New England Patriots

The New England Patriots signed second-round wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk to a $9.694 million rookie deal on Thursday that includes a $3.87 million signing bonus. Polk had been relatively quiet in organized team activities open to the media before Monday of this week, when he caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Jacoby Brissett. He has come as advertised to the team's decision-makers and has embraced the steady installation of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt's playbook, showing a good understanding of a larger menu of plays. Coaches in the building have been impressed with his high-end physical skills that have them believing he'll be more than just a role player in the receivers room in his first NFL campaign. The 22-year-old will have the opportunity to earn playing time on a team without a clear leader at the position, making him worth a late-round flier in deep redraft leagues.

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte had been relatively quiet in the early portion of spring workouts, had a coming out party in the final minicamp practice on Wednesday. He received more opportunities with Tyquan Thornton out of practice. Boutte was next in line with the first-team offense behind Jalen Reagor, who was used as the "X" receiver. Four of Boutte's catches on Wednesday went for touchdowns. The 22-year-old sixth-round pick last year has a lot of competition in a mediocre New England receiver room in his second year in the league. In 2023, he had just two receptions for 19 yards in five games played. For now, Boutte is merely a player to watch in minicamp this summer to see how the Pats' wideout corps shakes out. Boutte could also be facing a suspension to open the 2024 campaign.

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry has been the top dog at the position so far in offseason workouts. Henry has been reliable between the numbers for the team's quarterbacks. Along with Henry, seventh-round rookie Jaheim Bell is finding his footing in practices, and his speed to run the seam has become more apparent with each repetition. Austin Hooper has struggled at times to create separation and is set to carve out more of a role as a blocker in the run game than as a receiver. The 29-year-old had a career-low 419 receiving yards in a bad Patriots offense last year, but don't let his six touchdown passes go overlooked. He signed a three-year extension to stay in New England this offseason and should once again be a highly-used red-zone target by either quarterback Jacoby Brissett or rookie Drake Maye. Henry could be an intriguing touchdown-dependent TE2 in fantasy, especially if Maye takes the starting job sooner than later.

New England Patriots rookie first-round quarterback Drake Maye continues to make strides at mandatory minicamp this week. Maye nearly matched veteran Jacoby Brissett in repetitions for the second consecutive open practice on Monday, and there's more juice to the offensive operation when Maye is at the controls. His arm talent and athleticism allow him to, in flashes, elevate players around him. It's exactly what the Patriots want to hear of the No. 3 overall pick, who has the playmaker gene, but they understandably don't seem to be in a rush to start Maye as their QB1 to open the regular season, especially with the remaining pieces of the offense being a work in progress in a new offensive scheme. Maye's early impressiveness will make him an even more popular draft pick in dynasty/keeper leagues, but he's probably not going to be much of a redraft target.

New England Patriots wide receiver Javon Baker (undisclosed) was a limited participant in Monday's offseason practice, according to Patriots reporter Mike Kadlick. It's unclear why the rookie isn't practicing in full, but he is not wearing gloves or getting the ball thrown to him in drills. For now, this shouldn't be much of a concern, but it's a situation worth monitoring. The 2024 fourth-round pick enters his rookie season with a chance to compete for snaps and targets right away. The New England wideout room consisting of Kendrick Bourne, Ja'Lynn Polk, Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, K.J. Osborn, and Tyquan Thornton is one of the worst units in the NFL, so the 2023 First-Team All-Big-12 selection and 1,100-yard receiver could make a fantasy impact in 2024. That said, the ceiling of the entire offense will likely be limited under veteran Jacoby Brissett or rookie Drake Maye.