Drake Maye

Patriots HC Jerod Mayo: Drake Maye Has ‘Outplayed’ Jacoby Brissett

August 26th, 2024 at 1:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots concluded the 2024 preseason on Sunday night, with both Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye seeing time under center. As a final decision on the team’s Week 1 starting quarterback is contemplated, the rookie’s performance this summer has made this a closer call than it seemed to be at the start of training camp.

“This is a true competition, and I would say at this current point, Drake has outplayed Jacoby,” head coach Jerod Mayo said during a Monday appearance on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show (h/t ESPN’s Mike Reiss). “Now in saying that, we have to take in the full body of work, going all the way back to the spring and beginning of training camp… It starts in practice and also in the game, where Drake has played better.

“There are multiple factors that have to go into this decision. One is the total body of work, whether we’re talking about the spring or the entirety of training camp. And I would also say, oftentimes we forget about the overall experience that a guy like Jacoby has, which will also be weighted in the decision we have to make in the near future.”

Selected third overall April’s draft – after the Patriots turned down trade offers from the Giants and Vikings – Maye has long been known to be the team’s long-term plan at quarterback. The North Carolina product was one of the younger passers in his draft class, though, and his underwhelming play in 2023 led many to label him a candidate for a developmental rookie season. With Brissett in place on a one-year deal, redshirting Maye is certainly an option for Mayo and Co. Veteran reporter Josina Anderson notes the 31-year-old is viewed as the better option to begin the season by some in the Patriots’ organization.

To little surprise, Brissett entered training camp atop the depth chart. His summer performances have not impressed, however, and Mayo’s confirmation that Maye has outplayed him comes after the first-time head coach publicly left the door open to a change in the pecking order. With three preseason contests to evaluate (along with practice showings), the fact that Maye has made up ground adds further intrigue to this situation.

Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix have already earned the QB1 title for their respective teams. Maye could become the fourth rookie to see the field in Week 1, and a decision should be made in the coming days on whether he or Brissett will get the nod. A cautions approach would still not come as a surprise, but Mayo’s sentiment points to Maye having a strong chance to secure the starting gig right away.

Patriots Plan To Name Starting QB After Preseason Finale

August 22nd, 2024 at 1:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

Three rookie quarterbacks – Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix – will start for their respective teams in Week 1. Michael Penix Jr. has Kirk Cousins ahead of him on the depth chart, while J.J. McCarthy‘s debut campaign will consist of rehabbing from meniscus surgery.

It remains to be seen what the Patriots will do with Drake Maye. The No. 3 pick in April’s draft was seen as more of a project than some of his classmates given his age (21) and the fact he only served as a starter for the past two seasons. With veteran Jacoby Brissett in place as a bridge starter, it came as no surprise Maye entered training camp No. 2 on the depth chart.

After the North Carolina product saw limited usage in New England’s first preseason game, it seemed the team’s plan to employ a patient development plan with him would continue. Maye’s playing time increased last week, though, and Brissett has struggled during training camp and his exhibition game reps. Head coach Jerod Mayo said last week the competition was not over, leaving the door open to Maye landing the Week 1 gig. No final call will be made until after the Patriots’ preseason finale.

“It’s still a competition, and Jacoby is still QB1,” Mayo said (via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe). “It’s a competition amongst all the guys on the field, including the quarterback spot. I would say by Monday night, we should know who the quarterback is.”

New England’s preseason will wrap up on Sunday, and both Brissett and Maye will see game time. The former, as Mayo confirmed, is still in place as the top option as things stand, but the latter has impressed with respect to his development so far. As Volin notes, the team’s offensive line and skill-position corps both remain a work in progress, factors which would lend themselves to using Brissett at the start of the year. That could still wind up being the case, but Mayo echoed his satisfaction with how far Maye has come so far.

“We always have to be flexible in regard to the plan,” Mayo added. “Right now, it’s all going the right way, the right direction. I would say his teammates can see that confidence growing as well. Hopefully, it’s just an upward trajectory from here.”

