Patriots' WR makes strong case to escape roster bubble with insane training camp play
![May 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws a pass at the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports May 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws a pass at the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2277,h_1280,x_132,y_116/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/49/01j3jsh69hrscshdzgz4.jpg)
All eyes are on Drake Maye and the offense as the Patriots finally begin their on-field practices for training camp this summer. There is an excitement in the air that has been missing for the last few years, and the quarterback made sure to heighten that further with a solid performance on day one of practice.
Despite still getting backup reps behind Jacoby Brissett, Maye had one of the highlight throws of the day that will likely continue throughout the offseason, as he is known for having a big arm. He showed it off with multiple impressive throws, but the player on the receiving end seemed to catch fans' attention a bit more.
Because Maye is known for his deep throws, it wasn't shocking to see him complete another on Wednesday morning. What was more impressive was Jalen Reagor's one-handed catch to finish the play, awarding the receiver with the first highlight-worthy play of the summer.
CLIP OF THE DAY: #Patriots QB Drake Maye goes DEEP and finds wide open WR Jalen Reagor with the 1-HANDED GRAB!
— Patriot RedZone (@PatriotRedZone) July 24, 2024
WOW. 🔥 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ix0o7iCUKt
Jalen Reagor sets the bar high for the remainder of the Patriots' offseason
While this was just the first training camp practice of the summer, and things can dramatically change on a dime in football, it was an excellent start for Reagor to have such a memorable catch so early on. He is one of the receivers considered to be on the roster bubble and will need to have a standout performance over the next several weeks to secure a roster spot, and the former first-rounder is off to a great start in accomplishing that.
Reagor had moments of greatness in his first season with the Patriots last year, but a dysfunctional offense didn't set him up to maintain that throughout the year despite a key absence with Kendrick Bourne's season-ending injury.
He has a good opportunity to lock up a spot on the roster this year with questions surrounding the future of Kayshon Boutte, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Tyquan Thornton.
Continuing these types of performances for the rest of the offseason/preseason could make it easy for the new regime to keep Reagor for the 2024 season. It's too early to determine if that will happen, but he's set the bar high for the remainder of practices.
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