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.

The Patriots Select Drake Maye In The First Round Of The 2024 NFL Draft

With the third pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots select boom or bust quarterback Drake Maye from the University of North Carolina. Maye is the highest quarterback the Patriots have taken since the team drafted the Wile E. Coyote, the King of The North, Drew Bledsoe. Here's a scouting report on Drake Maye.

Between 2021 and 2023 Maye started 25 of 30 games. Completing 64.9% of his 618 attempts. He threw for 8,018 yards, 63 touchdowns and 16 interceptions over that span. Unfortunately, he was also sacked 70 times with 69 coming the last two seasons. Maye also averaged 4 yards a carry on 302 attempts, scoring 16 touchdowns. He even averaged 40.5 yards in two punts. Maye lost 7 of 11 Fumbles over his college career.

When it comes to the sacks, keep in mind that Mac Jones was sacked 14 more times over that span and started hearing footsteps and seeing ghosts. If Maye plays before the Patriots line is fixed, that could be him.

Drake Maye is 6'4" 223 lbs and 21 years old, so he should have a decade of football at the least if he pans out. Let's look at all his pros and cons according to the various media scouting reports.

Pros:

-Prototype build

-Athletism

-Escape artist

-Velocity 

-Arm strength

-Throws off platform

-Throwing motions

-Accuracy

-Pocket play

-Awareness

-Processor

-Decision making

-IQ

-Field vision

-Nerves

Cons:

- Making adjustments after the snap

- Inconsistent throwing mechanics/stances

- Inconsistent footwork

- Poor decision making

- Hesitates to make decisions

- Tends to hold onto the ball

- Risk taker

- Average pocket presence

- Poor throws under pressure

- Unnecessarily puts the ball in harm's way

- Throwing between coverages/defenders

- Forces throws

- Throws with too much velocity

- Bubble thrower

- Inconsistent accuracy, misses open targets

- Sails sideline throws

- Accuracy declines when play breaks down

- Goes with the first read too often

- Too many paper cuts (quick passes)

- Doesn't lead receivers

- Tucking the ball while running

- Doesn't slide when should

- Average mobility

- Cerebral escape artist

- Not a runner by design

The Boom:

A big, strong passer, Maye has impressive arm talent and can throw with velocity and accuracy, whether it's firing passes over the middle or launching deep rainbow passes. He also has good touch and ball placement on their deep throws. When it comes to reading the defense, he takes what's given to him and make precise throws, even fooling defenders with their eyes.

He's not just limited to the pocket either, as he is mobile enough and can scramble when pressured or take off when they see an open running lane. And let's not forget his ability to throw on the run! Maye knows how to anticipate the blitz and avoid the rush. And ran UNC's simple offense better than Zappe ran the Patriots' offense.

The Bust:

Maye has a few areas where he could use some improvement. His footwork in the pocket can be inconsistent, leading to accuracy issues. He also has a longer release, which can affect his throws. Sometimes, he overthrows his targets or doesn't give his receivers a chance to make yards after the catch. He throws to the area of his receivers to much instead of to them. Additionally, Maye has a tendency to lock onto one receiver instead of going through their progressions, which allows defenders to read his eyes and make plays on the ball.

His post-snap movement recognition and pre-snap reads could use some work too. His decision-making can be questionable at times, and he has a tendency to go for the big play rather than taking what's given to him. This can lead to unnecessary sacks, turnovers, or missed opportunities. He has some areas to focus on to improve his game, especially against more complex defenses. And one has to question if he can run a more complicated offense.

Overall:

A prototypical quarterback for the modern NFL but in need of a lot of development. He will need to sit a season minimum. He also needs to learn to play the position and to stop trying to be a superstar. Not every quarterback can get away with Madden bullcrap. He has the qualities of a long term starting quarterback while simultaneously having the red flags of a bust. He needs to learn to be consistent instead of being consistently Inconsistent.

Check out how the Goat scouted him. I still trust the goat, even if he's no longer with the franchise. In Bill I trust. Like Bill I had Daniels as the top prospect for the Patriots. As unpopular as it is, I also had Nix and then McCarthy ahead of Maye. I took Maye off my board shortly after compiling the list of pros and cons for the quarterbacks in this draft back in January.

NFL comparisons per media Sources:

Justin Herbert, Jordan Love, Johnny Manziel, Eli Manning, Carson Palmer, Jared Goff, Daniel Jones, Malik Willis, and personally, a big armed quarterback that I thought was a bust, that got hyped, Rob Johnson.

