New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye spoke to reporters on Thursday for the first time since a disappointing season ended and a busy offseason began in Foxboro. The second-year quarterback weighed in on new head coach Mike Vrabel, the addition of veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and rookie left tackle Will Campbell saying he plans to "fight and die" for his new quarterback.

Maye's first question at Thursday's press conference at Gillette Stadium was about Vrabel, who was hired in January to replace Jerod Mayo as head coach.

"It's been awesome. It's been great with coach. He's come in here and seems like he's been here a while. He's so comfortable being a head coach," Maye said. "He's done it before, he's done it at a high level, won a lot of games. Looking forward to getting things going. You can see he's trying to install the new identity. I think we're building toward that. Just working, trusting his ways. I think everybody's kind of catching stride as we come off the first week of Phase 2 [of offseason workouts]."

Maye was later asked about the general vibe in the building with Vrabel as coach.

"I think it's come in here, and have your head on a swivel and get to work," Maye said.

When the Patriots selected left tackle Will Campbell out of LSU with the No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft, Campbell made it clear he would leave it all on the line to protect Maye.

"I'm going to fight and die to protect them with everything I've got," Campbell told the NFL Network on stage after he was selected.

Maye said he watched the draft on television, including Campbell's interview.

"I listened to it live. Man that gets you going, gets your juices going. I think it makes me want to go out there and play football now," Maye said. "Pumped that we picked Will. I got a chance to meet him when he came in and flew in on Friday. So pumped to get things going, and just seems like a football player. That's what you want around here."

Maye also spoke about the team's busy offseason. The Patriots were one of the most active teams in free agency, bringing in players at positions of need on both sides of the ball.

"I'm pumped. I think a lot of new faces, lot of guys, lot of veterans that played at a high level. I think we kind of found answers at a lot of different spots that can plug and play, and I think that's what the point of free agency is, to get guys that can help us win, help us win now," Maye said. "And I think you add that in with the type of young talent we've had in the past couple drafts, and hopefully we're headed in the right direction. That's what us guys in there are working towards, working towards getting to know each other, connect. That's what coach Vrabel's preaching is learn it, train and connect. It's been fun to get to know these guys that have been a bunch of different places. It's been cool."

One of the team's offseason additions was wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who has six 1,000-yard seasons and was on pace for another last year with the Houston Texans before he tore his ACL.

"Shoot, Stefon he's one of those guys growing up when I was in high school he was young in the league, had him on my fantasy team and things like that. Playing with him in Madden. So it's pretty cool to hopefully now this season be throwing to him," Maye said. "He's coming back obviously from injury and looks like he's doing great. He's been around. I think it's just going to be cool to throw to a receiver who's made plays like he has, who's made big plays in playoff games, who's been in different schemes, who's played with high-level quarterbacks, to see kind of his point of view from different stuff. It's my job to give him a chance to go get it."

Center David Andrews was released this offseason as Vrabel took over in New England. Though Maye didn't play much with the 2-time Super Bowl champion, he talked about the impact he had on him.

"David, man, when you think of a veteran and a leader, that's the standard I learned from, from David Andrews. He was great to me. He was one of the first people I met in the locker room. He was here very early in the morning," Maye said. "He just does things that are bigger than football and I think that's stuff you carry with you the rest of your career. Wishing the best to him. One of the guys I'll keep in touch with him for a long time. Took a couple snaps with him at the end of the Jets game, but I think that next game he got hurt. Was a bummer to not really get out there and battle with him. But hey it's the National Football League and those things happen."

Another big change with the Patriots came in the quarterback room. New England traded Joe Milton to Dallas after just one season. Milton and Maye were both selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.

"I texted Joe. Me and Joe came in together, we learned the offense together, we were competing every day to see who could out-throw each other in practice and obviously he's got a big arm. It was cool for him to get a chance to go and hopefully be a backup," Maye said. "I think you saw in the Bills game his potential. He's fun because we've got similar play styles a little bit. It was fun relating our similar college offense to this offense. It was cool to be in the room and have somebody to bounce ideas and hey remember doing this in college? And stuff like that. So cool for Joe and I know I'll probably, you never know, play him again or maybe see him down the road."

Maye wrapped up his press conference with a simple parting message.

"Thank y'all. Go Pats," he said as he headed off the podium.