NFL offseason strength rankings: No. 31 Smooth England Patriots open over with Drake Maye and Jerod Mayo – Yahoo
The closing time the Smooth England Patriots performed a sport without Invoice Belichick as their head coach, it used to be swish after Y2K.
On Jan. 2, 2000, the Patriots beat the Baltimore Ravens but Pete Carroll used to be fired as head coach anyway. The day sooner than, Tom Brady performed his closing college sport. There are a gigantic probability of ways for instance how lifestyles has modified since then, but within the Patriots’ world, here’s what issues: They went from one of many NFL’s forgettable franchises to winning 17 AFC East titles, 9 AFC championships and 6 Hasty-witted Bowls with Belichick. They had the superb dynasty in NFL historical past and in all probability sports activities historical past. The dynasty ended when Brady left, and Belichick is long past too after an unceremonious stay.
This might per chance occasionally be outlandish to gaze Jerod Mayo because the Patriots’ head coach. Mayo used to be 14 years susceptible when Belichick coached his first sport for the Patriots. Mayo used to be drafted by Smooth England in 2008, after Belichick already had three Hasty-witted Bowl rings because the group’s head coach. Mayo had a truly factual eight-year NFL profession at linebacker. Belichick then coached eight extra seasons after Mayo retired as a player.
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But it for sure used to be time for a alternate. The connection between Belichick and group owner Robert Kraft had frayed, as it had with Belichick and Brady, and extra importantly, the Patriots had fallen into extreme disrepair.
For as big as Belichick used to be, he left the Patriots in ruins. Years of execrable draft picks and misguided signings left the Patriots with arguably the worst roster within the NFL. They went 4-13 closing season and Belichick’s masterful defensive coaching — they managed to dangle the No. 9 defense in DVOA despite hundreds of injuries and no longer necessary star strength — stole a pair of these wins. The one parting reward Belichick gave Smooth England used to be ending with the third-worst sage in a deep quarterback draft.
The Patriots drafted North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, who, alongside side Mayo, will lead the Patriots right into a original skills. The incontrovertible reality that a pair of teams, including the Smooth York Giants and Minnesota Vikings, were very excited to change up for that third-overall decide ought to peaceable expose the Patriots that staying put and drafting Maye used to be the graceful issue to stay. The Patriots want to restock the roster, but you create no longer flip down a doable franchise quarterback. Smooth England’s rebuild will get plenty more uncomplicated if Maye is a success.
Maye had hundreds of buzz. He used to be the QB1 on this draft class for Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice. He has your complete package of talents to succeed, so long as his aggressive nature doesn’t change right into a mountainous enviornment with turnovers. One enviornment is the Patriots peaceable didn’t stay essential to beef up the offense around him. They tried to gain free-agent receiver Calvin Ridley, and while Kraft acknowledged Ridley selected the Tennessee Titans because his girlfriend wanted to be within the South, Kraft’s statement that “Piece of it’ll be the quarterback issue as smartly” used to be presumably extra faithful. The Patriots don’t seem to be a destination yet. That will rob time. The first step ought to be Maye turning into the style of QB various avid gamers want to play with.
There are a pair of avid gamers peaceable around from the Patriots’ glory days — Mayo is also a key link to the dynasty — however the dominance of the Patriots is long long past. It wasn’t that method lend a hand the Patriots were ruling the NFL, but it appears love it has been a lifetime. The factual news for the Patriots is that as rapid as they lost their grip atop the NFL, they’ll gain it lend a hand. It doesn’t rob long for teams to fabricate lend a hand up, but you continuously ought to hit mountainous at coach and quarterback love the Houston Texans did a year within the past. Maye and Mayo are no longer seemingly to come lend a hand anywhere shut to Brady and Belichick, but when they’re winning, the past couple of awful seasons can change right into a rapid forgotten memory, too.