If I had to go with three comparisons from what I see,

Ceiling: Eli Manning (Former Giant)

Middle: Rob Johnson (Former Bill)

Floor: Johnny Manziel (Former Brown)

Here's hoping Maye can prove me wrong like Herbert did.

McCarthy May Not Be The Potential Reward Maye Is But He's Also Not The Potential Damage That Maye Is.

Wanna watch people turn as red as a fire truck? Criticize Drake Maye or say that JJ McCarthy is capable of being drafted at the number three spot. Back in January, I thought Maye wasn't accurate or cerebral enough and was a 'Boom or Bust' prospect. Later, I compiled a list of pros and cons from every media scouting report I could find, listing all the pros and cons of over 20 quarterback draft prospects for the current draft.

The Patriots' acting GM, offensive coordinator, and head coach all spoke about what they want in a quarterback. Mayo said he looks for decision-making, competitiveness, and toughness. Wolf looks for winning, leadership, and composure. Van Pelt looks for decision-making, leadership, and accuracy. So, who, according to the pros and cons, fits that?

The two quarterbacks came from different situations, and the media knows that. Let's take a look at what they said about Maye and McCarthy, according to the media and see who wins.

Drake Maye

QB North Carolina R-Soph

6'4" 223 LBS

Pros:

-Prototype build

-Athletism

-Escape artist

-Velocity 

-Arm strength

-Throws off platform

-Throwing motions

-Accuracy

-Pocket play

-Awareness

-Processor

-Decision making

-IQ

-Field vision

-Nerves

Cons:

- Making adjustments after the snap

- Inconsistent throwing mechanics/stances

- Inconsistent footwork

- Poor decision making

- Hesitates to make decisions

- Tends to hold onto the ball

- Risk taker

- Average pocket presence

- Poor throws under pressure

- Unnecessarily puts the ball in harm's way

- Throwing between coverages/defenders

- Forces throws

- Throws with too much velocity

- Bubble thrower

- Inconsistent accuracy, misses open targets

- Sails sideline throws

- Accuracy declines when play breaks down

- Goes with the first read too often

- Too many paper cuts (quick passes)

- Doesn't lead receivers

- Tucking the ball while running

- Doesn't slide when should

- Average mobility

- Cerebral escape artist

- Not a runner by design

J.J. McCarthy

QB Michigan Jr

6'2" 219 LBS

Pros:

-Velocity

-Throwing motion

-Footwork

-Mechanics

-Athletism

-Extends plays

-Toughness 

-Pocket presence

-Accuracy

-Leads pass catchers

-Looks off defenders

-Processor

-Reads

-Nerves

Cons:

-Build

-Struggles under pressure

-Inconsistent pocket awareness

-Risk taker, forces throws

-Field vision

-Decision making

-Inconsistent accuracy

-Late trigger puller, especially on deep balls

-Inconsistent throwing outside numbers

-Lacks touch

-Relies on athletism

-Game manager

-Developmental

McCarthy has been called a game manager at worst, meaning he can effectively manage a game and lead a team to victory by avoiding mistakes. He's tough, and one of the criticisms against him is that he only knows how to win, so he didn't have a lot of game footage to showcase. Another knock on him is that he never had to play from behind. However, McCarthy has consistently shown his ability to convert third downs when needed.

On the other hand, Maye had a tough 2024 season. Reports on him ended up seeing his pros and cons, canceling each other out. Unlike McCarthy, who is criticized for being a game manager at his worst, Maye is seen as an inconsistent risk taker, which could be a potential bust.

While I personally consider Daniels and Nix as better passers than both quarterbacks, McCarthy has recently moved ahead of Penix for me, becoming the third-best quarterback prospect for the Patriots. Based on what the Patriots have said they look for in a quarterback, McCarthy aligns more with their criteria than Maye does.

If Maye is selected, I'll accept it, but I understand the risks involved. He'll have to prove himself to remove the bust label. On the other hand, even at his worst, McCarthy seems to offer what we saw from Mac Jones in 2021. I'll hold him to that expectation until he proves himself.

I listen to people talk about Maye and it's like someone going to a casino and betting three paychecks on a hand of poker, being advised that they cannot make rent if they lose, and them being like 'yeah, but if I win I can pay rent for the year and that's worth risking homelessness.' Maye is not a safe pick even though he's a consensus top three prospect, so it's gonna take balls and a lot of faith to select him. Does Wolf have that kind of confidence, will the Krafts force his hand, or will he pass on Maye when the time comes? Not everyone gets as lucky as rhe Chargers did with Herbert, boom or bust prospects tend to be busts more than not.

