FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Fast-hit ideas and notes across the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Mayo’s massive name: When NFL government vp of media distribution Hans Schroeder analyzed the league’s 2024 schedule in a convention name with reporters final week, he famous the highest three picks within the NFL draft being showcased.
“Among the new faces — Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye — you will see them within the first few weeks of the season as you take a look at the schedule with appearances for Chicago, Washington and New England all in nationwide home windows,” Schroeder mentioned. “It is one of many advantages of getting moved the schedule launch to after the draft.”
Schroeder’s remarks spotlight how the NFL is all the time anxious to advertise its subsequent technology of hopeful stars. Williams and the Bears go to the Texans on Sunday night time in Week 2, Maye and the Patriots journey to face the Jets on Thursday night time in Week 3, and Daniels and the Commanders go to the Bengals on Monday night time in Week 3.
This assumes, in fact, that Maye is taking part in in any respect.
First-year Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo has been clear about his quarterback plans: He subscribes to Invoice Belichick’s philosophy that not many rookies are able to play instantly, saying will probably be an open competitors with veteran Jacoby Brissett (48 profession begins), Maye, 2022 fourth-round decide Bailey Zappe and 2024 sixth-rounder Joe Milton III to find out the most effective signal-caller.
Particular to Maye, he mentioned the night time the Patriots drafted him: “They attempt to put timetables on it, however you simply by no means know when that point goes to be.”
The Bears already decided that the time is now for Williams, having named him the Day 1 starter. Many challenge the Commanders will in the end do the identical with the 23-year-old Daniels, partly as a result of he’s well-seasoned getting into the NFL with 55 profession begins in school. In the meantime, the 21-year-old Maye began 26 video games at North Carolina and thus some imagine he’ll profit from watching behind Brissett, whereas others — comparable to ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck — subscribe to the philosophy that one of the simplest ways for a quarterback to be taught is to play.
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Mayo’s resolution of when to insert Maye into the lineup, which is the first intrigue surrounding a staff that in any other case had no prime-time enchantment to the league, shall be among the many most essential of his younger teaching profession.
The hope that Maye gives the Patriots is analogous to 1993 when quarterback Drew Bledsoe — who like Maye was among the many youngest prospects on the place that 12 months — was chosen No. 1 general within the NFL draft. Then coach Invoice Parcells notably mentioned on the time: “I promise you I cannot throw him to the wolves.”
Bledsoe, in fact, was thrown to the wolves. The staff went 5-11, however in successful the ultimate 4 video games confirmed an arc of enchancment to point higher days had been forward for the franchise. The Patriots went 10-6 the next 12 months and performed within the Tremendous Bowl within the 1996 season.
Bledsoe, in an interview with ESPN.com, was requested if he sees a hyperlink between these days and the present Patriots setup.
“It is completely different in that the Patriots by no means actually had a ton of success [when I got there]. They went to the one Tremendous Bowl [in 1985], however aside from that had not been persistently related. Whereas it wasn’t that way back that they had been working the world, so there nonetheless is a lingering degree of expectation that exists from all that success. That half is somewhat bit completely different. However shoot, they earned the proper to select the place they picked; it wasn’t a lot to have a look at final 12 months, that is for certain,” he mentioned.
“You will have the brand new teaching employees and new rookie quarterback coming in, so there are additionally some apparent parallels for certain. I do not suppose it is loopy in any respect. Now will probably be tremendous fascinating to see the place it goes from right here, whether or not they can rebuild that championship tradition and begin to rise once more.”
Bledsoe mentioned offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who was his backup with the Payments in 2002 and 2003, shall be a key asset for Maye due to his “soccer information and demeanor.”
As for his recommendation for Maye, Bledsoe mentioned: “He will should have thick pores and skin and be affected person. It isn’t going to occur instantly. He will should be very mentally and emotionally powerful to get by among the onerous occasions — in the event that they even begin him immediately. You will have Jacoby there; they are not in a state of affairs the place they should throw him on the sector immediately. So I will be curious to see what they do.”
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2. Brady calling NE: The Patriots at the moment have six of their video games scheduled to air on Fox, which sparks a query: Might Tom Brady, in his debut season because the community’s No. 1 analyst, be calling any of them?
The Fox video games are Sept. 15 vs. the Seahawks (1 p.m. ET), Sept. 29 on the 49ers (4:05 p.m. ET), Oct. 6 vs. the Dolphins (1 p.m. ET), Nov. 3 on the Titans (1 p.m. ET), Nov. 10 on the Bears (1 p.m. ET) and Nov. 17 vs. the Rams (1 p.m. ET).