Patriots HC Jerod Mayo: QB Competition ‘Definitely Isn’t Over’

August 16th, 2024 at 5:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

At the onset of training camp, Jacoby Brissett resided atop the Patriots’ quarterback depth chart. That came as little surprise, considering the attention being placed on developing No. 3 pick Drake Maye at a slow pace.

Head coach Jerod Mayo made it clear, however, that the door remained open for the latter to earn the Week 1 nod with a strong showing in camp and the preseason. With two of the team’s three exhibition contests in the books, Maye has done enough to at least keep himself in consideration. Mayo’s most recent comments on the matter confirm no decision on a starting passer has been made yet.

“We have three more days of training camp practices, and it’s our job as coaches to evaluate and the competition isn’t over,” the first-year head coach said (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss). “They have to show not only themselves and the coaches [but] also their teammates.”

Maye only played one series in Week 1 of the preseason, but that total quadrupled last night against the Eagles. The North Carolina alum completed six of 11 pass attempts for 47 yards and scored a rushing touchdown. That marked a step forward from his limited production (and opportunities) last week, and Brissett has not filled the statsheet when on the field so far. The 31-year-old has gone a combined 3-for-10 for 17 scoreless yards and one interception in preseason action.

Brissett signed a one-year, $8MM pact in free agency to return to the Patriots and serve as a bridge starter. He has 48 starts to his name split across time with the Colts, Browns and Dolphins along with his previous New England stint. After the team turned down considerable interest for the third overall pick and used it on Maye, though, it was clear he represented the passer of the future – and potentially present – pending his ability to acclimate to the NFL level this offseason.

Mayo added that both signal-callers will play on August 25, New England’s preseason finale. A final decision will no doubt only be made after that contest, with Brissett and Maye’s respective showings being taken into consideration. As Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and (in all likelihood) Bo Nix prepare for Week 1 starting gigs as first-round rookies, Maye could soon join them in that respect. It will be interesting to see how Brissett performs in the final practices of training camp and the upcoming exhibition game as he attempts to delay Maye’s debut.

Patriots QBs Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye To Share First-Team Reps

August 2nd, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

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.

Jacoby Brissett Enters Training Camp As Patriots’ Starting QB

July 23rd, 2024 at 11:04am CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots were one of six teams which invested a first-round pick in a quarterback this spring. As expected, however, rookie Drake Maye will not enter training camp atop the depth chart.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt, Jacoby [Brissett] is the starting quarterback at this point in time,” head coach Jerod Mayo said on Tuesday (via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald).

Pulling the plug on Mac Jones, the Patriots elected to start over at the quarterback spot this offseason. Jones – selected 15th overall in 2021 – was dealt to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick. Brissett was added in free agency as a bridge starter in anticipation of a rookie being added via the draft. New England turned aside considerable interest for the No. 3 pick and ultimately selected Maye.

The North Carolina product projects as the Patriots’ starter down the road, but the team was known to be in no hurry to move him to the top of pecking order. Maye’s performances during OTAs and minicamp were sufficient to elevate him to the backup spot over Bailey Zappe, though, and he will have the opportunity to continue impressing Mayo and the coaching staff as a result.

Mayo added (via Kyed) that Maye will be able to overtake Brissett as the team’s starter if he “lights it up” during training camp. For the time being, attention will of course be paid to the 21-year-old’s ongoing acclimation to the NFL in general and OC Alex Van Pelt‘s scheme in particular. Brissett is a veteran of 48 starts, and he will offer the Patriots with a known commodity if he gets the nod for Week 1. That scenario is the one which New England remains on course for, but things could change over the coming weeks.

Patriots QB Drake Maye To Enter Camp As Backup?

July 6th, 2024 at 4:13pm CST by Ely Allen

Since selecting North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick of this year’s draft, the Patriots have made it clear that they will take their time before giving Maye the keys to the offense. Part of that decision is due to the acquisition of veteran backup Jacoby Brissett, who, in an eight-year roundtrip that has included stops in Indianapolis, Miami, Cleveland, and Washington, has 48 starts to his name. Another factor is simply that it’s difficult to start in the NFL as a rookie, especially with a new offensive system being installed.

