FOXBORO — Well, that’s a relief.
Christian Gonzalez was limited at the start of the Patriots’ mandatory minicamp Tuesday, participating in all periods except live team drills. Gonzalez’s participation relieved concerns about a potential hold-in, while his representation remains engaged in negotiations with the team that both sides have said they hope result in a contract extension.
As Gonzalez stood behind one end zone during 11-on-11s, Drake Maye carved up the Patriots’ defense with a slew of underneath completions and a couple long balls. Maye finished 17-of-20 with two would-be sacks that eliminated two other completions, including an end-zone throw for Rhamondre Stevenson released well after the pocket had collapsed around him. Before then, Maye hit tight end Hunter Henry for a touchdown oand completed a highlight throw to new star receiver A.J. Brown.
Elsewhere, the Pats missed two key starters in the trenches, Romeo Doubs caught an earful, Caleb Lomu bounced around the offensive line and Josh McDaniels got creative.
Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:
Attendance
Absent: OT Morgan Moses, OLB Harold Landry, OLB Gabe Jacas
Limited: CB Christian Gonzalez, CB Carlton Davis, OL Alijah Vera-Tucker
Notes: Gonzalez participated in stretching, individual drills and walkthrough 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods. Davis followed a similar script, excluding a few snaps of live 11-on-11s. Tucker increased his participation from OTAs and started the first team drills. Despite indications from coach Mike Vrabel before practice that he might be limited, veteran receiver Kayshon Boutte was a full participant.
Landry is not expected to participate in minicamp, as he continues to rehab from a knee injury he played through most of last season. Moses, 35, wasn’t present, either. Jacas recently underwent “a procedure,” per Vrabel, and remains unsigned.
Play of the Day
A.J. Brown’s back-shoulder grab
Foxboro, MA - June 9 - New England Patriots A.J. Brown during training camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald).
Foxboro, MA - June 9 - New England Patriots A.J. Brown during training camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald).
This is why they traded for him.
On Maye’s third dropback of the day, Brown sped almost 20 yards up the right sideline, leapt to escape tight coverage, twisted toward the sideline and snared a perfectly timed pass in front of the right pylon. The back-shoulder connection highlighted a building chemistry between the two that should add a new dimension to the Patriots’ offense, and give a reliable outlet for Maye against man-to-man defense.
Player of the Day
TE Hunter Henry
Henry tied DeMario Douglas for a team-high five catches in team drills, all coming on passes from Maye. He also beat inside linebacker/captain Robert Spillane on a corner route for one of the day’s few touchdowns. One of the Patriots’ steadiest players from the moment he signed, Henry lived up to his reputation Tuesday.
QB Corner
Note: The passing stats below were tallied during competitive 11-on-11 periods only.
Drake Maye: 17/20 (2 sacks)
Tommy DeVito: 11/13 (sack)
Notes: Maye went 5-of-6 in the opening team period, spreading short completions to Rhamondre Stevenson, DeMario Douglas and Hunter Henry around his back-shoulder connection with A.J. Brown. In the next period, he scrambled from pressure, found Douglas on a checkdown, then a stop route over the middle, Henry on a curl route, handed off to TreVeyeon Henderson and zipped a shallow-cross throw to Romeo Doubs.
Cruising along at 9-of-10, Maye gunned two more passes to Douglas and beat instant pressure with a slant completion to Brown. Then, he stumbled into trouble with a would-be sack, smothered screen to Stevenson and incomplete back-shoulder shot for Brown that backup corner Kindle Vildor covered along the right sideline. Finally, Maye opened his last period with a sack courtesy of defensive tackle Cory Durden, lofted a corner-route touchdown to Henry, whipped a no-look completion into the left flat for Stevenson, hit Henry again, fired a throwaway into the dirt and connected with Doubs over the middle.
Foxboro, MA - June 9 - New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) stands with quarterback Behren Morton, safety Brenden Schooler (41) and quarterback Tommy DeVito (16) during training camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald).
Foxboro, MA - June 9 - New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) stands with quarterback Behren Morton, safety Brenden Schooler (41) and quarterback Tommy DeVito (16) during training camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald).
DeVito completed his last 11 passes after barely overshooting Kayshon Boutte in the end zone with his opening throw, and watching his second pass glance off of Efton Chism III. Former third-round pick Kyle Williams (three catches) was DeVito’s most productive target.
Seventh-round rookie Behren Morton did not attempt a pass in competitive team drills.
Studs
DL Cory Durden
A surprise contributor last season, Durden tallied the only would-be sack in team drills and sniffed out a running back screen that would have been dropped for a loss in a game setting.
QB Tommy DeVito
DeVito found a rhythm and spread the ball around after a tough-luck start. One of his last throws resulted in a touchdown off a trick play.
WR DeMario Douglas
Of his five catches, one was a designed touch, and others were checkdowns; signs Maye trusts him and the staff wants to get Douglas the ball in space. No player was more productive, and few looked as sharp as Douglas did.
Duds
G/C Andrew Rupcich
Rupcich, a career guard with some right tackle experience, rotated in at center with the second-team offense and botched a snap.
Offensive notes
Foxboro, MA - June 9 - New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) during training camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald).
Foxboro, MA - June 9 - New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) during training camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald).
Maye’s top targets in team drills: WR DeMario Douglas 5, TE Hunter Henry 5, RB Rhamondre Stevenson 3, WR A.J. Brown 2, WR Romeo Doubs 2
Drops: N/A
Top offensive line: LT Will Campbell, LG Alijah Vera-Tucker, C Jared Wilson, RG Mike Onwenu, RT Caleb Lomu
Running backs
Rhamondre Stevenson led off most team periods and finished with four catches, including three from Maye. He was targeted on two screens, his corner-route touchdown and a checkdown. Stevenson also scored in Tommy DeVito’s final period on a trick play.
