FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Landry's pitch: Harold Landry III and Patriots pass rushers were listening to assistant coach Mike Smith recently during the voluntary offseason program when the discussion turned to baseball.
The Patriots totaled the fewest sacks in the NFL last season with 28. Landry, who signed a three-year, $43.5 million free-agent contract in March after spending the first seven years of his career with the Titans, was brought to New England to change that.
"He's telling us, 'you're like a pitcher, you want to make everything look the same so the tackle doesn't know what's coming.' That's something I'm focusing on this offseason, making sure all my moves look the same initially until the move actually happens," Landry said.
The start of organized team activities last week, with reporters on hand for the second of three practices, provided an initial glimpse of what that might look like.
Landry, wearing No. 2, was a fixture on the edge. As part of a projected line alongside fellow edge Keion White and defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, the Patriots have the potential to play "on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage" which head coach Mike Vrabel has stated is one of his goals.
The practice also included a full-circle type of moment for Landry.
Prior to taking the field that day, Landry had been talking with Smith -- the outside linebackers coach who was one of the final hires on Vrabel's coaching staff -- about Landry's career at Boston College (2014-2017). Landry mentioned to him how former BC defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni had played an instrumental role in his growth.
To Landry's surprise, Smith told him that Pasqualoni was visiting the Patriots' facility that day. Pasqualoni was among the guest coaches joining the Patriots' defensive meeting and later would attend practice.
"I was like, 'that's crazy' because ... he took my game to a whole another level going into my junior year of college. He definitely had that pro-like approach to coaching when he came to BC," Landry said, a reference to how Pasqualoni had served as Texans' defensive line coach in 2015 alongside Vrabel, who was defensive line coach on Bill O'Brien's staff.
"He expected a lot out of you from a preparation standpoint, an effort standpoint, all of that. The main thing he helped me on was technique and fundamentals, and my rush plan -- how I'm attacking the tackle."
Landry stayed at BC the summer entering his junior year and fine-tuned those techniques, which resulted in him leading the country with a school-record 16.5 sacks that season.
The 6-foot-2, 252-pound Landry credited Vrabel and his Titans' staff for helping him continue to grow as a player in the NFL, and enhance his passion for pass rushing, which had initially captivated him at Pine Forest (Fayetteville, N.C.) High School when he would go 1-on-1 with teammate and future University of Georgia standout Lamont Gaillard.
Landry, who believes the most effective pass-rushing prowess begins with power, has totaled 50.5 sacks in the NFL. So when Vrabel was hired as Patriots head coach in January and envisioned the type of attacking defense and team culture he hoped to employ, Landry was an ideal target for him.
The Titans released Landry on March 7 in a salary-driven move after attempting to trade him. The Patriots signed Landry two days later.
Since the Patriots' voluntary offseason program began April 7, the soft-spoken Landry has been traveling from Tennessee each week, as his wife Danielle and children Greyson (8), Ollie (5) and Margo (4 months) have yet to make the permanent move to New England.
"I feel great. I'm definitely excited about this new opportunity to come back here. I'm just trying to play my ass off. I know my family is super excited to get up here and I can't wait for that," Landry said.
"Just in the locker room, I feel like I mesh well with everybody. I feel like we're building a great culture here right now. If we come out and take it one day at a time, and stack good days, and just come to work and everyone buys in, we have a chance to do something here. That's exciting."
2. Maye's day: One of the headlines from last week's practice watched by reporters was quarterback Drake Maye throwing four interceptions (one was in more of a walkthrough part of practice and also could have been a defensive penalty). Of those picks, only one appeared to be mostly on Maye -- an overthrow of undrafted rookie tight end CJ Dippre down the field.
Maye then completed seven of his next eight passes. Those who were at Thursday's closed-to-the-media practice held inside due to the rain described him as sharp and turnover-free.
"He finished practice good, as you could see," veteran tight end Hunter Henry said of Tuesday's workout. "That's what football is -- things don't always go your way and you have to keep playing."
3. Gonzo's addition: Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, with two interceptions in last week's practice open to reporters, appeared to pick up where he left off after being named second-team All-Pro in 2024. One change he made this offseason was incorporating Pilates into his workout regimen.
"Really hard, but I enjoy it," he said. "It works a lot of muscles you never think you have in your body."