Along with two new frontrunners at quarterback, the Patriots have brought in former Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to call plays for the first time in his career. After about 12 years as a position coach (mostly mentoring quarterbacks), Van Pelt got his first coordinator job in 2020 under head coach Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland. With Stefanski calling plays, Van Pelt was unable to gain that play-calling experience, calling the offense only once in a Wild Card win over the Steelers, a game which Stefanski missed.

In his first season actually getting to run an NFL offense, Van Pelt has committed to bringing the West Coast offense to New England, per Ben Volin of The Boston Globe. As a coach in the NFL, Van Pelt has had a multitude of experience working for West Coast disciples like Mike McCarthy, Zac Taylor, and Stefanski. Joined by offensive assistant Ben McAdoo (another student of McCarthy) and quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney, who studied under Kyle Shanahan, New England is now the home of multiple offensive coaches with heaps of experience coaching West Coast offenses.

Implementing a new system is going to be a difficult undertaking for the entire offense, let alone Maye. Van Pelt claimed his goal was to make it through the entire offensive playbook in spring practices, per Volin, and to his credit, the new play caller claims that they were able to get through it twice.

Even with two run-throughs in the spring, though, Maye still has a long way to go. In addition to learning a completely new playbook, the rookie will need to make the regular adjustments required of a rookie making the jump to NFL starter. Maye will need to become accustomed to the operations of running an offense, including calling plays in the huddle and communicating audibles. He’ll also need to improve his footwork and work at reading NFL defenses, a much taller task than doing so at the collegiate level.

Because of all the work still required of Maye before he’s ready to lead an NFL offense, the return of Brissett to New England is significant. Two years ago, Brissett served as a stand-in starter while the Browns waited from Deshaun Watson to return from suspension. He also started two nearly full seasons for the Colts after an injury to and surprise retirement from Andrew Luck in two different seasons. His time with five different teams also gives him a litany of experience learning new offenses, as well. Not to mention that his 11 starts for Cleveland came under Van Pelt and Stefanski, making him already well-versed in a similar playbook.

Though the combination of the work to be done by Maye and the experience of Brissett seems to keep Maye out of the starting job for now, Maye has already impressed early. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Maye has seemingly surpassed Bailey Zappe on the depth chart and should come into training camp as QB2. There’s still work to be done as the Patriots wisely take their time ensuring Maye is ready for the NFL, but with the work to be done, the team seems satisfied with where they’re at for now.

Trade Candidate: Bailey Zappe

June 22nd, 2024 at 9:40pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots completely revamped their QB depth chart this offseason, but there is still one holdover at the position. 2022 fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe is still kicking around at the bottom of New England’s roster, but it remains to be seen if the third-year pro will still be on the squad come September.

Zappe has had an uneven two years in New England, although the Western Kentucky product hasn’t looked completely helpless in his handful of starts. During his rookie season, he sparked a brief QB controversy after guiding New England’s woeful offense to a pair of victories. However, Zappe slid back down the depth chart when Mac Jones returned from injury, and the Patriots were expected to continue with that same hierarchy for the 2023 campaign.

Zappe ended up struggling under new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, leading to him being a surprise cut towards the end of the preseason. The second-year QB quickly landed on New England’s practice squad, and he was signed back to the active roster in early September. Still, the roster machinations proved that the Patriots were willing to let the player walk for nothing, and the apparent lack of interest from opposing squads proved their wasn’t a whole lot of league-wide intrigue in the signal-caller.

The backup QB managed to bounce back and (somewhat) rehabilitate his image during the 2023 campaign. With Jones and the Patriots offense continuing to struggle, Zappe ended up garnering six starts in New England. His numbers weren’t pretty (59.9 completion percentage, 2.8 touchdown percentage, 4.2 interception percentage), but he was notably under center for two of the team’s four wins. While nobody is confusing Zappe with a starting quarterback, the player at least proved that he wouldn’t compromise his team’s chances if inserted into the lineup.