73 Priority Draft Prospects For The New England Patriots In 2024.

So I have my Patriots big board with 292 prospects on it. This year instead of shrinking the board after free agency, I am doing something different and listing the prospects they need to prioritize based on team needs from the 292 prospects on my board. There are a total of 73 priority prospects playing six positions, that our Patriots should target out of necessity. 

QB:

Jayden Daniels, LSU

Bo Nix, Oregon

Michael Penix Jr, Wash

J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

Michael Pratt, Tulane

Spencer Rattler, South Carolina

Sam Hartman, Notre Dame

Carter Bradley, South Alabama

Davius Richard, NC Central

Parker Mckinney, Eastern Kentucky 

X-WR:

Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio St.

Rome Odunze, Wash

Kion Coleman, Florida State

Adonai Mitchell, Texas

Xavier Legette, South Carolina

Ja'Lynn Polk, Wash

Brenden Rice, USC

Joshua Cephus, UTSA

Ryan Flournoy, SE Missouri St

Hayden Hatten, Idaho

Jalen Coker, Holy Cross

Bub Means, Pitt

LT:

Joe Alt, Notre Dame

Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn

Troy Fautanu, Was,

Jordan Morgan, Arizona

Kiran Amegadjie, Yale

Graham Barton, Duke

Patrick Paul, Houston

Kingsley Suamataia, BYU

Javon Foster, Missouri

Ladarius Henderson, Michigan

Garret Greenfield, South Dakota State

Matt Gonclaves. Pitt

Brandon Coleman, TCU

Walter Rouse, Okl

NT:

T'Vondre Sweat, Texas

Evan Anderson, Florida Atlantic

Cam Jackson, Florida

McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M,

Justin Rogers, Auburn

Deron Irving-Bey, Ferris St

Outside CB:

Kool-Aid McKinstry, Ala

Caelen Carson, Wake Forest

Mike Sainristil, Michigan

NeHemiah Prichett, Auburn

Sebastian Castro, Iowa

Cam Hart, Notre Dame

Dwight McGlothern, Arkansas

Kamal Hadden, Tenn 

Nate Wiggins, Clem, 

Cooper DeJean, Iowa, 

Ryan Watts, Texas, 

Sheridan Jones, Clem

Lorando Johnson, Arkansas,

Isaiah Hazel, Charlotte,

Marcus Banks, Miss St,

Al Blades Jr., Duke,

Miles Battle, Utah,

Brian George, UCF,

Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri

FS:

Kamran Kinchens, Miami

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Texas Tech

Calen Bullock, USC

Jaden Hicks, Washington State

Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest

Jaylin Simpson, Auburn

Dominique Hampton, Wash

Josh Proctor, Ohio St

Maxen Hook, Toledo

Elijah Jones, Boston College

Demani Richardson, Texas A&M

Jaylen McCollough, Tenn

I am uncertain if Wolf will draft by need and skill or if he will go completely off prospect star and census ranking. With Belichick, it was a little easier to figure out his style. Too many fans and media members seem to just want the team to draft the consensus best ceiling available at certain positions. That in my opinion is a sure way to stockpile draft busts in every round. I'm not saying don't take high ceiling guys but the body of work and the red flags matter. So does the system fit.

Also, you don't change a system completely for one player. McDaniels showed that with Cam Newton. He let Cam run but when it was time to pass he expected him to be a passer and not just a guy who can throw to an area. Hopefully Wolf gets that as well or he's gonna mess the team up more.

Although Daniels Is Risk To Injury, Maye Still Has The Riskier Floor.

Few weeks ago, Jerod Mayo talked floor of Drake Maye and his (Maye) supporters have been pouncing on the comment because they don't want to talk his floor. Phil Perry recently talked about Mayo's comment on the Patriots Nation Network podcast.

Phil would say that Daniels's floor "is RG3" and that "Daniels not playing," is his floor. And then said "it's a coach's job to make sure the player never sees his floor." 

RG3's career stretched from 2012 to 2020. He started 42 of his 56 games. His injury history did hurt his career, no doubt but he still played almost a decade in the NFL. Griffith played three seasons with Washington.

For Drake Maye, his floor is Johnny Manziel. Manziel played in the NFL for two seasons, from 2014 to 2015. He started 8 of 14 games. Manziel was too big a developmental prospect for the NFL. Even though he had a very high ceiling, his career was done after two seasons.

