So here’s how I started last year’s Quarterback Positional Overview piece…
Eight. Eight different quarterbacks cycled on and off the Patriots roster in 2023. And out of those eight – Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, Malik Cunningham, Trace McSorley, Matt Corral, Will Grier, Ian Book and Nathan Rourke – none of them will be the Patriots opening day starter in 2024.
Regardless of where the blame for the lack of offensive competency lies, the embarrassing performance at that position is the root reason the greatest coach in NFL history is currently out of work.
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A couple of months after writing that, the Patriots -- as expected -- signed Jacoby Brissett as a veteran placeholder. A month later, they took Drake Maye with the third overall pick. Then they added Joe Milton in the sixth round.
When you pick the right year to really, really suck in the NFL, you get a shot at bagging the rarest of finds: a true franchise quarterback.
Not a knock-off franchise guy. Not a “he can be good if we get people around him…” quarterback like Tua or Brock Purdy or Mac Jones. We’re talking a one-man gang. A rising tide that lifts all teammates kind of player.
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The Patriots picked the right year. And they picked the right guy for a miserable situation in Maye. Some have said a potted plant couldn’t have screwed up that third pick. Maye was the only choice. I thought otherwise. I lobbied for trade down, add picks, collect talent. I don’t think I was wrong, necessarily. The Patriots remain among the worst rosters in the league and Maye will die on the vine if they don’t get him some talent.
But I will say that the mere presence of a possible superstar puts a buff-and-shine on an otherwise miserable team and puts a hop in the step in a way that a pretty good QB prospect and a real good offensive lineman probably wouldn’t.
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Back to last year’s piece and what the Patriots needed…
The right blend of arm strength, mobility, poise and mental toughness is a must. Can whoever they bring in -- veteran placeholder or first-rounder -- withstand the inevitable adversity at that spot? Which is why -- when debating whether or not to go quarterback at No. 3 -- the Patriots need to be damn sure the kid can deal with pressure, criticism and physical abuse that await him in New England.
Nailed it. Apparently.
Bright spots
Let’s keep it on Maye. These are attributes to be encouraged by: Drastic offseason improvement. On-field intelligence running the offense. Arm strength and downfield accuracy. Extreme decisiveness – if he was running, he took off; if he was throwing, he ripped it. Mental toughness exhibited in a bleak season. Physical toughness shown after taking a pounding and a willingness to hang in there or fight for extra.
Leadership on-field and in media appearances. The appearance that he wants to take ownership of being a Patriot. He’s not looking for the exit.
Milton also improved pretty drastically over the course of the season. His performance against the Bills in the season finale, even though Buffalo was sitting many of its best players, was a far cry from the Milton we saw during camp. He wasn’t bad then, just a little raw and prone to inaccuracy and throwing into team meetings. Going 22-for-29 for 241 yards and a touchdown is clear evidence he’s talented.
Jacoby Brissett, who is unlikely to be back after being benched in favor of Maye, showed real toughness and performed admirably in a bleak situation.
The disappointments
Maye was playing behind the worst offensive line in the league. And, while it’s hard to quantify, Maye’s wide receivers had to lead the league in wandering around at a high rate of speed after the snap. Still, the kid threw too many picks.
He had 10 in 13 starts. He was third in the league in interception rate behind Kirk Cousins and Gardner Minshew. He’s going to need to tidy that up and, with Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator and an improved offensive line (it can’t be worse…can it?) that should happen.
They were better as a group in 2024. Low bar, yes, but they threw for 18 touchdowns and 11 picks after a 16-touchdown, 21-pick 2023.
Maye had 53 “bad throws” according to Pro Football Reference (16.4 percent). By contrast, Mac Jones had 54 in 2023 (15.4 percent) and Bailey Zappe had 41 (20.2 percent).
Maye’s running ability is a real weapon, gaining 421 yards on 54 carries (7.8 average), but he needs to decide when the play is over a little bit better and hit the deck to avoid ruinous hits.
Contract statuses
Maye is still on his rookie deal, which means his base is wonderfully small. It’s $960,000 this year. His salary cap hit is $8.327 million, which means he’s taking up just 2.7 percent of the projected cap. Milton, taken 190 slots after Maye, will also have a base of $960,000 but his cap hit is just $1.05 million.
The Patriots are 27th in the league in QB spending ($9.3 million in 2025 cap space) and will stay way down there for a while. By contrast, the Cowboys will have $90 million allocated to the spot. Ew.
Offseason priority (Scale of 1-5)
It's a 2. Lower priority.
The Patriots didn’t find A guy. They appear to have found THE guy. Maye is the Patriots' starter, ideally until the turn of the decade and beyond barring bad luck or an off-the-cliff decline. Milton is his backup. If the team decides it needs a third quarterback that’s a touch more experienced than Milton, that’s reasonable.
But that guy should be insurance behind Milton, in my opinion, not someone who starts ahead of him. (Unless Milton has a Zappe-esque training camp and is clearly not good enough to play at a winning level, as young Bailey demonstrated during camp in 2023). Preferably someone with experience having played for Josh McDaniels.