To little surprise, Jacoby Brissett has found himself atop quarterback the depth chart this offseason as the Patriots develop first-round rookie Drake Maye. The latter will have the opportunity to spend at least some time with the starting offense during training camp, though. 
“[I]t’s the second week of training camp,” head coach Jerod Mayo said when addressing the media (h/t Pro Football Talks’ Myles Simmons). “We have a game here a week from now. He’ll have an opportunity to go out there and participate with, if you want to call them ‘The Ones,’ but we mix and match.”
Maye overtook Bailey Zappe for the backup spot during the spring as part of ongoing acclimation process. The most recent update on New England’s competition made it clear, however, that Brissett would open training camp as the projected starter. Mayo confirmed at that point Maye would have the opportunity to claim the Week 1 gig if he were to significantly impress during summer practices and, of course, the preseason. The Patriots’ upcoming exhibition schedule will offer more clarity on where things stand.
The Patriots turned down considerable interest in the No. 3 pick, and doing so allowed them to select Maye as their QB of the future. The North Carolina product did not live up to expectations in 2023, but his performance the year before, coupled with his age, leave him with notable upside. Brissett was added in free agency to serve as a stop-gap starter if needed, a role he will hold until Maye is given the reins.
New England has made a number of moves at the receiver position this offseason, and retaining Rhamondre Stevenson means the team’s running game will have continuity in 2024. Questions remain regarding the Patriots’ offensive line, though, and working out a starting unit before using Maye in live (regular season) action would be a sensible approach. The team is in no hurry to move Brissett down the depth chart, but he will not have a monopoly on first-team action during the build-up to preseason action.
What should they do?
Start Drake and let him take his lumps.
What will they do?
Start Brissett until they are 2-4.
I even like Brissett more than most. Fine bridge QB. A little boring – but solid.
But I think if I were a NE fan, I would be pretty optimistic about the next 2-3 years seeing what happens.
I liked their draft – but pessimistic about Mayo.
I’m a Maye believer, but I think sitting him the first few games likely makes sense. Even beyond him needing to clean up his footwork a bit, I think it would behoove them to figure out their offensive line a little bit before letting their rookie face the Jets defense, for instance.
Wait, you do like Maye or don’t like Maye? I may be wrong, not that it matters. I want to be sure that I’m not misinterpreting anything.
I agree with you, though, especially because NE doesn’t have a great supporting roster to help buoy Maye as he learns on the job. Sometimes, rookies need to start, and other times, they don’t. I don’t think that Maye getting experience would be the literal worst thing that the Patriots could do, but given how uninspiring their offensive unit is, I don’t see any urgency to throw their third overall pick into the buzzsaw immediately.
Drake Maye is a slow processor with poor accuracy. The guy desperately needs the Green Bay treatment. Two years on the bench, just practicing his fast ball and learning to read defenses.
If the Patriots put him in early, he will end up a train wreck like big Sam Darnold, another top pick QB who couldn’t miss. Train wrecks can rarely be salvaged. Jordan Love is now the highest paid QB in the NFL after careful development. If Love had been thrown in early and often, he’d be Sam Darnold, or Justin Fields at best.
I’m a bit higher than you on Maye, but I agree that a sit is better. I don’t think he’s slow or has poor accuracy, I do think that he takes way too many chances and tries to put the win on his back, even in situations where the team is already in good position.
But I’m no scout. In either case, sitting seems beneficial. The team isn’t talented enough to justify throwing in a rookie right now, and if Maye’s issue is indeed trying to do too much on his own, having a bad team will only exacerbate that issue. If you are right, poor accuracy and processing probably don’t get helped by receivers dropping passes or not being open when they’re supposed to be according to the offense.
Should have drafted J Alt in the 1st or traded back. Their last GM left that roster barren. No QB can survive w/o a line, WR’s or TE.
Do the Patriots have a great running back? The cupboard appears to be almost bare at all offensive positions.
I am solidly in the camp of bringing the rookie QB along slowly, especially on a team that basically has no offensive weapons to help him out.