The thing with Drake Maye is his floor is while his ceiling is non existent according to some, other think his floor is near bottomless. The Patriots do not have the talents in 2024 for Maye to succeed. And odds are, they will not have the talent in 2025 for him to succeed either.

If one is okay with sitting Maye for two seasons to develop, while drafting him at number three, then fine take him. If one wants him to play by no later than 2025, the team will most likely not be ready. With Daniels, the Patriots only need to sit him for a year. And his development is basically teaching him to throw over the middle and how to run as a quarterback. They can do that in a year.

Now for the fans that want a rookie to start year one, I don't like saying it but McCarthy is the quarterback as the Patriots are closest to his Michigan team. They have a strong running game, two tight ends, and a left tackle short of McCarthy's offensive line. McCarthy's floor is Case Keenam and his ceiling is Kirk Cousins. And Keenam has played in 80 games thus far.

I doubt they're going to get a chance at Caleb Williams who's floor is Ryan Leaf. So of the three, the worst floor is Drake Maye of the probable selections.

Patriots Media Round Up For March 31st, 2024

What's the media saying about the New England Patriots? When I am not seeing anything that can be given an answer with enough substance to write a full article, that is when I turn to writing my thoughts on a bunch of subjects in one article. I tried doing this when I wrote professionally. One of my editors, would tell me to make the subjects full articles and fill the articles with useless fluff. That's not me, if there's nothing to say on a subject, you don't give it a full article.

So NBC talked about mixed messaging, the pressure on Elliot Wolf to get a quarterback, and the fact the Patriots are doing a GM search after the draft. They say they don't get it.

Bill Belichick was always criticized for saying too little. I think part of the speech coming out of the Patriots is dysfunction and part is strategy. The Patriots are saying everything and people have to figure out what is true. When it comes to pressure on Wolf to find a quarterback, I think Kraft is seeing if he has a "Yes man," at the helm. I think Kraft wants what's best for the team and wants to see what kinda confidence Wolf has at making decisions, regardless if they go against Kraft's. And if the Patriots wanna give Wolf the title of "General Manager," they have to have a search. Also it can give Kraft an outside opinion in how the team is set, where it could go and where it is projected to go.

Patscast asked could Bailey Zappe beat out Jacoby Brissett? He brought up how Zappe had all the same struggles as Mac and how Zappe had a record breaking final year in college. 

The west coast offense is a quarterback friendly offense. If Zappe is as good as his final year of college, Zappe could prove he is capable of being a starting NFL quarterback. At the moment, we really cannot assume anything from Zappe. 

Chris Simms mentioned taking players earlier than the league concensus if you like them, then went off to say the Patriots quarterback situation at the moment is a priority but that they have other needs and the team has to rank that priority vs how that rank the quarterbacks in this class. He goes on to say if the Patriots have the top five or six quarterbacks extremely close, then they should trade down but he counters that and says if the gap between quarterbacks in their rankings is big, they cannot trade down. Mike Flario says smart teams don't let anyone know anything. And Simms follows up by saying the Patriots have a lot of needs.

People use scores to rank players, this is true. Different people calculate those scores differently, so with the new administration in the Pats organization, we don't know how they score players. One of the things I think Simms was getting at is if the Patriots think Nix and Penix graded .3 to .7 of a percent lower on their score (assuming they have a 0-10 ranking system) than Maye, Daniels, Williams, or McCarthy, and one of those two are scheduled to go late first early second, trading down and taking them at 6 or 11 would be no shame, regardless of where the league says they should go. If Cole Strange was a stud, nobody would care of his draft position, let's be honest.

The other thing is he's right, the Patriots have to be right on their evaluations of the prospects not only as individual prospects but in comparison to each other. Drake Maye maybe a bust, he maybe one of the two worst quarterbacks of the top six in this class. Bo Nix maybe the second best passer in the class. If the Patriots cannot scout properly, it doesn't matter how they score and rank the prospects. The Patriots are using a new scouting system this year, the Packers' system, so there's more questions this year, then in past years.

The top four passers, not athletes when talking quarterback are Daniels, Nix, Penix, and McCarthy in that order. Now there is room for shuffling because that ranking doesn't take into account the talent around them or injuries that might have happened. Williams and Maye are busts. If Daniels isn't there at 3, I have no issues with the Patriots taking any of the other three at 11 or 23 if they make the deal with Minnesota. That's just me based in how I ranked them. People are ignoring how much old school west coast offenses throw short dink and dunk passes and screens. Nix is more suited for the system then being given credit for, same with McCarthy.