FOXBOROUGH — Drake Maye is looking forward to the chance to take more snaps in Thursday’s preseason contest against the Eagles.
Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said the rookie quarterback, who played just six first-quarter snaps in last Thursday’s win over Carolina, should see more action against Philadelphia. That was welcome news for Maye.
“I’m excited to get out there,” he said after Tuesday’s joint practice with the Eagles. “I’m excited to get out there with those guys. Try to make some plays. I’m going to go out there and play until they take me out.”
Tuesday was certainly a tale of two halves for the rookie. The passing game was impressive in the early going, as the Patriots dominated many of the one-on-one situations. That included an extraordinary connection between Maye and Ja’Lynn Polk over Philadelphia defensive back Shon Stephens that was one of the best throws of the summer for the rookie.
In addition, the offense was sharp in the initial stages of the seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 reps against the Philadelphia secondary.
However, things went south for Maye and the offense in the late stages of the workout, including a two-minute drill. Working behind the backup offensive line, Maye was sacked multiple times and had issues connecting with his receivers.
“Got to get the ball out on early downs,” Maye said. “You can’t take sacks on early downs. Whether I’m feeling something or it’s from the back side, I’ve got to get the ball out.
“Other than that, it’s finding completions, whether it’s hitting the back, trying to do something to get us moving. That’s the biggest thing.”
Ultimately, the rookie chalked it up as a learning experience.
“Ups and downs,” Maye said. ”I think I threw the ball well [in seven-on-sevens]. First team period was OK, down here in the red zone. I could’ve made a better throw to [Polk] down here on the slot fade.
“Other than that, it was some great reps — great reps to learn from, a great defense. They do a good job. Big dudes up front, and different looks. It was a great learning experience.”
“He’s learning,” running back Rhamondre Stevenson said. “He’s taking [tips] from Jacoby [Brissett] and all the other quarterbacks and coaching and all that. I think he’s on an upward path, in my opinion.”
A Barmore sighting
Defensive lineman Christian Barmore was spotted on the practice field in street clothes. It was the first time many of his teammates had seen him since it was announced he was going to be sidelined indefinitely because of blood clot issues.
“It was great. He’s in great spirits,” said defensive lineman Davon Godchaux. “My teammate, my brother. Great seeing him out there. The most important thing is he’s in great spirits. I know it’s tough.
“For me, I tore my ACL senior year of high school, and I was out the rest of the season. I’m not saying he’s out the rest of the season, but I know the feeling of being out. It can be a dark day. Just seeing him smile. I told him, ‘Come around more. We miss you.’ ”
“Good to see him in good spirits,” safety Jabrill Peppers said. “We’re praying for a healthy recovery. It’s always that before anything else. I’m happy they caught it when they did. Hopefully, he gets that care and we get him back out here as soon as possible.”
Mum on trade talk
On Monday, there was a report from ESPN that said multiple teams had inquired about the availability of linebacker Matthew Judon in a trade. Mayo was asked about it Tuesday and said, “We don’t really operate in rumors like that. The conversations that I have with those players are pretty private. What I will say is that Judon has done a great job in the meeting room and done everything that we’ve asked. He’s meeting all the expectations.” Judon was present and in full pads for the workout.
He saw it coming
Eagles receiver A.J. Brown went out of his way to praise Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez. “He’s a great player,” Brown said. “I had picked him coming out two years ago as the best defensive back in the draft. He’s a great player. He gave me good work today.” … Peppers had the line of the day when asked how he’d assess New England’s defensive work against the Eagles. “We made some mistakes,” Peppers said. “But when you’re chasing perfection, you should arrive at excellence. So we’re going to keep chasing it.” … The Patriots rolled out the same starting offensive line they have been leaning on for the better part of the last week: Vederian Lowe, Sidy Sow, David Andrews, Mike Onwenu, and Chukwuma Okorafor. Mayo has said that he’d like to have the offensive line rotation set after the second preseason game, but given the work that this unit has gotten as a group, it’s reasonable to assume this is close to the group the Patriots want to take into the season.
Henry is out again
Cornerback Marcus Jones returned to the practice field, but tight end Hunter Henry remained sidelined. In addition, the three players on the physically unable to perform list — wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, linebacker Sione Takitaki, and offensive lineman Cole Strange — remain out … There was one scrap during a kickoff drill. It was unclear what started it, but Joshua Uche and Eagles tight end E.J. Jenkins looked to be in the middle of the action. After teammates rushed to join the fray, it was quickly broken up … Ex-Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer was in attendance, and owner Robert Kraft showed up with his entourage roughly halfway through practice … This was the final public session of the summer, and fans responded with one of the most impressive turnouts, forcing the Patriots to open up the ramps at Gillette Stadium that overlook the practice fields to handle the SRO crowd.
Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at christopherprice.bsky.social.