Drake Maye made his preseason debut for the New England Patriots, and the rookie quarterback impressed them with a few plays that gave hope that he might eventually turn into a strong starter.
Despite being viewed as a raw prospect, Maye’s arm strength and athleticism helped the Patriots choose him third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Even though Maye is physically gifted, he still has a ways to go before he can become a reliable passer because he is frequently shaky or fast when he has to throw while moving.
In light of this, head coach Jerod Mayo declared that starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett will face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.
While starting Brissett makes sense on paper, Chase Daniel is worried about Maye’s progress, as reported by The Athletic.
Therefore, I believe that if I were a member of the media in New England today, I would question Jerod Mayo, “What is your goal for Drake Maye’s development in practice? That is a serious problem. I hate to say it, but you really can’t grow into these guys in real life. Daniel stated, “You have to participate in real football games.”
Jacoby Brissett will start Week 1 in Cincinnati for the Patriots.
New England's decision may seem sound given their offensive line deficiencies but…@ChaseDaniel is worried about Drake Maye's development, he tells @DMRussini.
Listen: https://t.co/sfVIzfCBkZ pic.twitter.com/F7bhbGnw05
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 30, 2024
Maye will be behind the eight ball in comparison to some of his fellow rookies, but Daniel is correct when he says that playing in games is the only way to genuinely improve as a player.
It’s difficult to argue against protecting a young quarterback, even if it means he might not develop to his full potential for a very long time.
ESPN Raises an Intriguing Point About the Patriots’ “X-Factor”
With Vederian Lowe starting at left tackle, the Patriots have received a fair amount of criticism for their lack of offensive line improvements this offseason.
Despite ESPN’s opinion to the contrary, New England’s offensive line issues are more complex than that.
Lowe was selected by Benjamin Solak to represent New England on his list of “X-factors” compiled for The World Wide Leader on Friday.
Lowe was included for this kind of list because the Patriots will probably look to him to make a big improvement this season. Drake Maye’s arrival in New England will probably happen sooner than most anticipate if the 25-year-old can establish himself as a reliable option on the blindside. If the offensive line isn’t a source of concern, the path to his implementation will be lot smoother.
However, Solak said something that we just have to agree with:
Throughout the preseason, it appears as though everyone has been observing the Patriots offensive line through their fingers. The inside of New England is strong, and Chuks Okorafor is a decent choice at right tackle.
Through the spaces between OUR fingers, WE observed THIS offensive line!? Throughout the preseason, did Benji fail to notice that Nick Leverett, Liam Fornadel, and Atonio Mafi were consistently rolling the ball back to the quarterback? Was it lost on him that Caedan Wallace was selected in the first round with the intention of moving to the left side but ended up effectively stuck at right tackle with little opportunity to move? Has he been informed that, with little over a week remaining before New England’s season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, both Lowe and Sidy Sow—the starting left side—were out due to injuries?
As of the end of training, the Patriots’ “strength” on the interior doesn’t appear to be so strong, with rookie Layden Robinson, David Andrews, and Leverett expected to start the first three games. There’s no way Cole Strange is going through that door. The sow is wounded. One must play tackle, Mike Onwenu.
Although it’s true that Lowe may be the Patriots’ biggest “X-factor,” he’s by no means their only one, as the offensive line presents serious challenges for the team. Of course, we haven’t been observing.
