Joe Milton’s athleticism stood out on Day 3, and other takeaways from Patriots training camp

Drake Maye isn't the only Patriots rookie QB with arm talent.

With four quarterbacks on the roster, the Patriots are utilizing both practice fields simultaneously to help spread reps around.

Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye have been on the right field closer to the bleachers, while Bailey Zappe and Joe Milton have been on the left side.

“The quality is what you make of it,” Zappe said of the reps. “I think the quantity is about all the same. I don’t want to get into ‘He got one more than I did’ or anything like that. I think that’s left to the coaches. It’s just based off of the quality of what you do with those reps.”

With most of the first and second-stringers on the right side, some may be tempted to overlook the left side.

But, anyone who did that on Friday would have missed a remarkable throw from rookie quarterback Joe Milton to rookie receiver Javon Baker that went around 60 yards for a touchdown.

The sixth-round pick from Tennessee has turned some heads with his arm strength, and at 6-foot-5 and 246-pounds, Milton certainly has good size for the quarterback position.

Milton’s throw was one of several big plays on Friday. As for big storylines? Contract discussions remain at the forefront. Here are five takeaways from the action.

Milton can make big throws — and backflips

Milton showed off another aspect of his athleticism during a quarterback drill when he effortlessly pulled off a backflip.

He said his dad taught him how to backflip when he was 3 years old, and he made it a part of his routine during his college career at Tennessee.

“I did it every game at Tennessee. My dad was doing it a little more than I was at 3. He was flipping off of his truck every time that he got off of it. I was doing the trampoline at first. So you do two whole backflips off the trampoline and then you do the last one, you bounce off the trampoline and land it.”

Milton said he’s getting a better grasp of the offense through a combination of on-field reps and simulations with a virtual reality headset.

“Since draft day, I feel like I’ve gotten a lot more smarter,” Milton said. “When I say that I mean like more understanding of what’s going on and how this offense is supposed to operate. Just talking ball every day, especially, rookies get hours in here … so managing that just being on the VR headset at night getting multiple reps.”

Mayo lets the players speak their mind

One noticeable difference from this training camp versus last year is how comfortable the players have felt speaking about their contract situations.

On Wednesday, linebacker Matthew Judon talked about how he plans to play on his current deal despite the fact that he feels that it doesn’t reflect the value that he brings to the team.

Coach Jerod Mayo told reporters Friday that he didn’t have an issue with Judon’s comments.

“If the guy feels a certain type of way, he has that privilege to come out here and tell you guys how he feels,” Mayo said. “I have to respect it no matter what. At some point in time, there’s going to be a player that comes up here and says, ‘You know what, I hate Coach Jerod’ or, ‘I hate Mayo.’ That’s how they feel, and I respect that. I know we want to keep as much stuff in-house, but there will be times they come out here and express themselves. I think it’s good.”

Godchaux is the latest to speak on contract

On Friday, Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux addressed his contract situation, saying that there has been a lot of back and forth on negotiations and that the process has been frustrating.

Nevertheless, Godchaux said he wants to stay with the Patriots and is optimistic that both sides will be able to reach a deal.

“I think so. I would love to retire here. I’ve got a lot more years in me. I’m 29, and in this system I can play a long time,” Godchaux said. “Obviously Vince (Willfork) played a long time. I feel like I can play just as long as him, even longer. I’m excited. I’m healthy. I’ve been available every game the last three years here.”

“My position that I play, nose tackle, doesn’t get a lot of recognition,” Godchaux added. “(We) take up all the blocks, everybody else gets the glory, everybody else gets the stats. But, at the end of the day, I feel like it starts with the foundation. I feel like in this 3-4 defense, it starts with the nose tackle especially in the run game.”

Up-and-down day for Drake Maye

Maye was involved in two of the loudest plays of the day.

He tossed a deep ball off of a play-action pass to fellow rookie Ja’Lynn Polk who made a leaping catch for a big gain.

He also threw a pick six to Matthew Judon on a short pass intended for Rhamondre Stevenson.

Demario Douglas is day-to-day

Three practices are in the books, and last year’s leading receiver Demario Douglas has yet to participate in scrimmages.

NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry reported that Douglas is dealing with a hand injury.

Mayo said before the practice that the Patriots are evaluating Douglas’s status on a day-to-day basis.

“He’s kind of working through something right now, but nothing serious,” Mayo said. “Day-to-day.”