Offseason grade
The Patriots’ draft class will raise the offseason grade. Drake Maye is an thrilling quarterback who fell to Smooth England with the third decide. 2d-spherical decide Ja’Lynn Polk is a debated receiver prospect, but he has a likelihood to change into the Patriots’ No. 1 purpose swish away. Some comprise fourth-spherical decide Javon Baker might per chance well presumably now not sleep being better than Polk. The Patriots didn’t enact necessary in free company. Antonio Gibson is typically a stable traipse-catching working lend a hand, Jacoby Brissett is a truly significant backup quarterback addition if the Patriots want to let Maye take a seat and learn. Receiver Okay.J. Osborn can play the slot, though he might per chance well presumably furthermore no longer resolve Smooth England’s complications at that repute. And linebacker Sione Takitaki used to be an even low-price addition on defense. There’s nothing to open pondering in that free-agent class, though the mountainous moves were re-signing offensive lineman Mike Onwenu for a three-year, $57 million deal and keeping security Kyle Dugger for $58 million over four years. The Patriots also traded quarterback Mac Jones to the Jaguars, which didn’t affect the 2024 roster but used to be a disappointing stay for Jones’ time in Smooth England after a stable open.
Grade: C-
Quarterback sage
The Patriots dangle a original query, but when it involves starting up Maye swish away, Mayo might per chance well count on an susceptible capability from Belichick.
“I mediate to return to Invoice, I don’t mediate many newbies are succesful of correct leap in and play,” Mayo acknowledged, by capability of NBC Sports.
Mayo appears extreme when he says Maye will compete with Brissett thru coaching camp for the starting up job. That’s no longer the worst thought. The Patriots create no longer dangle hundreds of skill to lend a hand Maye. Even the offensive line might per chance be without 2022 first-spherical draft decide Cole Queer, who might per chance well presumably be out till midseason as a consequence of a knee damage, in accordance with NFL Media. Brissett is a top-stay backup and is typically a functional starter within the short time duration. We will seemingly gaze Maye at some level this season — it’s extremely rare for a necessary-spherical quarterback to no longer open in any appreciate as a rookie — but it’ll no longer be Week 1. Given the say of the Patriots’ offense around the quarterback repute, that might per chance lend a hand him within the very long time duration.
BetMGM odds breakdown
Are the Patriots going to be the worst group within the NFL? The making a bet market believes so. The accumulate complete for the Patriots at BetMGM has moved from 5.5 to 4.5, giving the Patriots the bottom complete on the board. The Carolina Panthers‘ complete is 5.5. Finest one various group, the Denver Broncos, has a complete below 6.5. The Patriots dangle an ideal distance to traipse toward turning into official again. It be also telling that Maye is eighth within the NFL Offensive Rookie of the One year odds at 20-to-1. Quarterbacks dangle an more uncomplicated path to awards than any various avid gamers, however the Patriots’ subpar issue (and the reality that Maye is rarely any longer a lock to open Week 1) puts him within the lend a hand of three quarterbacks and 4 receivers within the OROY odds.
Yahoo’s fantasy rob
From Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski: “It might per chance per chance well presumably furthermore be ambitious to pick out out a fantasy lend a hand from a losing group. Sport float will in overall be your enemy, and it logically follows that weaker teams might per chance well presumably furthermore no longer rating as many points. But Rhamondre Stevenson peaceable has some fantasy juice to supply because the featured lend a hand in Smooth England.
“To begin with, Stevenson has itsy-bitsy competition for carries. The 2d lend a hand in Smooth England’s room is Antonio Gibson, extra of a satellite tv for pc player. Kevin Harris and JaMycal Swiftly are merely depth alternate suggestions. And the Patriots’ offense is now helmed by OC Alex Van Pelt, who used to be segment of a speed-first regime in Cleveland. Stevenson might per chance well presumably furthermore no longer dangle a complete bunch income room because the present RB20 off the Yahoo board, but when he has an less pricey smartly being runout he can a minimum of recoup your investment.”