With the Patriots navigating a post-Bill Belichick era this offseason, the organization decided to completely revamp their QB room. The team used the third-overall pick on Drake Maye, pairing the rookie with veteran acquisition (and old friend) Jacoby Brissett. The organization also used a sixth-round selection on Joe Milton III, a series of moves that seemed to push Zappe off the roster. Reports from earlier this offseason indicated that the Patriots wanted to resolve their QB jam as quickly as possibly, allowing the coaching staff to better evaluate their three sure-thing QBs. That could have led to a speedy cut for Zappe, but the QB is still sticking around the roster.

While the Patriots could claim that Zappe is competing with Milton for the QB3 role, there’s little chance the rebuilding squad will prefer the third-year player to the rookie. So, it seems more likely that the organization is holding on to Zappe until a QB-needy team comes knocking. Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald indicated as much last month, noting that a Zappe trade remains a possibility for the organization. While teams didn’t show interest in Zappe last year, Callahan believes there could be a market for the player in the coming months, especially as teams face injuries during the preseason.

Callahan suggests that the Patriots could fetch a late-round pick in return for Zappe, or the front office could attach a pick to the QB for a better return. Considering the player’s track record, Zappe would probably be more appealing to teams that lose key backups vs. those that lose a starting QB. Of course, in order for the Patriots to avoid a staring match where a Zappe suitor simply awaits the player’s inevitable release, New England would require multiple trade partners to join the fray. Zappe’s most-recent deal with the Patriots keeps him under contract through the 2024 campaign on an easily-manageable $985K cap hit.

It seems like a foregone conclusion that Bailey Zappe won’t be sticking around New England for the 2024 campaign. However, it remains to be seen if the front office will be able to garner a return for the impending third-year QB.

Patriots Rumors: Maye, WRs, Hightower

June 8th, 2024 at 10:33pm CST by Ely Allen

As organized team activities have progressed in New England, it’s looking more and more like Jacoby Brissett may be the team’s starter under center in Week 1. Naturally, some have asked if that makes No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye the primary backup at the position or an emergency option to stash for development purposes.

According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, Maye likely won’t need to sit and develop. In fact, Kyed reports that some in the building viewed Maye as a prospect ready to start right away as a rookie during the draft cycle. Even though Brissett is taking the lion’s share of first-team reps in OTAs so far, there’s plenty of time until training camp and the regular season for Maye to potentially take over the starting gig.

And, should Maye not beat out Brissett for the job, this also means that Maye likely won’t be stashed to sit and develop but, instead, will be the team’s primary backup behind Brissett. Kyed also notes that it makes more sense for the Patriots to stash and develop rookie sixth-round pick Joe Milton than it does to hold on to Bailey Zappe as an emergency third option. The team has seen what Zappe can provide up to this point, and while he won’t garner outstanding trade value, he should return something as an upgrade to many backup situations around the league.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of New England:

The Patriots’ wide receivers room is currently packed, while only six or seven players will likely end up on the 53-man roster to start the season. Kyed lists rookies Javon Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk as locks to make the team alongside Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas, and K.J. Osborn, leaving only one or two spots left for the rest of the group. That leaves a number of intriguing names in a precarious position including former Pro Bowler JuJu Smith-Schuster, former first-round pick Jalen Reagor, recent second-round pick Tyquan Thornton, and last year’s sixth-round pick Kayshon Boutte. As of right now, none of those four players are viewed as locks to make the roster in 2024.
New head coach Jerod Mayo and leading personnel executive Eliot Wolf are heading a new-look team in New England this offseason. One of the ways in which Mayo is attempting to bring the team into this new era is by appealing to the shorter attention spans of younger players. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Mayo has tossed the old method of marathon meeting sessions, instead favoring a new philosophy of “25-minute mental sprints” before taking short breaks. It reportedly heightens the pace of meetings while allowing for appropriate rest time in between.
Since leaving the NFL in 2021, former Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower has enjoyed retirement. While he still shared a love and knowledge for the game, he had little interest in leaving the life he was living behind. In an interview, Hightower claimed that his former college coach Nick Saban and Mayo were the only two names that could’ve drawn him out of retirement onto the sideline, per Howe. It just so happened that his close friend and former teammate became the head coach of their old team and offered him Mayo’s old job of inside linebackers coach. It was one of the very few offers Hightower wouldn’t say “no” to.