A quiet day for TreVeyon Henderson, whose only touch in team drills was a hand-off going left. Henderson did take several snaps alongside Maye, including a few in a crowded backfield.
Newcomer Reggie Gilliam was immediately deployed in a traditional fullback alignment and as a tight end. The Patriots have traditionally had their fullbacks and tight ends share meetings and position coaches.
It figures to be a tight battle for the No. 3 running back job between second-year backup Lan Larison, rookie draft pick Jam Miller, undrafted rookie Myles Montgomery and returned veteran Terrell Jennings. Larison had the only target and catch of that bunch Tuesday.
Wide receivers
A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs and DeMario Douglas worked most often with Maye and the top offense.
Kayshon Boutte split his snaps between the first- and second-team units. He even occasionally shared the field with Maye and Brown, though both wideouts are “X” receivers who align alone on the weak side of formations. On those plays, Boutte played at “X,” and Brown moved around the formation.
Boutte’s only targets came courtesy of DeVito, who overshot him in the end zone and ripped a short curl-route completion to him in front of undrafted rookie corner Channing Canada.
Mack Hollins opened the first period with Doubs, but did not catch a pass from Maye in team drills.
After Hunter Henry’s touchdown, Doubs was called out for not running full speed on the play.
Backup slot receiver Efton Chism drilled exclusively with the second-team offense and had two catches on three targets.
Tight ends
Hats off to Henry on a terrific day. He caught five passes on all different kinds of routes at different spots on the field.
Hybrid fullback/tight end Jack Westover spent more time in-line than in the backfield, and started multiple team periods, including the very first in a 12 personnel grouping with Henry. Maye missed him on one of his
Though Westover did not remain the No. 2 tight end for long, as third-round rookie Eli Raridon and 2025 undrafted rookie CJ Dippre also took turns with the starting offense for a few reps.
Raridon made his only catch in team periods on a short, out-breaking route and successfully wrestled the Tommy DeVito throw away from tight coverage.
New England Patriots offensive tackle Will Campbell during NFL OTA practice, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Foxboro. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
New England Patriots offensive tackle Will Campbell during NFL OTA practice, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Foxboro. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Offensive line
First-round rookie Caleb Lomu saw most of the starting reps at right tackle in place of Morgan Moses, while 2025 seventh-round pick Marcus Bryant, another candidate to become the Patriots’ next swing tackle, took the others.
Lomu also rotated at left tackle with the second-team offense and briefly slid into right guard during a final walkthrough period.
High-priced free-agent addition Alijah Vera-Tucker took his first live reps in team periods of the spring during practices open to the media. Vera-Tucker, as expected, started at left guard.
Vera-Tucker ceded some snaps to backup left guard/center Ben Brown, who signed a contract extension last year.
From left to right, the second-team offensive line consisted of Lomu, Andre Rupcich, Brown, Caedan Wallace and Bryant.
Defensive notes
Interceptions: N/A
Pass breakups: N/A
Would-be sacks: Team 2, DL Cory Durden
Defensive linemen
The Patriots’ defensive line collapsed a few pockets against Maye, but defensive tackle Cory Durden was the only player to tally an individual sack. Durden won up the middle of the pocket.
Durden and former fourth-round pick Joshua Farmer started a team period mid-practice surrounded by projected starters, when Milton Williams and Christian Barmore were both available.
Little-known defensive tackle Leonard Taylor generated instant pressure off the left edge in a rep against Maye, a rep that reflected how the coaching staff moves its defensive linemen around its front.
Linebackers
Outside linebacker Elijah Ponder benefited most from Harold Landry’s absence, starting multiple team periods on the edge.
Before practice, his position coach, Mike Smith, said outright he has “very high expectations” for the second-year defender. Ponder joined Durden in quickly diagnosing a running back screen to his side that they successfully stopped.
Veteran free-agent addition Dre’Mont Jones started opposite Ponder, but did not register a quick pressure in team drills against Maye.
Inside linebacker and captain Robert Spillane was repeatedly targeted in coverage, specifically when isolated 1-on-1 against running backs and tight ends.
Defensive backs
In Christian Gonzalez’s place, the Patriots rotated several outside cornerbacks during team drills including Davis and recent draft picks Kobee Minor and Karon Prunty, who intercepted Maye during OTAs.
Free-agent addition cornerback Kindle Vildor saw extensive action with the top defense, and defended A.J. Brown on an incomplete back-shoulder attempt.
Veteran nickelback Marcus Jones may have had a sack on an unblocked blitz of Maye that triggered a quick throw into the dirt.
Backup corner/special teamer Charles Woods allowed a slant-pass touchdown to Kyle Williams. He is expected to fight for a roster spot with Vildor among others.
Kevin Byard and Craig Woodson led the safeties, as expected, followed by Dell Pettus who was involved in an incidental collision at the end of one completion. Pettus is well-regarded in the locker room for his physicality and play speed.
Special teams
Kicker Andy Borregales made all six field goal attempts in an early period with a long of 48 yards.
Punt returners: Marcus Jones, DeMario Douglas, Romeo Doubs, Efton Chism III
Top gunners: Brenden Schooler, Dell Pettus, Marcellas Dial Jr., Charles Woods
Extra points
Less than 24 hours after attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, owner Robert Kraft walked around the practice field Tuesday.
The Patriots will hold their second minicamp practice Wednesday at 1:40 p.m. All minicamp practices are closed to the public.
Mike Vrabel and the Patriots’ offensive assistant coaches are scheduled to speak with reporters before Wednesday’s practice. Drake Maye is expected to hold a press conference afterward on the field.