Because the ongoing trade conversation about AJ Brown has dominated the news cycle in New England, there hasn't been much said about wide receiver Romeo Doubs, who should be driving excitement about what he can become for Drake Maye and the Patriots' offense.
Their decision to sign the former Packers playmaker didn't draw nearly as much attention as one might think, with most suggesting he was simply a Stefon Diggs replacement, as many analysts believe they play very similarly.
While that might be true, it still doesn't negate what he can bring to this year's offense, and we finally got a firsthand look at him working with Maye during the first public OTA practice this past week, and based on the early reviews, Doubs failed to impress.
Boston Sports Journal's Greg Bedard said as much in his recap of the day, even comparing him to current Jaguars receiver and former Patriots' pass catcher Jakobi Meyers, and raising concerns about the lack of connection with Maye so far.
What did @GregABedard think of Romeo Doubs after first day of OTAs?
— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) May 28, 2026
“I was a little bit underwhelmed…I didn't think that Doubs and Maye had a great connection…He's Jakobi Meyers, but supposed to be a better athlete and more explosiveness…That's what he looks like to me.” pic.twitter.com/3iWN5onDt7
That's not exactly what fans want to hear, even if it is early enough in the offseason to not be incredibly worried just yet.
Fortunately, however, Maye didn't share the same sentiment, and that matters a bit more at this stage.
Romeo Doubs' "underwhelming" debut is nothing Drake Maye seems worried about
While speaking to reporters after practice last Wednesday, Maye praised Doubs and the kind of player that he is, while emphasizing his desire to figure each other out and get things going to build their chemistry.
“It’s building. He’s eager. That’s the best thing you see in a new receiver, it's a new offense...It's a different terminology. He's been in an offense for a couple of years with the same quarterback. I have to learn how he likes to do things, how I like to see it when he's running routes. I think it's just going to get better and better. He's a great player."
Obviously, it's fair to argue that even if things weren't going well, Maye probably wouldn't have come out and said anything about it. But he also didn't have to go to the extent of complimenting Doubs the way that he did, so it seems more likely that he's telling the truth.
With anything, it will take time for the pair to get on the same page, just as it did last year with Stefon Diggs, and what will happen if AJ Brown joins the roster soon.
It's nothing to be too worked up over just yet, because it is only May. If this is still a problem come August, there's reason to be concerned. But not just yet, and it's certainly too early to deem Doubs "underwhelming" when he's still very new in this offense.
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