Romeo Doubs kept making the same kind of play Saturday, and that was the point.
The Patriots wideout turned in three touchdown grabs in training camp practice, a strong follow-up to the stretch of good work he put together last week after a quieter start to the summer. By the end of the session, Doubs looked more and more comfortable in Foxboro, and head coach Mike Vrabel said the signs have been encouraging.
Vrabel met with reporters before practice and said the receiver is “trending in the right direction.”
“I think [wide receivers coach Todd Downing] found where Romeo can really help us - be big, fast and aggressive, and I think that showed up in some practices that you saw,” Vrabel said. “It’s just figuring out what they do best, seeing what you can realistically improve, and then put them in those spots to help build their own confidence, and then also a place where they can help the football team.”
Doubs did his damage in the same way each time: high-pointing the football and winning above the defenders. He finished all three catches by reaching over Carlton Davis and Charles Woods.
The first scoring sequence came in a 1:05-minute drill. After Kayshon Boutte hauled in a 40-yard pass to get the offense into the red zone, Drake Maye lofted a high throw to Doubs, who went up over Woods for the touchdown.
Later, during the final 11-on-11 period, Maye went back to him in the corner of the end zone. Doubs extended over Woods again, came down with the ball, and then celebrated by tossing it into the air as the crowd in the bleachers reacted.
After practice, Doubs said the work is starting to click.
“I feel exactly where I am. I think I’m progressing the right way,” Doubs said after practice about how he feels he’s performed.
“[I’m] just taking these days one day at a time. I’ve learned early on that this is a day-to-day league.
So, I plan on continuing to keep that the same way.”
He also said the red-zone plays are part of a skill set he has built over time.
“This is a game I’ve been playing for a long time. Obviously, this takes work, so I have worked on this a ton,” he said of his ability to make those plays in the red zone. “In the end, I’m just going out there, playing fast, playing physical and just making sure I put the team in a better position.”
Doubs, who came over from Green Bay, added that the game is beginning to slow down for him. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds with 21 career touchdowns, he arrives in New England as a clear red-zone option for Maye and the Patriots offense.
That role matters. New England finished 20th in the NFL last season in red-zone efficiency, converting inside the 20-yard line just 55.7% of the time. Doubs’ ability to win on the boundary and finish over defenders gives the Patriots something they can lean on near the goal line.
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