Stat to endure in suggestions
The Patriots’ main receiver closing season used to be rookie Demario Douglas, who had 561 yards. He didn’t rating a touchdown. That sums up how unwatchable the 2023 Patriots offense used to be. In 2022, all individuals blamed the offensive woes on Invoice Belichick’s unfathomable decision to let Matt Patricia be the coordinator, but Invoice O’Brien didn’t stay any better working the offense closing season. The Patriots scored seven or fewer points in six games, with two shutouts. There wasn’t adequate skill on the offense. Quarterback play used to be gruesome, the receiver neighborhood is also the worst within the NFL and while Stevenson is a proficient lend a hand, he suffered thru injuries and used to be pretty disappointing, too.
The realm is rarely any longer adequate has modified around the quarterback to lend a hand Maye. When the Patriots create a name on when to open Maye, they’ll ought to weigh the aptitude damage that might per chance well presumably furthermore be carried out to him fiddling with a subpar supporting forged.
Burning ask
Can Jerod Mayo tackle the stress?
Mayo used to be regarded as as a convincing head-coaching candidate for a pair of years, but he couldn’t dangle discovered himself in a necessary more challenging station for his first job.
Mayo takes over for in all probability the superb head coach in NFL historical past. He does so with a roster that is nowhere advance being succesful of compete for a playoff station. And his coaching résumé is skinny, with correct 5 years as an inside of linebackers coach. No longer that being a coordinator or previously a head coach is a prerequisite for success, but it be asking plenty for such an inexperienced coach to step in for a narrative.
Mayo is regarded as as a avid gamers’ coach, which is ready to be a mountainous alternate from Belichick. Avid gamers were excited to play for Mayo, who will converse original suggestions and energy. But the fan snide is rarely any longer at probability of losing, and while Mayo used to be a standout linebacker for the Patriots, he hasn’t constructed up any goodwill as a coach yet. How patient will Smooth England be as Mayo guides a rebuild?
Most productive-case scenario
There’s some world by which the Patriots’ avid gamers feel free, journey playing football and the consequences enhance. For as big as Belichick used to be, playing for him used to be a grind. Mayo has a peculiar trend for Smooth England. The defense shouldn’t be execrable, in particular if edge rusher Matt Judon returns strong from a torn biceps. Perchance Maye is without doubt one of many rare rookie quarterbacks who stars swish away — he has the style of talents that might per chance well presumably play completely within the NFL — and the Patriots’ future without be conscious looks to be like colorful. It be exhausting to aquire the Patriots as a playoff group, even within the most rosy outlook, however the season is winning if the Patriots feel love they’ve reversed their downward spiral.
Nightmare scenario
All six teams that drafted a quarterback within the necessary spherical feel factual about it. But all of us know no longer all six are going to be factual. If Maye is a bust, the Patriots open lend a hand at sq. one. He is, by far, the lustrous light on the Patriots’ roster. The hope is that he’s very factual and Smooth England can open constructing around him. What if he’s no longer factual? We presumably might per chance well presumably furthermore no longer know that solution in One year 1, but it’d be disheartening if he looks to be like overwhelmed. The same might per chance well presumably furthermore be acknowledged for Mayo. There is rarely adequate of a display screen sage to know if he’ll be a factual head coach. If Mayo and Maye don’t seem to be factual adequate to lead a rebuild, query at the leisure of the Patriots’ roster. It be no longer love there are any various causes for optimism.
The crystal ball says
The Patriots are going to be execrable. There’s some fantasy world by which Maye is C.J. Stroud, Mayo is DeMeco Ryans and the 2024 Patriots are the 2023 Texans, but closing year’s Texans had a better roster and an more uncomplicated division. And a rookie love Stroud might per chance per chance be very rare. The measure of success for the Patriots might per chance be Maye trying love he belongs and no longer being ruined by a execrable issue around him, and Mayo showing he’s the graceful chief for the future. Each of these things ought to peaceable happen. And then the Patriots might per chance be drafting very early in 2025, with things trying brighter transferring forward.
