Long before New England made Maye the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, the club signed veteran Jacoby Brissett to serve as a mentor for a first-year pro and a bridge option at the position if first-year head coach Jerod Mayo decided to sit a rookie through a portion of the upcoming season. Brissett entered Organized Team Activities as the clear favorite to start the Patriots’ regular-season opener at the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 8, but Maye seemingly closed the gap ahead of the team’s summer break
Mayo told reporters during mandatory minicamp this week that Maye is “going the right direction” but will need to learn how to handle “some down days” during training camp and the preseason. Edelman suggested that Mayo, a former player, could prove to be what Maye and others inside the locker room need after Bill Belichick essentially ran the franchise’s football operations for over two decades.
That staff includes offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who reportedly had a positive working relationship with quarterback Baker Mayfield when both were with the Cleveland Browns. Van Pelt may do well to get Maye ready to start Week 1 this September, but Mark Daniels of MassLive noted on Thursday that “there’s an argument to be made that even if Maye looks better, the Patriots should start the veteran to let Maye develop behind the scenes.”
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