Nowadays, it’s a given for third-overall picks like Drake Maye to start as early as possible. Gone are the days of rookies sitting behind an established veteran and learning the ropes. However, head coach Jerod Mayo himself is in his first year in his role with the New England Patriots. And while he has tremendous respect for what Bill Belichick has accomplished, he’s also been unafraid of pointing out differences to his approach and style.
Of course there will be football commonalities among all franchises. However, conventional wisdom and ways of doing things are likely to be an aspect that leaves Foxboro. The new man in charge is seen by many as something of a perfect blend of having the old-school mentality while being more relatable to the modern needs of players. Therefore, until the official depth chart is released, discussing anything about final decisions, particularly at the QB position, is complete speculation.
That being said, a lot of signs indicate that the former signal caller for the North Carolina Tar Heels will sit behind Jacoby Brissett to start the season. At least, this seems to be the general feeling and consensus from a lot of people covering camp. The number one issue for coach Mayo to navigate is avoiding a controversy at the quarterback position. That would bring a lot of unwanted and unneeded scrutiny. There’s nothing more distracting to a locker room than half of the building believing it should be one guy and the other half voicing their support for someone else behind the scenes.
Plan in Place for Drake Maye
Regardless of how talented or ‘pro-ready’ anyone is, it’s objectively better to sit a year. For skilled positions, for example, the speed of speed and the ability to catch transfers from college. Of course, the margins become tighter, and these schemes are more complex. But the ability to get open and win one-on-one battles is a needed skill. This evaluation can happen from day one. Contrast that with the most important position. Moving (up until the approved rule change from this year) from cards of Donald Duck and Lee Corso to hearing the place in your helmet in itself is a major shift.
Factoring communication cutoff with the play caller is also important to remember. Finally reading the different coverages and being able to shift protection presents a challenge. This is often something that the offensive coordinator will take care of when playing the likes of Clemson. Transitioning to being a professional is always difficult, but there’s an elevated degree of difficulty for one of the tougher positions in all of sports. Therefore, protecting him as much as possible makes sense at this point.
Brissett sees the lion’s share of first-team reps as of now. Additionally, the current practice habits show the expectation of him receiving the nod against the Philadelphia Eagles. This is a smart move. Furthermore, it would be true regardless of how the staff feels about how ready the first-year player is. This is due to the fact that the biggest weakness on this team over the past couple of years and to this day is the offensive line. The organization knows this, and they have made honest attempts to address it. Regardless, throwing someone for on-the-job training while running for their life is something of a failed strategy.
This sentiment remains moreso true when considering the high draft pick used. That isn’t to say that whoever ends up dropping back won’t be able to see success or that it’s something of a setup for failure. Instead, this illustrates a different point. Robert Kraft and everyone at Gillette believe in the capability of Drake Maye. If he was the clear-cut better player, his starting role would likely already be announced. But since this isn’t the case, taking a page out of the old-school book is best. His sitting and absorbing on the sidelines should prove beneficial. This will help the young player and the offense as a whole for their future.
Main Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
