The New England Patriots are entering the first year of a long, slow rebuild. With Bill Belichick gone, the Patriots are changing a lot of things about the organization. Under first-time head coach Jerod Mayo, New England will have a different approach in roster building and player development.
The most important player development story in Foxborough will obviously be about Drake Maye. The third-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Maye will be the deciding factor in how successful the Patriots will be for the next decade.
Patriots decision-maker Eliot Wolf is very well aware of that. In fact, he is ready to not make the mistakes the franchise did with their previous QB Mac Jones.
Patriots Changing QB Approach After Mac Jones
Eliot Wolf on what the #Patriots learned from the Mac Jones ordeal:
“The main thing that we’ve been able to take away is just being able to support not only Drake (Maye), but every quarterback we have. Just throw every level of support that we possibly can at the quarterbacks…… pic.twitter.com/Wpd0XaYMRf
— Carlos Talks Pats (@LosTalksPats) May 28, 2024
In a guest appearance on the Up & Adams show with Kay Adams, the Patriots GM disclosed everything they are going to do to make sure Drake Maye is well supported.
“Just throw every level of support that we possibly can at the quarterbacks…Whether it’s coaching, whether it’s something off the field, whether it’s virtual reality, whatever the case may be. Just really having the willingness to support whoever the quarterback is — in every facet that we possibly can.””
– Patriots GM Eliot Wolf
That is basically an acknowledgment of what went wrong with Mac Jones. The young quarterback was not put in a position to succeed. The roster construction was a disaster. His offensive line and pass-catchers were disasters. Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick were publicly feuding and the overall vibes with the team were completely off.
Now, the Patriots realize that the single most important thing they can do is to make sure Drake Maye has the optimal environment to thrive in. And that shows that they are on the right track.
