A.J. Brown’s arrival in New England has led to a lot of discussion about how quarterback Drake Maye will adjust to playing with a new No. 1 wide receiver, but it’s not the only adjustment that Maye will be making as the team prepares for the 2026 season.
The Patriots traded Garrett Bradbury to the Bears this offseason and that means 2025 third-round pick Jared Wilson will move over from guard for his second season. That process will include getting comfortable with Maye as well as getting comfortable making blocking calls on the line, which are both things that Maye believes will go more smoothly because Wilson had the chance to watch Bradbury do the job last year.
“I think Garrett, you get to know a center for a year, and you get to know his little things, how he likes things, if he’s going left and I’m going right, how it works, little under center things and how he understands mic points,” Maye said, via a transcript from the team. “But Jared, he’s smart. He’s real smart. I wanted him to play with me in college. He went to the SEC. I don’t blame him, but, I think he’s done a great job of understanding what comes with playing center. You got to be loud. You got to be, “me and you, it’s our show.” So, I think he’s done a great job. Just getting used to little things under center, how he likes to do silent cadence and stuff like that. But he’s got a great feel for the cadence. And he saw Garrett do it last year, which is a great look for him.”
The Patriots’ offensive line play in their Super Bowl loss to the Seahawks left much to be desired and there was room for improvement all season. Getting Maye and Wilson into a groove will be crucial to finding that improvement once they get back into game action this fall.
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