Henry McKenna
AFC East Reporter
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Drake Maye should have been itching to throw the soccer after the New England Patriots’ OTA session on Monday. And in order that’s precisely what he did, lastly. After the group ran sprints to conclude their follow, the rookie quarterback put in further work throwing in opposition to air together with his fellow 2024 draft alternatives, Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.
They had been the final three Patriots to go away the sphere.
Maye did not get many alternatives to work with the offense throughout follow. He spent a lot of the session, significantly within the early intervals, watching Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe run 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills with the highest offensive gamers.
Maye paced backwards and forwards to see completely different angles of the offensive performs. He often went by means of his steps to take psychological reps and mirrored the quarterback motion. However for essentially the most half, he simply stood there choosing the mind of his two main mentors: assistant quarterbacks coach Evan Rothstein, donning a blue Patriots visor to match his blue tracksuit, and offensive assistant Ben McAdoo, sweating into his Patriots camouflage hat and white towel draped over his gray t-shirt.
Maye’s braintrust is a little bit of the outdated, Belichickian regime (Rothstein) and the brand new, Alex Van Peltian regime (McAdoo). However the determination to largely maintain him out of the group drills felt a bit extra Belichickian than something. It appeared like a story sign to Maye and, probably, the media.
The message: He isn’t taking part in. He is watching. He is studying. And he is actually not taking part in.
The Patriots have been constant in telling the media and Maye that he will not are available in because the starter. He’ll need to beat out Brissett for QB1. It felt probably he’d begin the offseason as QB2. However Maye gave the impression to be the third QB on the depth chart for Monday’s session. For group drills, particularly within the early intervals, the QB rotation usually went: Brissett, Zappe, Brissett, Maye.
“It is actually not about what number of reps right here and there, it is concerning the high quality of the reps that you just get. That is what I preach,” Patriots coach Jerod Mayo mentioned earlier than follow.
He added that Monday’s rep distribution wasn’t essentially indicative of how the breakdown of reps will likely be for the opposite periods.
However they had been a selection.
Maye has very clearly gotten the message. He appeared to say little or no to anybody throughout follow. He did some chit-chatting with Rhamondre Stevenson throughout warmups. He congratulated rookie tight finish Jaheim Bell after a catch. However for essentially the most half, Maye requested questions of Brissett, Rothstein and McDoo. The rookie simply shut up and listened.
Will the Patriots sit Drake Maye in favor of Jacoby Brissett?
That felt resonant with one other factor Mayo mentioned earlier than follow. The coach was requested about when he got here to take a management function throughout his rookie season as a Patriots linebacker in 2008.
“Truthfully, that narrative of me coming in as a pacesetter my first yr is form of off, for my part,” Mayo mentioned. “My large factor was to be a sponge, study from the Mike Vrabels, the Tom Bradys, the Randy Moss’s of the world.”
Maye appeared mighty retentive on Monday.
And behind the scenes, it is clear he is doing the very same factor.
“I walked by the quarterback assembly room, he is simply in there by himself, watching movie,” Mayo mentioned. “These are the issues that you just need to see. I’m excited to see his development going ahead.”
In fact, the Patriots will not see as a lot development going ahead if he’s splitting reps with Zappe, who’s unlikely to be on the roster in Week 1.
In the course of the warmup part, Maye threw nearly each route within the playbook and hit receivers in-stride. However that was in opposition to air. No protection. No offensive line. No pocket. That is a simple A for Maye, who boasted among the finest arms within the 2024 NFL Draft. The questions round Maye had been extra about how he’d deal with an NFL pocket, how he’d regulate his footwork, how he’d learn an NFL protection, how he’d handle an NFL playbook and whether or not he might elevate a Patriots offense that is brief on expertise.
The Patriots did not appear to get nearer to answering these questions after Day 1 of OTAs. That is OK. It is so, so, so early. They did not want these solutions. Even so, it is honest to surprise why Zappe is getting extra work than the No. 3 general choose, even at this part of the offseason — even when it is supposed to ship a message. There are solely so many on-field hours earlier than the season begins, due to the CBA. There are solely so many snaps to show Maye the offense. Whereas the Patriots have mentioned they do not intend to hurry Maye right into a beginning function, it is unusual to see them holding him off the sphere.
“He’s studying a brand new playbook. He’s studying a brand new language, he’s studying his teammates, he is studying the basics that we preach right here,” Mayo mentioned earlier than follow. “So, it is rather a lot for him, however on the identical time, I do know he can deal with it and I simply stay up for seeing him progress.”
For what it is value, Maye by no means appeared out past his depth. The rookie was able to compete. He had only one incompletion on his seven passes throughout follow. In a mucky pocket throughout an 11-on-11 rep, he managed to tear the ball to the sideline to search out receiver T.J. Luther on an out-route — a pleasant show of Maye’s throwing accuracy and energy. There weren’t any wow performs. There weren’t any oh-no performs.
Whether or not Maye or Brissett begin at QB in Week 1, there is no doubt the Patriots are in for a rebuilding yr. Even JuJu Smith-Schuster, who’s getting into his eighth season, appeared to acknowledge that.
“We drafted a quarterback, and all of it falls on Drake on how he takes it. If he can stand up and play an element, then for certain that is what he will do. And if it is a growth [year], it is a growth [year],” Smith-Schuster mentioned after follow. “On the finish of the day, he will do his half. And you are going to see him progress over a time frame in OTAs, in coaching camp. And also you by no means know. I believe it is too early to talk on that.”
There was one proclamation Smith-Schuster was prepared to make.
“Wait ’til you see the locker room. The vibes are approach higher,” he mentioned.
Mayo reminded the media the Patriots are 0-0 up to now this yr. No success. No adversity. But.
However that is a world higher than 3-14, their report that led them to fireside Invoice Belichick, rent Mayo, commerce Mac Jones, signal Brissett and draft Maye. It is only the start for the 2024 Patriots, and whereas they’re reluctant to push Maye into the hearth of competitors, it is unlikely they will be capable of maintain him again endlessly. He’s their future. The current, with Brissett, would not determine to final lengthy — even when Patriots’ management appears to need to delay it.
Previous to becoming a member of FOX Sports activities because the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years masking the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports activities Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Observe him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.
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