After completing an MVP-caliber second season with the Patriots, expectations around quarterback Drake Maye have skyrocketed in recent months, despite an unfavorable showing against the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.
The 23-year-old is set to embark on a comeback season of the ages, proving that his impressive performance in Year 2 wasn't just a fluke or the result of an easy schedule, and the Patriots have ensured he is surrounded by the talent to make that goal achievable.
That's why they traded for receiver A.J. Brown, signed guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, and brought back a position that is considered one of Josh McDaniels' favorites, fullback Reggie Gilliam.
But among all those new additions was also Romeo Doubs, a former Packers receiver who shone over his first four seasons in the league, yet has been widely overlooked since arriving in New England. Perhaps it's due to the excitement around Brown, or maybe it's due to the lack of flashy plays during practices this spring.
It's a topic that Brian Hines of Pats Pulpit wrote about when reflecting on the team's offseason program, awarding Doubs the title of "loser" due to his apparent missing chemistry with Maye.
It might be too early to panic about this, since it is early in the offseason, but it's also something to keep in mind ahead of training camp.
Romeo Doubs has a lot of work to do during Patriots training camp to build rapport with Drake Maye
After attending OTAs and minicamp, Hines named eight Patriots players as either winners or losers of the offseason program, and unfortunately for Doubs, he was less than impressive in his early showing with his new team.
There's still plenty of time for that to change, but it's certainly noteworthy that the chemistry between the receiver and quarterback wasn't naturally there.
"It wasn’t necessarily a bad spring for one of the Patriots’ top free-agent additions, as Doubs worked well underneath and over the middle of the field. But the chemistry between Doubs and quarterback Drake Maye remains a work in progress, particularly down the field.
Doubs caught just five passes (10 targets) across four competitive open practices, while several deep targets between the duo fell incomplete. Perhaps those connections come later this summer with more reps together, or Doubs is simply a player who saves the big plays for Sundays."
The good thing is that this isn't exactly unheard of or uncommon for trust and chemistry to build between new teammates, especially those in positions as important as quarterback and wide receiver, so it's too early to draw any conclusions about what kind of player Doubs will ultimately become with the Patriots.
At the same time, however, it's something to keep in mind when the team returns for training camp, and, as Hines says, the duo will have a lot of eyes on them, paying very close attention to hopefully see that rapport grow.
It will be crucial to the offense's success, and fortunately, Doubs has strong potential to be a major part of their game plan, as he is expected to be the WR2 behind Brown.
Hopefully, he and Maye can step on the gas this summer and settle early concerns as soon as possible, or their apparent lack of chemistry is going to become a nonstop story going into the 2026 season, and none of us wants to deal with that.
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