Discipline And Intelligence A Staple Under Belichick

Brian Hoyer spoke to Phil Perry and Tom Curran about the playing football around the NFL and with the Patriots. His comments got me thinking about what Chad O'Shae was criticized for in Miami. And it got me thinking.

When Hoyer was talking, he said basically that every practice was important in New England and players were criticized anytime they had a bad day or made a mistake.. That with the Raiders under McDaniels, Josh tried that but some of Hoyer's teammates couldn't handle it.

Basically Hoyer was saying his teammates with the Raiders couldn't handle criticism. Which was a problem Matt Patricia had in Detroit and I believe both Joe Judge and Brian Florez were also accused of, being too hard on the players.

Hoyer was then asked about the difference between the difference between AVP's offense and the McDaniels-O'Brien Offense. Hoyer was like in the new Offense you don't have to think, it's dumbed down, taking pressure off of the players on comparison to the Brady Offense.

O'Shea was fired from Miami because the Offense was to complicated, to intelligent for the Dolphins to memorize and learn. When thinking about how Hoyer compared the new Patriots Offense to the old, one must think the same was true in Miami and that that's why O'Shea was gone. Not because he was a bad OC but because his players needed a Dumbed down Offense that didn't require thinking on the part of the players. 

The reason why coaches have failed once they leave New England is not because they're bad coaches. It's because they're intelligent, disciplined coaches and don't know how to coaches coach an unintelligent and undisciplined roster. And because they couldn't just cut the entire roster, they had no choice to deal with them. This now makes sense to why Belichick relied on interviews so much. The Patriots were just built different. 

Patriots Schedule And Early Prediction

The Patriots schedule is out. They have one game in Europe. So what is a realistic expectation and will people be okay with it? I think that depends on the person. 

First I am going to say currently that I think the Patriots will start the season 3-3, beating Seattle, New York, and Miami. The next two wins I think come against the titans and cardinals. I think theu could get swept by the dolphins and I think both the jets and Patriots could sweep the other but I don't think the Patriots can beat Miami twice.

In the win column, I have the Patriots improving by one game but I also think they will be in a lot of games, just like last season. I think either the Arizona game or the week after, if Maye is to start, that is when he will. Playing Buffalo twice in the final four games, I wouldn't bother playing Maye until 2025. That's me though.

The worst thing for Patriots fans is for the team to finish 8-9. We should want the team to improve but not to win unless they can seize a wildcard birth. I want the draft picks and so should everyone else unless the team looks like a contender. Let the team emerge in 2025 as a wild card team, don't force 2024. And don't play Maye unless the team loses the first 7.

Patriots Opened Rookie Mini-camp

The media gained access to the Patriots' rookie mini-camp, a rare occurrence under former coach Bill Belichick's tenure. However, with Mayo now at the helm, this move may signal a shift in the team's media policy. The media took the opportunity to get a closer look at the team, so we might expect to see something significant.

Based on accuracy heading into the post-draft offseason and preseason training, Milton should be the fourth quarterback on the depth chart - or should he? While some claimed Milton lacked accuracy, others argued the opposite, saying Maye was the inaccurate one.

The rest of the camp was uneventful. It's unclear why the Patriots opened this up to the media, aside from keeping the team's name in the news. When the entire team meets up, there might be something worth discussing, but this was a waste of the media's time.

In other Patriots news, Elliot Wolf was named Executive Vice President of Personnel, essentially another title for General Manager. This move was widely anticipated, much like the general manager search, making this announcement a formality.

Patriots's General Manager Interviews Are A League Formality.

The Patriots are looking to promote Elliot Wolf to General Manager, but league rules require them to conduct mandatory interviews with external minority candidates. This has sparked frustration among fans, but let's take a step back and consider the bigger picture.

The NFL's rules are designed to ensure diversity and fairness in the hiring process. However, it's no secret that the Patriots want to promote Wolf, which is why many candidates are declining interviews. Moreover, if a team knows they have the best candidate available, they're unlikely to take a chance on someone else.

So, now that the formalities are out of the way, let's focus on how the Patriots can make the most of this situation. Instead of simply going through the motions, they should use these interviews as an opportunity to gather valuable insights from experienced professionals.

The Patriots should be bringing in candidates to share their opinions on the current staff and roster. They should ask for their assessment of the team's direction and what's needed for success. This is precisely what fans and media were advocating for when Jerod Mayo was named head coach.

Given that front office personnel are turning down the Patriots, they should consider interviewing high-ranking scouts. And, I'll throw a longshot name out there - Bill Belichick. Yes, you read that right. Belichick should be interviewed, not as a slight against him but as a gesture of respect. He knows what the team is trying to build and can offer valuable insights from an outside perspective.

If Robert Kraft wants to honor Belichick in the Patriots' Hall of Fame someday, this could be a starting point to mend fences. As for Wolf and the General Manager position, this is merely a formality, so the Patriots might as well make the most of it. After all, being ahead of the curve wins games.

When To Start Maye

Drake Maye was a boom or bust prospect and everyone knew it. If you disagree, sorry but you're kidding yourself. There's a reason why Mayo mentioned his floor during the pre draft period. Johnny Manziel is Drake Maye's floor. Where is Manziel? So when do the Patriots start Maye?

The smartest thing the Patriots can do is start him when they believe he's ready. They have Maye for four or five seasons. And if he's not ready until sometime in year four, so be it. Those who thought he was too big of a red flag should at least agree with this.

Now if you're on the fence, that might not be good enough. To that I say the team should believe he's ready by no later then some point next season, the 2025 season, regardless if he plays. If Maye were Daniels or McCarthy, this is where my expectations for him would be.

For those that only looked at his ceiling and big play ability, You don't start Maye in 2024 until the season is lost. Take the pressure completely off of him. Once they start him, treat every game like a preseason game and let him know that he will be pulled to protect him if needed. That allows them to so develop Milton.

Unless one wants to see a team do to Maye what Belichick did to Darnold, the timelines I mentioned are the best ways to approach when to Start Maye. Right now Drake Maye is at his floor until he proves otherwise. He is someplace between Nathan Petermann and Johnny Manziel. His mid level is Rob Johnson and his ceiling for me is Eli Manning.

Go into the season with your worst expectations of the rookie quarterback. That way if he's bad, you expected it but if he has a good game, you didn't expect it and he can impress you repeatedly until you just expect him to be average or better. If you're expecting MVP Josh Allen, you're probably gonna hate the guy before he can get there.