The New England Patriots have made a massive investment in their defense during the offseason, and the team's offense could be among the biggest beneficiaries of that improvement.
The Patriots spent more than $300 million in NFL free agency, and many of the most notable additions to the roster came on the defensive side of the ball.
The most expensive signing was defensive tackle Milton Williams. The former Philadelphia Eagles star signed the largest deal in Patriots history based on average annual value ($26 million). New England also signed cornerback Carlton Davis, linebacker Harold Landry and linebacker Robert Spillane, among several others.
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SIGN UP HERE This defense should be much improved in the upcoming campaign, and that's good for quarterback Drake Maye and the offense, who have to play against this unit in practice everyday.
"Anytime we're going against a great defense, you got good players, two great corners -- I tell (Christian Gonzalez) every day, ‘I'm going to test them,'" Maye told reporters after Monday's mandatory minicamp practice at Gillette Stadium.
"I'm not going to not throw at him or (Carlton Davis), two of the best corners and one of the best duos in the league. What an opportunity for us to go out there every day and throw against those guys."
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Gonzalez had a tremendous second season with the Patriots in 2024 and was selected to the AP All-Pro second team after tallying 50 solo tackles, two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
Davis is one of the best cover cornerbacks in the league. He has averaged 13.3 pass breakups over the last six seasons, and he won a Super Bowl with Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
Throwing against this duo will make Maye a better decision-maker and a more accurate passer. If he makes a mistake when targeting one of Gonzalez or Davis, the chances of these top-tier cornerbacks making him pay are pretty high.
The Patriots front seven really struggled to put pressure on the opposing quarterback last season and ranked last in sacks with just 19 in 17 games. This year's front seven should be much, much better. If Maye holds on to the ball for too long during plays in practice, Williams and Co. will be in his face. The communication between Maye and his offensive line will have to be pristine.
Williams told reporters Monday that he was trying to throw Maye off his game during practice, but it doesn't sound like it was very effective.
“He’s good with the communication," Williams said of Maye. "We’re up there trying to talk to him, trying to get in his head a little bit, trying to mess with their calls. But he’s doing a good job making sure everybody’s on the same page.”
Practice is where a lot of a player's development happens. It's where you learn from mistakes, build relationships with teammates and create good habits.
Maye has all the makings of a franchise quarterback, and a huge part of the improvement he'll make this season should come from playing against a very good defense on the practice fields in Foxboro each day.