Four years after the departure of legendary quarterback Tom Brady, the New England Patriots may have found his worthy heir apparent in Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick in this year’s NFL draft.
But for whatever reason, Maye didn’t play a ton in their preseason opener last Thursday, as he got off just three pass attempts, while Bailey Zappe, who ended last season as their starter, had 20 pass attempts.
Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal was in attendance for the Patriots’ joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday, and he uttered some words that New England sports fans won’t want to hear.
He said the team’s offense looked like a “train wreck” that “got worse as the practice went on” and was “horrifying,” and he said Maye “does feel miles away,” per Patriots on CLNS Media.
“Drake Maye does feel miles away.”@GregABedard had some strong words after what he saw at yesterday’s #Patriots–#Eagles joint practice.
NEW Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast👇
📺: https://t.co/chSbh9mKm9
🎧: https://t.co/EQXQDyksKf⚡️ by @PrizePicks @Gametime pic.twitter.com/RrA0fBNzRb
— Patriots on CLNS Media (@PatriotsCLNS) August 14, 2024
It is a brave new world for the organization, as longtime head coach and de facto general manager Bill Belichick is gone, and Jerod Mayo, a former Patriots linebacker, has taken his place.
Rebuilding in the NFL is very difficult and usually takes many years to successfully pull off, and that is what the franchise has been discovering over the last few years.
Maye put up big numbers at the University of North Carolina over the last two years and was named the ACC Player of the Year in 2022, and while he could very well become a great NFL quarterback, it will likely take some time.
One reason why is New England’s utter lack of viable skill players, as well as an offensive line that Pro Football Network named the second-worst in the league in a recent ranking.
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