We’re running a mailbag every Friday during training camp. If you have questions on the Patriots, NFL, or want to gripe about past answers, email cmason@masslive.com or tweet @bychrismason. Now let’s get to this week’s questions!
How much should Drake Maye play in the Patriots preseason opener? — Patrick
A ton.
These preseason reps are going to be incredibly valuable to Maye, especially if the Patriots opt to slow-play things and keep him sidelined as Jacoby Brissett’s backup for however long this season.
There’s no substitute for NFL game experience, and even in exhibitions, Maye will do well to bank every snap he can get. The rookie needs to see a real pass rush. He needs to feel NFL speed. He needs to get hit, pop up, and dust himself off. This stuff doesn’t happen on the practice field, no matter how realistic coaches try to make 11-on-11 periods.
Last season, the Patriots averaged 11.94 drives per game, so let’s call it an even dozen for Thursday’s preseason opener against the Panthers.
I’d give Brissett the first three drives, then turn the keys over to Maye, keeping the rest of the starters in for drive No. 4 so the rookie can get a series with them, too. From there, I’d have Maye under center until midway through the fourth quarter, giving Joe Milton III a chance to get his feet wet for the final series or two. (Sorry, Bailey Zappe).
Ultimately that breakdown would be something like: Brissett (3), Maye (7), Milton (2). While Brissett and Alex Van Pelt’s new first-team offense will get some run here, there’s nothing more important to the future of the franchise than Maye’s development, so I’d really prioritize reps for him this August. There’ll be no other way to simulate them on the practice field this fall.
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Why was everyone so fixated on Brandon Aiyuk? The team is obviously not going for it this year, I don’t see how he aligns with the team’s timeline. Do they see him as undervalued by the market right now and want to take advantage? — Matt
He certainly wouldn’t have been undervalued if he’d accepted the offer from the Patriots.
With trade framework in place, New England offered Aiyuk more than $30 million per season, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. That would have made him one of the five highest-paid wideouts in the NFL.
No, the fixation with Aiyuk is simpler than market value. He’s a 26-year-old wideout that was named a Second Team All-Pro last season and appears to be an ascending player. His best days may very well be ahead of him. Those guys are hardly ever available — and with good reason.
Though the Patriots aren’t a contender this season, Aiyuk could conceivably still be a Pro Bowl caliber wideout for the next four years, given his age. In that sense, he’d fit New England’s timeline just fine.
With a bevy of cap space and an obvious need at receiver, the Patriots were in a great position to make this run at Aiyuk. At the end of the day, I think they were just leveraged, but kudos to Eliot Wolf for being aggressive and trying to land a game-changer. They’ve just gotta get back into the box and keep swinging, strikeouts be damned.
Has Joe Milton really been better than Drake Maye? — Colin
No, and this storyline has been aggressively stupid. Maybe the dumbest at camp since I started covering the team. Right now, Jacoby Brissett is clearly the starter, Maye is the backup, and Milton is battling with Bailey Zappe for the third-string job. Milton hasn’t even won that one yet.
This bogus narrative really caught fire when Colin Cowherd — who hasn’t seen a second of camp — decided to do a segment on it. The day that aired, guess how many 11-on-11 reps Milton got? Zero. They’re not tasking him with close to the same responsibility as Maye.
Nothing against Milton, but he looks like a sixth-round rookie right now. His arm strength is extraordinary, but there are times when he’s throwing the same fastball on a 50-yard go ball as a 5-yard slant; he needs to work on his touch.
Maye may be a bit raw, but at this point, he’s still a lot more polished than Milton.
Wouldn’t the Patriots be better served trading for offensive line help before a wide receiver? — Miller
The two aren’t mutually exclusive given New England’s cap space (still north of $40 million).
The Patriots could certainly use a tackle upgrade, but it’s all about availability. If there was an Aiyuk-caliber tackle on the trade block — 26, ascending, clearly on his way out, etc. — I’m sure Wolf would be pursuing him, but at this point there just isn’t. Trent Williams is holding out in San Francisco, but that’s a leverage play for the 36-year-old mauler as he tries to add to his bank account.
How are the kickers stacking up? — Jordan
Joey Slye may have been perfect in open minicamp practices, but thus far in training camp, it’s Chad Ryland that has an edge over the journeyman. Through 11 practices, Ryland is 24-for-27 (88.9%), while Slye is 22-for-27 (81.5%). The competition is sure to intensify with some live kicks coming in exhibition games.
Do you have any updates on the projected o-line? — Matt
We’re going to learn a lot about Jerod Mayo’s preferred offensive line over the next two weeks, as he’s said ideally he’d like to have a starting five in place before the third preseason game. Thus far, they’ve been pretty consistent on the interior while playing tackle roulette. As it stands, the starters in camp (when healthy) have been:
LT: Vederian Lowe
LG: Sidy Sow
C: David Andrews
RG: Mike Onwenu
RT: Chuks Okorafor
We’ll see if third-rounder Caedan Wallace can play his way into a starting role as August intensifies.