No Timetable For Patriots QB Drake Maye To Enter Starting Lineup

June 5th, 2024 at 7:48pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots are hoping they found their QB of the future in third-overall pick Drake Maye. However, after signing veteran Jacoby Brissett as a seat-warmer, the organization isn’t in any rush to throw their rookie quarterback into the fire. While speaking with reporters, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said there’s no specific timetable to elevate Drake into the QB1 role.

“I think you have to take that as it comes,” Van Pelt said (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss). “There is no timetable. Jacoby, again, is our starter and he’s playing excellent football for us in the spring. And Drake is coming on. So until that changes, we’re going to stick with what we got.

“We always talk about earning your reps around here. So as he continues to grow and have successful practices and start stacking those, then we can think about moving him up the depth chart. It’s a process. It’s a marathon. We’re going to take our time and do it the right way.”

As the OC noted, there are still some skills that Maye has to develop before he can enter the starting lineup. While the rookie has quickly adapted to the team’s footwork requirements, he’s still a work in progress when it comes to “calling plays from the huddle.” While there is certainly enthusiasm for Maye’s inevitable ascension into the starting lineup, Van Pelt opines that this developmental time will only help the player’s long-term outlook.

“I think of it as a marathon over a sprint,” Van Pelt said. “You just don’t go out and run a marathon. You have to train properly for a marathon. It’s the same with a quarterback,” he said, when asked the key tenets of developing a rookie at the position.

“There’s a process. We follow that process. We trust that process. You can’t just stick a guy out there and expect him to be successful without the proper training. We’re making moves in the right direction.”

The coaching staff will naturally have a major say in Maye’s development, with Van Pelt and new head coach Jerod Mayo having significant influence over the decision. The OC revealed that the recently promoted Eliot Wolf, who is serving as New England’s executive vice president of player personnel, will also be involved with the decision.

Contract Details: Jennings, Slayton, Maye

June 1st, 2024 at 2:06pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on recently agreed upon deals from around the league:

Jauan Jennings, WR (49ers): Two years, $15.39MM. We noted a couple of details in our original report of Jennings’ one-year bump, but thanks to OvertheCap.com, we now have a few more details. First, we see that San Francisco is taking advantage of the recent void year trend that continues to grow in popularity. Jennings’ deal contains four void years at the conclusion of his contract, spreading $14.15MM of his cap hit from 2026 to 2029. Because of this, his cap hits for the next two years will be $2.77MM and $4.26MM, respectively, but if he doesn’t sign a new deal by 2026, he will hold an $8.3MM cap hit despite not being on the roster that year. We originally noted the reported guarantees as $10.54MM, but we now know that he is guaranteed $8.44MM at signing consisting of his $6.21MM signing bonus and both years’ base salaries (worth $1.06MM in 2024 and $1.17MM in 2025).
Darius Slayton, WR (Giants): Two years, $12MM. We recently saw the Giants add some incentives to a restructured deal for their leading receiver of the past few years. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports that, as a result of the new deal, New York will see Slayton’s cap hit drop from $8.15MM to $7.75MM. His base salary in 2024 also sees a reduction from $2.7MM to $2.5MM. He should receive a $2.4MM roster bonus, a $350K workout bonus, and could earn up to $750K for the year in per game active roster bonuses.
Drake Maye, QB (Patriots): Four years, $36.64MM. Most rookies don’t get much say in how their first NFL contracts look. Overall contract value for first-year players is determined by their draft slot. One point of negotiation, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, appears to be the time it takes for a rookie to receive guaranteed money like signing bonuses. On this note, New England’s new passer will receive all $23.47MM of his signing bonus within 14 days of signing the deal, a huge, timely payout for the North Carolina-product.

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