We’re running a mailbag on Thursdays during the season. If you have questions on the Patriots, NFL, or want gripe about past answers, email cmason@masslive.com or tweet @bychrismason. Now let’s get to this week’s questions!
Now that the trade deadline has passed with no improvements to the roster do you think the Patriots just keep losing and playing the younger players to see what they have? It’s sad to be talking draft positions in early November — Miller
It is indeed, but that’s life for Robert Kraft’s team in 2024.
First things first: I don’t think the Patriots should tank. Losing that way is an infectious thing that isn’t easily cured. Tanking is one way that crummy long-term cultures are crafted in the NFL. Beyond that, the No. 1 overall pick isn’t terribly important given the Patriots already have their quarterback. So I’m totally out on losing on purpose. I don’t think Jerod Mayo has any plans to do that either.
“As we continue to progress, as the season goes on, we want to be better as the season goes on, and be one of those teams that no one wants to play at the end of the year,” Mayo said. “That’s our goal.”
While that’s an admirable goal, I think the Patriots should essentially hold open tryouts in the second half of the season. If they can accomplish both, swell, but they need to find out who are pieces that are going to be here in the future. That means Eliot Wolf needs to keep churning the bottom of the roster and hoping to find a Malcolm Butler in the rough, and the young players need to play. It’s unfortunate for guys like K.J. Osborn, who the Patriots should do right by and release, but that’s the reality of where things are at right now for this team.
Play hard — but play the kids for the rest of the season.
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Do you expect Alex Austin, Cole Strange, and/or Caedan Wallace to be activated sometime this season? – Miguel
Yes, I expect all three to return. Austin is already back at practice and Strange and Wallace might not be far behind.
Building upon my previous answer, I think all three of these guys should play a lot when they’re healthy. The Patriots need to know what they have here.
Can Strange bounce back from a serious injury and return to the level he was playing at before being carted off last year? Is Austin a viable boundary cornerback, or was the end of last season a flash in the pan? Can Wallace be an effective player or do the Patriots need to look into filling both tackle spots in next spring’s draft?
These are all questions that’ll be answered with one thing: Playing time.
Will we truly use our cap space or do the Krafts want to keep mitigating spending? We need an o-line and at least a mild attempt at getting size in the receiver room – Joe M.
Whether Calvin Ridley or Brandon Aiyuk, I think the Patriots have been trying to spend. The bigger issue is that a lot of guys don’t want to play in New England right now. However, continued development from Drake Maye could go a long way in changing that.
After last weekend’s loss in Tennessee, Davon Godchaux said Maye’s growth could “absolutely” begin luring free agents to Foxborough.
“Everybody wants to play with Josh Allen. Everybody wants to play with Pat Mahomes,” Godchaux said. “Before you know it, people are going to want to play with Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Caleb Williams… (Maye) can play. That kid shows a lot of heart. I’m screaming on the sideline saying, ‘Get down,’ but he keeps taking hits. He’s going to be a great player in this league.”
As for the offensive line, there wasn’t much in free agency last offseason, but they absolutely need to upgrade. As it stands, there’s only one player — Mike Onwenu — who should be a slam dunk to start again next season.
Why don’t they play Ja’Lynn Polk as a starter just to get him back to what he was when the Patriots drafted him? He needs the reps with Drake Maye in a game – Hazen F.
I think Polk will start seeing more snaps soon. The Patriots know they need to play the second-rounder, and on Wednesday, Mayo said he thought Polk was past the “mental hump” the coach had described earlier in the season.
“I think he’s over it,” Mayo said Wednesday. “Look, he has to go out there today, practice hard and perform, and he’ll get opportunities based on what he does in the week of practice.”
Kendrick Bourne believes the rookie is bound to hit his stride soon.
“Obviously, we all go through things, but I think (Polk) is going to do good this week,” Bourne said. “He has a good mindset, a good head on his shoulders. He knows what he has to do to be better. He works hard, and that’s what I love about Polk. We actually had a good day Monday coming in to lift. He just works hard. I think his attitude is really good and I think that will get him out of anything he’s going through.”
Drake Maye is being asked to do a lot. Is he being asked to do too much? – Conor M.
Yes.
Maye’s teammates and his coaches need to take some of the burden off him. He’s shouldering far too much of it on his own right now and that’s not going to be sustainable.