4. Moses surgery: Veteran right tackle Morgan Moses, who was signed to a three-year, $24 million contract in free agency, shared that he is returning from offseason knee surgery. That explained why he didn't participate in full-team drills during practice. "Just pacing things out," he said.
Moses, 34, played through a knee injury last season, which he initially sustained in a Week 3 win over the Patriots. As for why he elected for surgery and continuing his career, he said it comes back to his love of football and learning. "I still enjoy the grind and being with the guys," he said.
It showed last week, as after Tuesday's practice, he spent 1-on-1 time on the field with first-round pick Will Campbell, the offensive tackle from LSU.
5. LG question: With the caveat that it's still early, and there is caution in drawing definitive conclusions from one May practice at the start of OTAs, left guard appears to be a spot with myriad possibilities and uncertainty; 2022 first-round pick Cole Strange, veteran free-agent signing Wes Schweitzer and undrafted free agent Jack Conley were the players lining up there, with 2024 fourth-round pick Layden Robinson -- who was viewed as a fit in the previous scheme but whose projection in Josh McDaniels' offense is uncertain -- not a full participant.
Considering that is the spot next to Campbell, who is making the transition to the NFL, it further amplifies its importance.
6. OTA observations: Four beyond-the-headline things that stood out from reporters' first look at a full-team spring practice:
Veteran linebacker Jahlani Tavai, a holdover from the prior regime whose fit in the scheme bears watching, was right in the mix alongside big-bucks free-agent signing Robert Spillane.
Rookie kicker Andres Borregales was 4-of-4 in field-goal drills -- from distances ranging from 37 to 53 yards -- while his competition, Parker Romo, finished 2-of-4.
Undrafted free-agent receiver Efton Chism III got extensive work in the slot and also as a punt returner, with quickness and change of direction ability that sparked thoughts of an early-career Danny Amendola-type.
Third-round draft pick Kyle Williams, the wide receiver from Washington State, showed he wasn't an error repeater in a footwork drill as his second rep was a marked improvement from his first.
Two videos that capture a big part of what OTAs are about - players fine-tuning their craft, with third-round WR Kyle Williams.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) May 20, 2025
On the first, he is successfully mirrored by Ja'Lynn Polk.
On the second, he adjusts, and is praised by WRs coach Todd Downing for doing so. pic.twitter.com/VkVVdO5qXf
7. Vrabel -- No. 51: Returning players took note of how Vrabel puts on a scout-team jersey and gets directly involved in practice, which initially caught them by surprise.
"When you have a head coach that is on the field with us, it's different," Douglas said.
Added Gonzalez: "I love playing for Vrabel so far. Everything you see on TV, that's exactly what you get. He puts on the [number] 51 jersey and always has great energy."
8. Top undrafted deals: The total of guaranteed money in contracts for undrafted free agents often reflects how much competition the Patriots faced to sign them.
Along those lines, Dippre, the tight end from the University of Alabama, ended up with the highest total ($264,000), followed by Eastern Washington receiver Efton Chism III ($259k), North Carolina defensive tackle Jahvaree Ritzie ($218k), UC-Davis running back Lan Larison ($175k), Cal-Poly edge rusher Elijah Ponder ($115k), Conley ($110k) and Ohio State tight end Gee Scott Jr. ($95k) rounding out the top seven.
9. Harper's honor: Patriots head sports dietician Ted Harper was recognized with the American Sports and Performance Dietitians Association Excellence Award at the organization's 17th annual conference in early May. It didn't take long for rookie kicker Borregales (sixth round, No. 182) to see Harper's impact on the franchise, as he noted the team's culinary offerings as part of an interview for what life is like at rookie minicamp.
"The whole nutrition side, it's like, 'we're pros now.' They're going to treat you as one," Borregales said. "Here, it's like if I don't like anything in the buffet we have, I can order something and 'boom, it's done.' However long it takes, I have it there. All the resources are at the facility so it's like, maybe I'll have an apartment or a house, but realistically, that's No. 2 because No. 1 is the facility."
10. Did You Know: The Patriots will open the regular season against the Las Vegas Raiders for the fourth time in franchise history, and for the first time since a 30-20 home win on Sept. 9, 2005. Tom Brady threw for 306 yards and Deion Branch had 99 receiving yards for New England that day, helping offset Randy Moss' 73-yard touchdown for the Raiders. The other openers against the Raiders came in 1964 and 1971 -- both wins.