FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Fast-hit ideas and notes across the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Maye’s improvement: Invoice Parcells’ pithy responses to reporters’ questions have been loved by many in New England throughout his tenure as Patriots head coach from 1993-96. However it’s one thing Parcells mentioned throughout his last cease, as Cowboys head coach from 2003-2006, that’s well timed to revisit now that Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo introduced veteran Jacoby Brissett will begin at quarterback over rookie Drake Maye.
Parcells had saved undrafted free agent quarterback Tony Romo on the Dallas roster in 2003 and it later grew to become clear that Romo had potential to develop into one thing larger. At one level, Parcells was requested, “What do it’s a must to lose placing Romo in there?”
To which he replied: “You’ve gotten the quarterback to lose if he isn’t prepared. That is one of many issues with younger quarterbacks that get picked with excessive expectations or get rushed into conditions that do not permit them to succeed.”
No state of affairs is similar, after all, however the Patriots are following Parcells’ blueprint with Maye — for now, at the very least.
“There’s two methods to take a look at it. Clearly I need to play, the aggressive edge in me. On the identical time, I perceive the state of affairs. Jacoby has been within the offense and received reps with the 1s all camp … I really feel like I left all of it on the market. No regrets coming again.” – QB Drake Maye pic.twitter.com/WETP1EVuL4
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 29, 2024
Some steadfastly agree with it, Tom Brady amongst them. Others imagine one of the best ways for younger quarterbacks to study is by enjoying straight away.
With the Patriots declaring their intentions, the query now’s what issues will appear like for Maye behind the scenes to arrange him for every time the decision comes.
“I lived that life,” former ESPN analyst Matt Hasselbeck mentioned, referring to his 1999 season with the Packers. “Mike McCarthy was the quarterbacks coach and he wore me out mentally day by day.
“The evening earlier than video games, I’d run the quarterback assembly and go over the sport plan with Brett Favre to carry Brett’s consideration and develop me in case I needed to play as a result of I wasn’t getting reps throughout the week. It was ‘You are going to be the instructor right here. Stand up in entrance of the category and set up X Dagger Y Shallow Cross to Brett Favre.’ I can not say it sufficient how a lot that benefited me.”
Such an method has been a staple of the Packers’ tradition, which first-year Patriots government vice chairman of personnel Eliot Wolf grew up watching as his father, Ron, was the staff’s basic supervisor within the Nineties.
Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer Kurt Warner, whose “QB Confidential” breakdown of Maye shares a few of his insights on his sport, had an identical expertise with the Rams in 1998 studying behind Trent Inexperienced.
“The largest factor you do once you’re in that place is you attempt to get as many psychological reps as you may. For me, any time Trent did one thing within the offense, I used to be asking him ‘Why?’ I used to be lucky he was very open with me,” he mentioned. “I used to be watching by the play as Trent was operating it, and saying ‘OK, that is what I’d have achieved.'”
In New England, Brissett and Maye have lockers subsequent to one another and have pledged to have an identical dynamic.
“He got here as much as me and mentioned, ‘No matter you want, I am right here for [you].’ And it is the identical factor for him — no matter he wants from me, I will do the identical,” Brissett defined.
Maye shared his perspective, saying: “I am right here to assist Jacoby and maintain the vibes within the quarterback room up. Nothing’s going to alter. I am nonetheless rooting for him. … Him being nearly 10 years within the NFL, me being in my first yr, it is a studying expertise. I grill him with questions.”
For Warner, operating the scout-team offense additionally proved invaluable.
“I used to be competing and the attractive factor was I received to go towards our greatest protection each single day. It wasn’t arrange for us to succeed, you are truly arrange for failure. That helped me hone my abilities,” he mentioned.
Former Patriots backup quarterback Jim Miller, who had a nine-year NFL profession, mentioned it is going to be important for Maye to undertake a starter’s mentality, one thing Maye himself additionally referenced Thursday when he acknowledged he is “one snap away.” It may be exhausting to do because the backup.
“The very best factor for him is to arrange his fanny off and the coaches will be capable of assess how a lot of the sport plan he’s absorbing. They are going to see that out on the sphere with how he practices — ‘All proper, he understands this idea, he understands this,'” Miller, now a number on Sirius XM NFL Radio, mentioned.
“Then I feel in some unspecified time in the future within the season, the maths goes to dictate the younger man is able to go and ‘Let’s put him in there.’ The one factor that may put him within the lineup sooner is that if Jacoby Brissett turns over the soccer lots. Coaches can deal with a rookie making these errors. They cannot deal with a veteran making a complete bunch of turnovers.”
Hasselbeck’s perception is that the best-case situation for Maye is the Patriots profitable video games whereas growing him behind the scenes.
