Patriots
-
NFL insider: Patriots are “carefully” in search of Matthew Judon
-
Vikings QB McCarthy has to undergo surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee, a significant setback for the rookie's development
Drake May played only one series against his hometown Carolina Panthers last week during his NFL preseason debut.
The Patriots have approached the rookie quarterback's development cautiously this preseason. Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said the concerns in regards to the offensive line had something to do with how little Maye played last week.
But there’s one other factor that influences the Patriots’ timidity with the No. 3 overall pick in 2024, in accordance with Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston.
The Patriots are hesitant partially due to the end of the Mac Jones deal, and their fears have also affected how they take care of Maye, Curran said during a recent appearance on NBC Sports Boston.
New England drafted Jones No. 15 overall in 2021. He had a successful rookie season before being traded to Jacksonville for a sixth-round pick within the offseason after two disastrous seasons.
“Do I think they're doing the right thing by playing it safe? No,” Curran said. “You can play it out, you can pass it off, you can run draws, you can run screens. You can leave everybody there to block. You can leave him on the field a million percent of the snaps Bailey Zappe took, a lot of the snaps Joe Milton took. None of those guys got blown up.”
“So to me, that's way too cautious, but that's what happens when you look back and destroy a first-round quarterback,” Curran added. “The wreckage is still smoldering.”
The Patriots have been scarred “a million times” by the course of Jones' profession, Curran said.
“The owner, Mayo, and everyone else involved in making decisions, Eliot Wolf, as members of the management team, saw what had happened at Mac Jones and said, 'We're not making that mistake again,'” Curran said.
Mayo said earlier this week that Maye would play more within the Patriots' second preseason game against the Eagles on Thursday. Mayo said he was unsure how much he would play.
“I'm excited to get out there,” Maye told reporters Tuesday. “I'm excited to go out there with the guys and try to make some plays. I'm going to dress up. I don't know how much I'm going to play, but I'm going to go out there and play until they take me out.”
image credit : www.boston.com