Drake Maye held court with the media on Wednesday after the first New England Patriots training camp practice.

At the end of the Q&A, he was asked one final question, pertaining to what excites him the most about this team?

“What excites me most? I like that question,” he said. “I think you’ve got guys around here that are tired of losing around here and guys that want to win. I think that’s what excites me most. Guys want to win around here. I think the past two or three years around here in the past year for me, I can only speak for mysel, but I think there’s guys around here that are tired of losing and want to win.”

And there you go. The gauntlet was dropped. Maye has echoed perhaps what his owner, Robert Kraft, has said the last few years: Let’s get back to winning.

We remember training camp last year, some optimism with a new coach in Jerod Mayo and Maye – the coach and the quarterback are always the key ingredients – but it all backfired. Ding Dong the Wicked Witch (Bill You Know Who) was gone, but the ruby slippers never got the Patriots back to Kansas.

This year’s team is better. Another new coach, Mike Vrabel, is a former NFL Coach of the Year, a former Patriot and he’s not learning on the fly.

Yes, the first day of training camp was typical: the sun was shining strong, the temps were rising, the fans were cheering – Maye and Stefon Diggs got the biggest ovations when players ran out on the field. Team owner Robert Kraft was on hand, and Kraft & Co. were holding an adoption drive for dogs, a very noteworthy cause. Players were embraced by their families after practice. It’s camp, and the living may not be easy, but it’s a little more fun. Players talked about the “energy” of the first day. Some said it came from the crowd, which was large, not overflowing, and we’ll be interested to see how it is as camp continues.

“Thanks to the fans out here for showing up,” Maye said. “I wish I could sign [autographs for] everybody. I think that’s what makes the league go, these fans coming out here and coming out here on whatever day it is, Wednesday, we’re in camp now, who knows what day it is, but coming out here and supporting us and being here for us in the heat. And I think that’s what makes it go. So, it was fun to be out here and make some plays.”

Maye looks different. Older. Stronger. He’s married now. He wants to be a leader. He’s less nervous. Last year he seemed so nervous he’d speak so fast you could sometimes you could barely make it out. But yesterday, he made his thoughts clear. He knew exactly what he was doing, what message he wanted to deliver.

Night and day from last year.

“Yeah, it’s a lot different,” he said. “Kind of coming in here, you know what to expect. That’s what I was telling the rookies earlier, it’s going to be a kind of whirlwind. You’re kind of scrambling from period to period and next thing you know, you’re up against the defense and some full speed plays. So, I think just take your time, enjoy it, take the time to watch the film and I think more than that, just have fun. I mean, you know the plays, just don’t overthink it and I think just play instinctive.”

Gillette is a busy place these days. The Patriots are building their new training center and offices, etc. out back down the hill from the practice fields, the area where the media go in. A lot is happening.

It’s July. The Patriots hope a lot will be happening in the months to come, a lot of good. Because, as Maye says, they’re tired of losing.

It’s something we never used to hear at training camp, right?

Tom King may be reached at @Telegraph_TomK on twitter, or tking@nashuatelegraph.com