Bill Belichick, the architect of the greatest dynasty in NFL history, is no longer the head coach of the New England Patriots. His former player and pupil, Jerod Mayo, has taken his place alongside de facto general manager Eliot Wolf.
The new Patriots brain trust is largely inexperienced. This offseason, the duo suggested they would spend exorbitantly during free agency, but their first foray in free agency negotiating proved to be a humbling experiencing. New England missed out on all of the star free agents they targeted. Still, the success of their offseason will ultimately be determined by the performance of their first-round pick, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, who was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
New England will need to be careful with how they develop and introduce Maye in the NFL, especially with an underwhelming supporting cast on offense.
Patriots may sit Drake Maye based on offensive line injury
According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, Maye's professional debut could be further delayed by an injury to offensive guard Cole Strange, who is expected to miss the start of the season.
"[The injury] could have a trickle-down effect in the New England Patriots's willingness to put Drake Maye out there as a rookie," Breer writes. "The stronger the line play, I'd say, the better chance we see Maye sooner than later."
Strange, who was a controversial first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, suffered a season-ending injury in Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs. When asked for an update on Strange's injury, Mayo offered a cryptic answer.
"He's more of a, let's say, week-by-week or you can go month-by-month if you want to," Mayo said. "But he is working hard, he is doing his rehab. Here every day. He is in the meeting room, so I am happy where he is."
New England already seemed wisely hesitant to begin the season with Maye as the starter. The North Carolina product has the prototypical size and natural talent to excel, but he is raw and inexperienced. His sloppy footwork and poor decision-making led to concerns about his ability to succeed early in his career.
The ideal situation for Maye would allow him to sit for at least one or two seasons, but league-wide impatience and pressure may push him into action sooner. For now, New England has veteran Jacoby Brissett to lead their offense. Maye began New England's offseason team activities session as the third-string quarterback behind Brissett and Bailey Zappe.
