Josh McDaniels has a long and decorated history in the NFL as an offensive mind, but his latest challenge might be his most intriguing yet.
The New England Patriots brought in McDaniels as offensive coordinator this offseason, reuniting him with a franchise he helped to six Super Bowl titles across two stints. In his third run with the organization, he'll be tasked with building a scheme around rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
McDaniels can get creative developing an offense around Maye's athleticism and raw talent. NBC Sports Boston's Phil Perry sees real potential for evolution in McDaniels’ scheme with the 2024 third overall draft pick at the helm.
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SIGN UP HERE "There's gonna be that whole quarterback mobility element that he did embrace -- I'll give him credit for that -- when he was with Cam Newton back in 2020," Perry said of McDaniels on Quick Slants. "So there is some of that in his bag, so to speak. You want to run quarterback power? You want to run zone read with a guy that we know can move in Drake Maye? Go ahead and do that. Leverage that skill set.
"I am curious, though, to see how everything else evolves, because this is a guy we've seen evolve in a number of different ways over time, whether it's going to the spread, going to the two-tight-end, two-back kind of offense. We know he is open to growth when it comes to changing up his offense, and so I'm sure that'll be the case again this year."
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Tom Brady won seven Super Bowl titles in McDaniels' offense as a cerebral, stationary pocket passer. Maye's wide-ranging skill set offers a unique opportunity for the longtime OC, as NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran notes.
"It's gonna be really interesting to see what he can do, because he has coached the greatest quarterback of all time, who was a pocket passer," Curran said. "That guy could beat you with one single thing and he didn't need all the other weapons, just that one thing in between his ears.
"So this player in Drake Maye has so many things to draw upon. What will he be the best at? And how much can you get that to the highest, highest levels?"
McDaniels is looking forward to the challenge, recently stating he was "smitten" by Maye and "excited to work" with the young signal-caller during offseason workouts. The Patriots started their voluntary OTAs on Monday.
Watch the full episode of Quick Slants below or on YouTube:
