Patriots' Drake Maye Already Gushing Over Relationship with New WR
For now, the New England Patriots' top offensive connection will be between quarterback Drake Maye and wide receiver Romeo Doubs. As the pair enters their first season together, both Maye and Doubs have sung the praises of one another.
But the first open OTA practice wasn't the most crisp of connections between the two. Working with the top offense, Doubs was used a lot in the intermediate to deep passing game. The quarterback just missed him on a few balls down the sideline in which the wideout had gotten open.
Again, it's a May practice in shorts, so don't lose sleep over the lack of immediate connection. Maye certainly isn't. Speaking to reporters after the 90-minute session, he had nothing, but glowing things to say about the newest Patriots weapon.
"I think it's working. I think it's building," said Maye of the growing connection. "He's eager. That's the best thing you see in a new receiver, in a new offense like Romeo. It's different terminology. He's been in an offense for a couple of years with the same quarterback. I kind of have to learn how he likes to do things, how I like to see it when he's running routes.
"And I think it's just going to be better and better," he continued. "He's a great player. He's already been a great player in this league. So, looking forward to building that connection and finding his role in this offense."
Doubs wasn't just running deep go routes all day. He had worked inside a bit, running a few slants to the inside. The former Green Bay Packers pass catcher caught two passes during the practice, good for second-most by any player on the team.
Maye & Doubs Are A Work In Progress
Part of the day was about tempo. The Patriots offense used their quick game a lot during the day, and Doubs was on the field for plenty of those plays. The idea, at least for now, is for the younger Doubs to replace the veteran Stefon Diggs -- who excelled in that part of the passing attack last season.
"I think as an offense, we're just trying to keep the ball moving forward," Maye said. "And I think handling negative plays and realizing when we keep the ball ahead of the chains or in positive plays, or just really avoiding negative plays is the biggest thing that we're working on as an offense to try to maintain that."
It isn't crisp right now, nor should it be. The pads aren't even on, and the Patriots logo stickers haven't been slapped onto the helmets. Sure, it may be fun to jump to conclusions to how Doubs' role in the offense may look after just one non-contact practice, but it isn't productive.
What is productive is looking at how Doubs has played in the past. The 26-year-old shined for Green Bay over the last four seasons, catching 202 passes for 2,424 yards and 21 touchdowns.
He'll be a perfect addition to New England's receiving corps this year, and that's before a potential AJ Brown trade gets done. Add him into the mix, and that just gives the Patriots another bigger-bodied wideout to work with.
From the work they've done in the offseason, the talents of Maye have rubbed off on Doubs.
"All about ball," Doubs said of the 23-year-old quarterback earlier this offseason. "That's just something I really appreciate just being around him. I mean, he's an amazing dude, amazing quarterback in this league. And like I said, I just look forward to just continuously building and understanding this offense just one day at a time."
The next chance that reporters will get to see the No. 10 and No. 87 connection on the field will be next Tuesday, June 2. By that time, we may have answers on if a Brown trade has been completed, as well as taking another long look at how Doubs can factor into the offensive plans.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots' Drake Maye Already Gushing Over Relationship with New WR.
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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM.