Running backs
- TreVeyon Henderson’s touchdown catch from Maye was the best play of practice for this group, and a reminder that though Henderson’s limitations in blitz pickup can curb his role, his receiving skills should keep him involved in the passing game.
- Henderson did not earn another target, while Rhamondre Stevenson saw zero and took four handoffs.
- Terrell Jennings was busiest among the running backs, more evidence of his place as the No. 3 back on the depth chart.
- Quiet day for seventh-round rookie Jam Miller, who has cooled after a hot start to camp.
Wide receivers
- More often than not, DeMario Douglas stars in training camp. But if there are two reasons to believe in a delayed breakout for Douglas this regular season, they are his stronger grasp of the playbook, and successful deep targets in camp.
- Douglas is winning all across the route tree this summer, as seen during his deep seam catch from Tommy DeVito. He’s always been dangerous against man-to-man coverage no matter whom he’s facing, but developing trust in his quarterbacks has been another matter. More consistent routes and better feel versus zone lately point to better days ahead.
- A.J. Brown saw three of DeVito’s first four targets, then was phased out of the scrimmage in favor of younger receivers on the Blue Team. His last came on a scramble-drill play, where he made a nice grab working back to a scrambling DeVito.
- Welcome back, Romeo Doubs. After two days away, he had two catches in key situations: two-minute and inside the red zone. Both passes were from Maye.
- Mack Hollins’ three grabs came on a screen, an out route and a trick play that sprung him for an easy 40-yard gain in a busted secondary. The lone incompletion was a slant pass DeVito ripped behind him, giving an easy pass breakup to backup corner Channing Canada.
- Following Mike Vrabel’s pre-practice comments, Kyle Williams sounds bound for a roster spot despite being treated like the No. 5, No. 6 or No. 7 receiver for most of camp. He caught one of two targets, both passes from Maye, including a critical throw in the two-minute drill.
Tight ends
- Well done, Eli Raridon. The third-round rookie had more receptions from Maye than he has in any other practice to date, including a couple during his two-minute drill. He was open and available over the middle, downfield and on checkdowns.
- Like a few other veterans, Hunter Henry was slowly phased out of the scrimmage after his one, long catch on a play-action roll-out pass near the red zone. Henry firmly remains the No. 1 option in this room.
- Undrafted rookie Tanner Arkin did not see a target, nor flash at the point of attack on run plays.
Offensive line
- Will Campbell’s absence created a void at left tackle the staff chose to fill with first-round rookie Caleb Lomu, who’s spent most of training camp at right tackle. Will Lomu stay there?
- Doubtful. All along, Lomu’s ideal rookie path has been developing into a competent swing tackle, followed by taking Morgan Moses’ job opposite Campbell either this season or next year.
- Lomu had peaks and valleys in his return to left tackle, his college position, including two screen passes in his direction Maye had to abort.
- Starting center Jared Wilson had a botched snap working with rookie quarterback Behren Morton. It was unclear from a distance who was at fault. Wilson and Maye had two bad snaps in the first week of camp.
- Andrew Rupcich, a backup guard/center, is a sleeper to make the final 53-man roster given his history with Vrabel in Tennessee and versatility. He and Ben Brown are the only interior offensive linemen who have taken consistent second-team reps all summer.
- Sixth-round rookie Dametrious Crownover took snaps at both tackle spots and allowed an early sack at right tackle.
Defensive notes
Interceptions: N/A
Pass breakups: CB Marcus Jones, CB Kindle Vildor, CB Brandon Crossley, CB Channing Canada, OLB Xavier Holmes, LB Khalil Jacobs,
Would-be sacks: OLB Gabe Jacas, DL Cory Durden, OLB Amari Gainer, Holmes
Defensive linemen
- No splash plays for Milton Williams, though the interior of both defenses generally held up well against the run.
- Cory Durden knifed into the backfield for his would-be sack late in practice, with Joshuah Farmer also nearby. Farmer had a run stuff earlier, and capped a strong week of padded work.
- Another backup D-tackle, Leonard Taylor III, batted a pass down at the line after it appeared Tommy DeVito had been “sacked” off the edge by outside linebacker Amari Gainer.
- The Patriots primarily played out of nickel personnel, which shelved their base three-defensive tackle groupings that had been used frequently earlier in the week.
Linebackers
- Finally, some good news on the edge. Second-round rookie Gabe Jacas tallied his first would-be sack of training camp and was a full scrimmage participant.
- It bears repeating Jacas’ length and burst are chief separators for him in the outside linebacker room. Once he settles into football shape over the next few weeks, it reasons he could push for a starting spot.
- Behind Jacas, undrafted rookie Xavier Holmes flashed with a would-be sack and pass breakup. His chief competitors for a reserve spot, Bradyn Swinson and Jesse Luketa, were active but not as impactful.
- Projected starters Dre’Mont Jones and Elijah Ponder were quiet for most of practice, save for an occasional rush off the edge that did not result in direct quarterback pressure. Ponder hasn’t popped in team drills in more than a week.
- At inside linebacker, the Khalil Jacobs hype train rolls on. He pressured Maye into a throwaway and dropped a gimme interception from Behren Morton near the end of the scrimmage.
- Chad Muma, who remains ahead of Jacobs as the No. 3 inside linebacker and behind starters Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss, shows good range in coverage and should be considered a strong candidate to make the 53.
Defensive backs
- Star corner Christian Gonzalez allowed an early completion to Kayshon Boutte, then didn’t see another pass thrown his way.
- Two straight strong practices for backup corner Kindle Vildor, who won his head-to-head battles with A.J. Brown and forced two incompletions.
- Vildor’s pass breakup at Brown’s expense was the best of the day, not just because of the matchup but the quality of the throw. Marcus Jones and Channing Canada both deflected balls thrown behind their receivers.
- Brandon Crossely had an impressive breakup of an initially completed ball to Efton Chism underneath. He’s had two straight days with a pass deflection.
- At safety, Craig Woodson allowed one touchdown in single coverage and did well to corral a few deep routes.
- Third safety contender Mike Brown was on the wrong side of DeMario Douglas’ deep ball down the seam, but also had an impressive run stuff.
Special teams
- Kicker Andy Borregales went 4-of-5 on field goal attempts with a miss from 45-50 yards out. He also made three of four extra points.
- Borregales is now 32-of-35 this summer on field goals.
- Punter Bryce Baringer got some work during two separate punting periods that were held in the middle of the scrimmage. He attempted six punts, including one Kobe Prentice muffed.
- There were no live kickoffs.
Extra points
- A.J. Brown, Eli Raridon, Elijah Ponder, Khalil Jacobs and Ben Brown spoke with reporters after practice.
- The Patriots will return for their 13th training camp practice Monday at 10:15 a.m. It will be closed to the public.
- Tuesday’s joint practice with the Colts will open at 10:15 a.m. Fan admission and parking are free Tuesday.