It was a bit of a throwaway line from A.J. Brown on Monday after practice: “they’re not really letting (Drake Maye) throw the ball right now, but we’ll get going here as camp progresses.”
With fans and media dissecting any news from New England Patriots training camp in Foxborough on the off day Wednesday, those words raised some eyebrows.
A new day with shoulder pads on
Thursday at training camp, any potential panic was squelched.
On the first day of full pads, the Patriots turned Maye loose a bit, and it provided Brown’s best day of the summer so far.
“I come to work with a smile on my face each and every day,” said Brown, who is clearly happy to be here with Maye, the Patriots and his former Titans coach, Mike Vrabel.
(Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Brown was active, especially in red-zone work, and caught a handful of balls in 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s, as Maye and backup Tommy DeVito shared the wealth.
Receivers having their say
Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Williams also enjoyed notable mornings, making plays and delighting a smaller-than-usual crowd, mainly due to the weather.
Boutte has been the most productive receiver in a very crowded room through the early days of camp. Coming into a contract year, Boutte chose his post-practice press activity to speak on his current status with the team. He’s not happy. When asked if he thought he’d be traded, he referred the question to Vrabel.
Not pulling any punches
And when asked about his current status, he was fairly blunt.
“If I’m somewhere else next week or the week after, I mean that’s kind of what it is,” Boutte said, noting that he hears all the potential trade noise, especially on social media.
“That’s part of the business. I’m taking everyday day by day, not thinking about what’s next.”
