FOXBORO — Of all the Patriots’ top receivers, Drake Maye has spent the least amount of time with Mack Hollins, a free-agent addition this spring who missed the first half of training camp with an injury.
Hollins and Maye are trying to make up for lost time.
In recent practices, Maye has made a habit of targeting Hollins on downfield throws and inside the red zone. Hollins also had grabs of 20 and 12 yards in their last preseason game together, a road win at Minnesota. After Sunday’s practice, Hollins credited time spent off the field to helping build their connection.
“At the end of the day, reps are always gonna be the most important thing. And you can never get enough of them, but it’s hard when (Maye) has to throw X amount of balls, and then it’s, ‘hey, can I get some after practice?’” Hollins said. “So as a receiver, it’s reps, but then it’s hanging out in the locker room or going to eat out. Those things matter.
“Nine years in the league, I’ve realized those dinners before games matter. It may sound corny, it may sound like they don’t matter, but they do. They do build a rapport that translates to the field where it’s just like (for Maye), ‘Hey, two-minute drill. I could just — Mack’s over there — throw it and I trust him because we had steaks together. You never know.”
Prior to signing in New England, Hollins played for the Eagles (2017-19), Dolphins (2019-2021), Raiders (2022), Falcons (2023) and Bills (2024). Last year, he caught 31 passes for 378 yards and five touchdowns playing with reigning league MVP Josh Allen.
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