FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Maye's new center: In the moments before quarterback Drake Maye led the offense in its first full-team drill of training camp Saturday, he had a lighthearted question for his new center, Jared Wilson.
"It was funny, he was like, 'You good? Just me and you, right?'" Wilson said. "It was supposed to happen a couple years ago, but I went to Georgia, he stayed at home [at North Carolina]. We talk about that all the time."
Wilson had initially committed to North Carolina in the same class as Maye in 2020 before pivoting to Georgia, explaining the playful ribbing Maye was giving him in the huddle Saturday.
The moment highlights one of the Patriots' more intriguing stories as they look to defend their AFC championship. The team is banking on Wilson, a 2025 third-round pick who started at left guard as a rookie despite primarily starting at center in college, to transition back to center. Wilson fills the void created by trading last season's iron man starter, veteran Garrett Bradbury, to the Chicago Bears for a fifth-round draft pick.
Wilson joked Saturday "that it was always meant to be" between him and Maye.
The importance of the QB-center exchange, and the unique relationship between the two positions, has been a notable part of Patriots history. Tom Brady had his centers use a hefty amount of baby powder while also stuffing towels in their pants to manage sweat and limit the possibility of getting snapped a wet football. He also once said, "There's only one other butt on this planet I like -- [center] Dan Koppen's and my wife's."
Jared Wilson was Drake Maye's left guard last season. He now slides over to center. Eric Canha-Imagn Images For his part, Maye referred to Wilson (6-foot-3, 310 pounds) as a "natural" at the position.
"He's real smart," Maye said Saturday. "I wanted him to play with me in college, but he went to the SEC; I don't blame him. I think he's done a great job of understanding what comes with playing center. You've got to be loud. You've got to be 'me and you, it's our show.'"
Wilson said the two most important things to him about the QB-center pairing are "communication and the snap." With time comes more comfort, which is why he believes "reps are everything."
The two had one hiccup in Saturday's practice, with Maye saying it was his fault for holding the cadence too long. That appeared to lead to the football slipping out of his hands before he gathered it and flipped it to running back Rhamondre Stevenson.