“But when I am Drake Maye, I am planning on enjoying proper now. The percentages are that your starter does get harm and you are going to should go,” he mentioned. “And when you go, you are in all probability by no means popping out.”
2. Onwenu’s gesture: Offensive lineman Mike Onwenu, who signed a three-year, $57 million contract within the offseason, fulfilled a longtime dream by buying a brand new dwelling for his dad and mom and three siblings in Michigan.
“All of us grew up beneath one another, and because the final born, I used to be the final one within the dwelling,” he defined. “That was the one factor I needed to do [after the contract].”
As for his fifth yr with the staff, Onwenu acknowledged that he wasn’t current for the primary few weeks of the voluntary offseason program within the spring due to private causes, and that he might have began coaching camp off stronger.
“I feel I got here in at an OK spot. I in all probability did not do as a lot as I needed to all through the summer time, however I am not ashamed of how I got here in or something like that. I nonetheless felt like I might do what I do,” he mentioned.
“I settled down every week earlier than. I used to be going to be doing plenty of operating. After I got here in, I used to be off for possibly 4 days, however as soon as I received going and hit the bottom operating, it was good. So I feel I might have achieved a pair issues higher, but it surely’s a protracted yr.”
3. OL focused: The Patriots have been awarded offensive sort out Demontrey Jacobs (Broncos), guard Zach Thomas (Rams), defensive sort out Eric Johnson II (Colts) and linebacker Curtis Jacobs (Chiefs) on waivers final week. To guard themselves in case the 2 groups forward of them within the waiver precedence claimed these gamers, the Patriots additionally put in “backup” claims on three different offensive linemen and one defensive lineman, per league sources. It’s a reflection of how the entrance workplace seen the offensive line and defensive position as the highest priorities popping out of coaching camp — which appeared apparent.
4. Waiver wire chatter: The Patriots weren’t the one staff to place in waiver claims on Jacobs and Johnson, with the Cardinals making an attempt to say Jacobs and the Bengals placing in a declare on Johnson, in response to league sources. Having the No. 3 precedence on the wire — primarily based on final season’s 4-13 document — proved advantageous to the staff. The Broncos have been additionally planning on signing Jacobs to their follow squad if he cleared waivers.
5. Lining it up: After three days off, as mandated by the collective bargaining settlement, the Patriots are scheduled to return to follow Monday and the well being of the offensive line will probably be a prime storyline. Beginning left sort out Vederian Lowe (indirect) has been out since Aug. 21, whereas beginning left guard Sidy Sow (ankle) has been sidelined because the preseason finale Aug. 25. Chukwuma Okorafor has been at left sort out and free agent signee Nick Leverett at left guard, additional testing the staff’s depth.
“I feel it could be naive for us to say going to that first sport — the place actually nobody has performed 4 quarters of soccer — to assume that guys will not should rotate in there at occasions,” Mayo mentioned.
6. Mayo and Mazzulla: Mayo first met Joe Mazzulla when the latter was serving as a Boston Celtics assistant coach and the 2 have stayed in contact since. Their connection has grown, which was evidenced when Mazzulla attended the staff’s Wednesday follow and held a follow script in his palms. Mayo mentioned he appreciates their conversations about Xs and Os and how you can handle individuals, calling Mazzulla — who received a championship in his second yr as Celtics head coach — an amazing useful resource.
7. They mentioned it: “I’ve by no means been in a sport of proving individuals fallacious. I simply need to show myself proper. I like the locker room, I like the staff and I am such a fan of this sport. I hope when individuals watch me play, they are saying, ‘This dude actually loves what he does.’ I feel once I do not love that, I will know it is going to be my time.” — Brissett, reflecting on his nine-year NFL profession (learn extra right here)
8. AVP & JBJ: Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt retains a guitar in his workplace, and he advised the gang on the Patriots Premiere on Wednesday evening that one of many unforgettable moments he has skilled since arriving was when Jon Bon Jovi, who was visiting the staff as a visitor of proprietor Robert Kraft, knocked on his workplace door. He did what most music followers would do in that second — he handed the guitar to Bon Jovi, one in all his favourite musicians, who signed it for him.
9. Scouting Hunter: There have been 31 scouts and entrance workplace personnel readily available Thursday evening for Colorado’s 31-26 win over North Dakota State, representing 18 completely different groups, and the Patriots have been one in all them, in response to the college. Given the staff’s ongoing quest for a No. 1 receiver, it is perhaps a preview of how thorough the Patriots will probably be of their analysis of Colorado dynamic go catcher Travis Hunter, who’s the No. 9 prospect in ESPN analyst Discipline Yates’ rankings.
10. Do you know?: Of the 28 new gamers on the Patriots’ 53-man roster, 10 are rookies. That features all eight of the 2024 draft picks, rookie free agent security Dell Pettus and linebacker Curtis Jacobs, who was claimed on waivers.
