The bond between the New England Patriots offensive rookies is getting noticed by Patriots legends of the past.
It’s been well-documented throughout the course of OTAs that quarterback Drake Maye and wide receivers Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker have been developing a bit of a connection. Former Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch understands how important building that sort of connection is for a team.
Maye’s communication with the rookie receivers has been noticeable and evident. This has certainly excited Patriots fans, as the organization looks to find stability at the quarterback position for the first time in the post-Tom Brady era.
Branch spoke to ESPN’s Mike Reiss earlier this week, and he discussed how valuable the bonding of rookies and that communication can be early on.
“We were very tight. These are guys you can go through the rut with. ‘Hey man, I’m making mistakes today’ and your teammate, especially your draftmate, is going to pull you up,” Branch said. “You can lean on each other. Bounce ideas off each other. Study together. All these things, these young men will have the opportunity to do with one another. It’s magical if these guys buy into everything.”
Some of the biggest struggles a rookie quarterback can have is the ability to process the playbook, as well as adjust to the speed of the game. It seems as though Maye is taking on a bit of a leadership role, and his work ethic is clearly being noticed by the coaching staff.
The Patriots need to develop the young quarterback properly, if they truly hope he grows and becomes the future of the franchise.