Early July is the quietest part on the New England Patriots’ and the NFL’s calendar as a whole. That does not mean the league has gone to sleep, though. Frankly, it never does that.
So, with that in mind, let’s clean out the notebook from the week that was. Welcome to our latest Sunday Patriots Notes.
1. O-line uncertainty might decide Drake Maye’s 2024 outlook: The biggest story of the Patriots’ training camp set to start later this month is undoubtably the status of first-round rookie quarterback Drake Maye. The third overall selection in this year’s draft, Maye did have some encouraging moments in the safe-space setting that is spring practices.
The question becomes whether or not he will push presumed starter Jacoby Brissett for the top spot on the depth chart. The Patriots and their head coach Jerod Mayo will obviously place a premium on camp and preseason performance, but other factors are likely also in play — factors beyond Maye’s control: the performance of the offensive line.
The Patriots’ O-line, at this point in the process, appears to be one big TBD. Between Cole Strange being a candidate to start camp and maybe even the regular season on the physically unable to perform list, to the uncertainty surrounding new additions and second-year players, to Michael Onwenu suddenly moving back inside to guard again, it appear there is a lot of work to be done before the unit can be trusted to protect New England’s prized possession wearing the No. 10 jersey.
Maye showed in college that he can perform adequately with a subpar supporting cast, but the NFL is a different beast entirely. Insufficient protection can amplify a players’ weaknesses — especially if said player is a rookie — and might create major confidence issues.
Look no further than the Patriots’ last first-round quarterback, Mac Jones. A struggling offensive line was not the sole reason for his disastrous performances in 2022 and especially 2023, but it put him under even more pressure both literally and metaphorically — pressure he was unable to withstand and that eventually led to his collapse.
The Patriots erring on the side of caution might be the play here heading into 2024, especially considering that there is little optimism about the offensive line at the moment. Look no further than Brandon Thorn’s recent O-line rankings, which have the Patriots in the “bottom feeder” tier and as the second-worst unit in the league:
New England is set to enter the first year of a new, post-Belichick era this season with a rookie quarterback in Drake Maye who was selected third overall and and expectedly shaky line in front of him. The team somehow is projected to have former Steelers mediocre-at-best right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor as their starting blindside protector with at least some question marks everywhere else aside from center David Andrews, who is still a solid player. Last year, the team had a strong run-blocking duo on the right ide with Mike Onwenu and Sidy Sow, but that pairing is at risk of being split up due to 2021 first-round pick Cole Strange rehabbing an injury that could see him miss time this season. There is potential for the interior trio to develop into a functional unit as the year progresses, but pass protection off of the edges will be dicey at best.
The Patriots did make some moves along their offensive line this offseason: they signed Okorafor and re-signing tackle/guard hybrid Onwenu, and also drafted Caedan Wallace and Layden Robinson in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. However, besides the Onwenu investment, none of the additions are surefire projections.
The team itself, meanwhile, will roll with a familiar mantra..
“The best players will play,” said Jerod Mayo. “That’s how I think about it, it’s all competition and we’re going to try to put the best five out there.”
That is in itself the correct approach to finding a starting offensive line. However, if the unit is indeed going through the projected growing pains, it might be best if it does so with a season player like Brissett rather than the rookie Maye in the backfield.
2. Patriots made some under-the-radar scouting department moves: The Patriots have increased their information flow compared to the tight-lipped Bill Belichick era, but not everything becomes public knowledge immediately. Two personnel moves in the scouting department from earlier this offseason are proof of that.
The Patriots recently promoted pro scout Sam Fioroni to assistant director of pro scouting, and they also moved Marquis Dickerson from scouting assistant to pro scout. Fioroni has been with the team since 2021, with Dickerson coming aboard one year later.
3. 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk seems like a long-shot for the Patriots: New England being linked to big-name wide receivers is a tale as old as time, and there has also already been media- and fan-driven talk about San Francisco star Brandon Aiyuk possibly being a candidate to be acquired via trade. Nothing can be ruled out, of course, but at this point in time Aiyuk seems like a long-shot.
While he and the 49ers seemingly remain at an impasse when it comes to negotiations for a new contract, NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo noted that Aiyuk has not requested a trade and seemingly does not intend to do so. That doesn’t mean the team won’t make him available, but as things currently stand all of that is merely speculation.
4. Jahlani Tavai extension ties another player to Patriots’ future rosters: Patriots starting linebacker Jahlani Tavai put his signature under a three-year contract extension this week that will keep him with the team through 2027. This means that he can now be added to the list of players signed by New England beyond 2024.
According to salary cap expert Miguel Benzan, those head counts now look as follows:
In addition, two players are signed for the 2028 season as well: defensive tackle Christian Barmore and running back Rhamondre Stevenson. Like Tavai, both of them signed extensions this offseason as well.
5. Khyree Jackson passing brings back painful memories: Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson died in a traffic accident this weekend. According to local police, a driver tried to change lanes at high speed but collided with two cars — including one carrying Jackson and two former high school teammates of his, who were also killed.
There is obviously no one-by-one comparison, but Jackson’s passing brings back memories of another player killed during the NFL’s summer break.
Former Patriots defensive lineman Marquise Hill, who like Jackson was 24 at the time of his passing, drowned following a jet ski accident on Memorial Day weekend 2007. Both men had what looked like promising careers — let alone lives — ahead of them, before dying under tragic circumstances.
6. A ‘Did you know?’ tidbit about new head coach Jerod Mayo: Instead of ending this one a negative note, something positive from the “You probably did not know this” department: Jerod Mayo will be the Patriots’ first true rookie head coach in more than 50 years.
The last Patriots HC to never have held that same role anywhere at the pro, college or even high school level, was John Mazur. A former quarterback at Notre Dame and in the CFL, Mazur turned to coaching in the mid-1950s. After holding several assistant roles to start his career, he arrived in Boston in 1969 as backfield coach under Clive Rush.
Rush resigned in 1970, opening the door for Mazur to take over. Over the next three seasons, he led the Patriots to a combined record of 9-21 before himself stepping down late during the 1972 season.
7. Setting up the week ahead: The offseason remains in full swing, meaning that there are again no set items on the Patriots’ schedule this coming week.