Brady will all the time be assigned to Fox’s prime sport within the nationwide window, which given the Patriots’ lower-profile standing makes it much less seemingly he’ll have a heavy slate of New England video games (if any in any respect).
At an preliminary look, the Patriots-Bears sport (presumably Williams vs. Maye) might need the most effective probability to land, as CBS has the doubleheader that week with Eagles-Cowboys at 4:25 p.m. ET.
3. Judon subsequent? Newly appointed Patriots government vp of participant personnel Eliot Wolf has been checking off gadgets on his contractual “to-do” checklist, most just lately extending beginning middle and staff chief David Andrews’ deal.
So maybe probably the most important merchandise remaining is with veteran outdoors linebacker Matthew Judon, who’s scheduled to earn a base wage of $6.5 million within the ultimate 12 months of his contract. That’s nicely below the marketplace for a participant of his caliber, and it is onerous to think about Judon agreeing to play below these phrases. On the identical time, Judon’s return from a torn biceps that restricted him to 4 video games final season, coupled along with his age (32 in August), add layers of be aware in any negotiation.
4. New part: The Patriots are set to carry three voluntary organized staff actions this week, which marks their transfer into Section 3 of the offseason program. Media members are scheduled to be current for the primary OTA on Monday. Brissett, who was complimentary of Maye, is predicted to get the preliminary repetitions at quarterback.
Of the QB dynamic, Brissett mentioned: “The great half about our room is that everybody needs to be the man, and everyone seems to be competing to be the man. That is what you need. If none of us needed to play, that may be tousled; we might be in unhealthy fingers on this group.”
QB Jacoby Brissett, who notes that Deatrich Clever Jr., Jonathan Jones, Joe Cardona and David Andrews are the lone gamers nonetheless with the Patriots from his first stint with the staff, shares first impressions of Drake Maye:
“He has quite a lot of expertise. He could make all of the throws. He… pic.twitter.com/2zYF5JvJXy
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) Could 16, 2024
5. Maye’s enterprise journey: Maye was one in all 40 rookies who attended the NFL Gamers Affiliation’s rookie premiere in Los Angeles from Could 15-19, becoming a member of receiver Ja’Lynn Polk (second spherical) and Milton (sixth spherical). The aim of the annual occasion is to coach gamers on the enterprise facet of the sport and assist them increase on their current endorsements. Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer Kurt Warner addressed the rookies, who additionally donned their sport jerseys for the primary time.
6. Mayo’s strategy: Mayo is the seventh head coach that Brissett has performed below, becoming a member of Belichick, Chuck Pagano, Frank Reich, Brian Flores, Kevin Stefanski and Ron Rivera. Brissett’s preliminary impression of Mayo’s teaching strategy has been favorable.
“He brings quite a lot of good vitality,” he mentioned. “The cool factor is you’ll be able to inform he is making an attempt to make the gamers on the staff run the staff. Clearly, he is the pinnacle coach and he units the usual, however he positively places quite a lot of duty on us gamers. I prefer it.”
7. Late bye: NFL vp of broadcast planning Mike North defined final week how extra NFL groups aren’t requesting a bye the week after taking part in worldwide video games, which explains, partly, why the Patriots’ bye week comes Dec. 8 as an alternative of Oct. 27. It is the newest bye attainable for New England, which performs Jacksonville at London’s Wembley Stadium on Oct. 20.
Of the seven selections when factoring in that the Jaguars play back-to-back worldwide video games, 4 groups (Vikings, Bears, Giants, Panthers) requested their bye the week upon their return to the US, whereas three did not (Jets, Jaguars, Patriots).
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8. They mentioned it: “I really feel like I placed on quite a lot of muscle in quite a lot of areas that wanted [it]; simply so I might take extra influence. I really feel like all my accidents got here from me hitting the bottom, so I am going to be capable to bounce again up after I do hit the bottom.” — third 12 months Patriots receiver Tyquan Thornton, who has opened his first two seasons on injured reserve (fractured clavicle and shoulder).
9. Invoice Walsh fellows: The Invoice Walsh Range Teaching Fellowship has helped school coaches achieve publicity to NFL coaching camp and offseason exercise applications for greater than 30 years, and the Patriots are welcoming Purdue’s T.J. McCollum and former Browns working again/South Carolina assistant Montario Hardesty this offseason as a part of this system. McCollum already has a reference to one member of the group, as he performed alongside linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley at Purdue in 2017.
10. Did You Know: The Patriots are one in all 12 groups this season who aren’t scheduled to face an opponent that’s coming off its bye week. They’re the one staff within the NFL to haven’t any weeks on the schedule by which they’ve much less relaxation than the opposing staff.
