FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. WR clarity: There was a moment late last week in practice when the Patriots split into two distinct groups. The starters were closer to the end zone near the hillside, while the reserves were on the opposite side of the field.
The snapshot provided clarity as to where things stand with the team's most competitive and crowded position: wide receiver.
Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte and DeMario "Pop" Douglas were with the starters, while 2025 third-round pick Kyle Williams, nine-year veteran Kendrick Bourne and undrafted rookie free agent Efton Chism III headlined the receivers at the opposite end.
"It's awesome, better than it's ever been from my experience being here," said Bourne, the team's longest tenured receiver of four years. "You love to have challenge, the environment of competition, which really brings the best out.
"I think the cards are going to play out how the cards are going to play out. I don't have any predictions. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do, and the room needs to have that mindset."
At some point, veteran Mack Hollins (two years, $8.4 million) will come off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and land somewhere within those top six spots (which projects as the most likely number of receivers the team keeps on its initial 53-man roster).
"He's a pro and spends a lot of time here," coach Mike Vrabel said. "I've seen him mentoring and working with the younger guys as well."
Notably not on the current radar are 2024 draft picks Ja'Lynn Polk (second round) and Javon Baker (fourth round). They seem to have considerable ground to make up.
Polk passed his initial physical at the start of training camp, but later experienced muscle tightness that has kept him out of practice, according to a source familiar with the situation. Baker has been a full participant and has to hope a 60-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Drake Maye on Saturday provides a much-needed spark.
As they have essentially faded from view, Williams, the 69th pick in this year's draft out of Washington State, caught Maye's attention early by snaring a laser of a throw on a comeback route against second-team All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
"He's coming along. He's looking good. ... It's good for a rookie to make a play like that, and I think he is just going to get better and better," Maye said of Williams.
Douglas, who excels in the slot, has had the catch of camp -- rising along the sideline to grab a delivery from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Douglas also snared a 60-yard bomb from Maye on Saturday.
.@popshotta3 getting 🆙 pic.twitter.com/m47XQJTAZu
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) July 24, 2025
Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Diggs has been the tone-setter. He is always first through the line in receiver drills.
"Just his presence itself does wonders for all of us," Bourne said.
For his part, Diggs is tempering expectations as he returns from a torn right ACL sustained in Week 8 last season playing for the Houston Texans.
"A lot of people want to throw a lot of anticipation out there," Diggs said. "I'm not going to ride the roller coaster. I'm going to trust the process and I'm ready to work."
Bourne reflected on the 2021 season in New England, when receiver Jakobi Meyers led the team and all receivers with 83 receptions, followed by his 53, then Nelson Agholor's 37. That was offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' last year in New England before returning this past offseason.
Asked what he's most excited about with the current receivers, Bourne didn't hesitate.
"The potential," Bourne said. "Obviously, I have experience with Josh, my first year, the way we were spreading the ball around was really exciting. You can be on the bench and have a role coming into the game, Josh knows how to put it together.
"There's a bigger picture you have to look at. Right now, you may not be getting a lot of reps but the plays you do go in, how do you make them count? Because those could be three plays that change the game. That's my advice to the whole room, having experience with Josh, that moment will come and are you going to be ready or not?"
2. Full pads: Vrabel said his most exciting day of camp is when the team is in full pads for the first time, because there's always an under-the-radar player who emerges. The Patriots' first full-pads practice is scheduled for Monday.
Vrabel told the Patriots All-Access television show how those practices impacted his playing career as a rookie with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997 -- he roughed up tight end Mitch Lyons, and only then did veteran linebacker Greg Lloyd talk to him for the first time.
3. Maye as a runner: Maye rushed for 421 yards on 54 carries last season, a robust 7.8 average per carry. But notably, he shared that one of his top goals this season is to potentially not run as much -- or at least do so as a last resort.
"Remaining a passer longer when I scramble, I think that's big," he said. "I feel like I had times last year where I had some guys deep that I may have missed them or took off running instead."
His 60-yard TD to Douglas on Saturday seemed like an example of positive strides made, as Maye rolled out to his right and kept his eyes downfield before flicking his wrist and delivering the deep ball in stride.
4. Williams the boxer: Defensive tackle Milton Williams, the Patriots' top free agent signing in the offseason (four years, $104 million), credited boxing for helping him stay in top condition in the month-plus leading into camp. He started boxing in 2024, saying it helped his hand-eye coordination and him cardio-wise.
"The hardest part is keeping your hands up and feet moving. Those three-minute rounds, they get long," he said.
5. Gonzo-Diggs film work: At one point during spring practices, Gonzalez said Diggs asked him about a play. In turn, Gonzalez asked Diggs about a play. That ultimately led them to the film room together to go over certain plays and releases.
"Not even me against him. He's always going against No. 1 corners, so [me] kind of just trying to learn how he would attack a No. 1 corner and how I can add that to my game," Gonzalez told ESPN.
6. Rookie raves: Veteran right tackle Morgan Moses, who is in his 12th NFL season after time with Washington (2014 to 2020), the New York Jets (2021, 2024) and Baltimore Ravens (2022-2023), shared an early impression of his time with the Patriots.
"This is probably one of the best rookie classes I've been around," he said of the group led by left tackle Will Campbell, the first-round pick from LSU.
"Especially now, with the NIL and all those things, these guys come in with money already. But we've got rookies that are humble, willing to learn. I see them sitting down together and sharing words with each other and picking each other up."
7. Jones prophetic: In previewing a Vrabel-led training camp, former Titans center Ben Jones said last week, "He might give it to you all reporters a lot, but he has a soft spot for kids."
Jones wasn't kidding.
Vrabel zinged one reporter for asking a repeat question Tuesday, openly wondering if he was in a coma during the initial question. And then Vrabel wasn't amused by a query the next day that was similar to what he had been asked 24 hours earlier, so he quizzed reporters on what he had said.
Spicy, and fun -- somewhat like Bill Parcells' news conferences during his tenure (1993 to 1996).
8. Milton's shot: Former Patriots backup quarterback Joe Milton III, now a top backup to Dak Prescott in Dallas, took a shot at New England when he said he "preferred" to be traded in the offseason.
He then pointed out a difference between his one season with the Patriots and with the Cowboys.
"Dak is a great leader. He literally goes out of his way to help me, no matter if the coach is talking in the meeting. ... I've been in another building. I know how that goes. It's just very different over here."
The April trade of Milton and a seventh-round pick in exchange for a fifth-round selection sparked debate in New England because there was hardly a market for Milton across the NFL. Thus, one line of thinking was that the Patriots would have been better keeping him.
But based on Milton's remarks, he wasn't on board. And it's hard to imagine Vrabel, who has preached connection and togetherness as a top goal, was on board with him.
9. Foxborough feel: Six-year veteran outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson took note that more than 5,000 fans attended the Patriots' first practice. On Saturday, the team opened the ramps to the stadium that overlook the practice fields because of the overflow crowd.
"This is my first time being part of a training camp with so many people out here on opening day," said Chaisson, who has been with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2020 to 2023) and Las Vegas Raiders (2024). "I'm feeling the energy and excitement going into this year."
10. Did you know? No team in the NFL has had a longer drought without a 1,000-yard receiver than the Patriots, as Julian Edelman's 1,117 receiving yards in 2019 marks the last time a New England receiver hit the 1,000-yard mark. The Packers last had a 1,000-yard receiver in 2021. Outside of Green Bay and New England, every franchise has had at least one 1,000-yard receiver in the past two seasons alone.