32 NFL Teams in 32 Days: It’s All About Jerod Mayo and Drake Maye in New England

32 NFL Teams in 32 Days: It’s All About Jerod Mayo and Drake Maye in New England

Welcome to 32 teams in 32 days. To get us through the offseason, we’ll be taking a closer look at every team in the NFL, in order of projected 2024 win totals. Up next: the Patriots.

After going from two decades of excellence to winning only four games last season, Patriots owner Robert Kraft fired Bill Belichick and turned to Jerod Mayo to begin a new era with rookie quarterback Drake Maye

But the New England Patriots don’t plan on handing the starting job to the No. 3 pick in the draft. Instead, they’re going to make Maye earn it by competing against veteran Jacoby Brissett in training camp.

Whether it’s Maye or Brissett, the Patriots’ offense could have an uphill battle with roster concerns at the skill positions and on the offensive line. The Patriots re-signed versatile offensive lineman Mike Onwenu, but have plenty of inexperience and it doesn’t help that Cole Strange might not be ready for the start of the season because of injury. 

The Patriots are going to need to decide whether it’s worth it to trot out Maye with a poor supporting cast. But there might be a 2023 sixth-round pick who could make life easier for him. 

The Patriots’ defense, on the other hand, has the makings of turning into a top-10 unit under the guidance of Mayo, who has coached on that side of the ball in New England for the past five seasons. They have a strong core group, with defensive tackle Christian Barmore, edge rusher Matthew Judon, cornerback Christian Gonzalez and safety Kyle Dugger. If the defense dominates, the Patriots will surprise the football public and win more than four games this season.  

Biggest gamble this offseason: Firing Belichick, hiring Mayo

New England Patriots coach Jerod MayoNew England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo

Mayo replaced Belichick after joining his staff in 2019. / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

It’s no secret that Kraft and Belichick had somewhat of a rocky relationship in the lead up to Kraft firing the legendary head coach in January. It was a delicate situation for Kraft, and maybe one that wasn’t handled properly on either side. But Kraft at least had a succession plan, one that he kept intact whenever Mayo had coaching opportunities elsewhere. Kraft has had high expectations for Mayo since he joined Belichick’s coaching staff in 2019. Now the team owner will find out whether he made the right decision by promoting Mayo to head coach without interviewing other candidates, which is a gamble in itself. That’s a lot of pressure for Mayo, especially with a roster that might not be ready to push for the postseason for another year or two.  

Toughest stretch of the season: Weeks 1 to 6

The Patriots are currently underdogs in every game this season, according to odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. But it might not get tougher than the first six weeks of the season. New England starts on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals, followed by a home game against the Seattle Seahawks before going back on the road for back-to-back games against Aaron Rodgers’s New York Jets and the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers. They then return home to host the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans. And it doesn’t get easier from there with the Jacksonville Jaguars in London for Week 7.

Breakout player to watch: WR DeMario Douglas

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario DouglasNew England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas

Douglas was targeted 79 times and had 49 receptions for 561 yards, averaging 11.4 yards per catch in 2023. / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The Patriots’ receiving corps is regarded as one of the weakest in the NFL, but football pundits might be overlooking what Douglas accomplished as a sixth-round rookie last season. After shining as a camp standout, Douglas stepped up late in the season for a Patriots’ offense desperately needing playmakers. Douglas was targeted 79 times and had 49 receptions for 561 yards, averaging 11.4 yards per catch. Douglas might not be a true No. 1 wideout yet, but he definitely proved himself as a starter in 2023. The Liberty product could be set for a memorable second season if the Patriots get decent quarterback play in ’24.

Best-case scenario: Maye wins Offensive Rookie of the Year

Proving the doubters wrong with a final record of .500 or better would be a monumental achievement for Mayo in his first season. But for the Patriots to return to being a perennial winner, they’re going to need Maye to find his footing quickly and show flashes of being a legitimate franchise quarterback. He doesn’t have to play as well as C.J. Stroud did last season, but if he passes the eye test and routinely displays an elite skill set resembling Josh Allen or Justin Herbert, then that should be enough to bring back excitement for the Patriots’ fan base. But first, Maye will need to beat out Brissett for the starting job in training camp. 

Worst-case scenario: Patriots go back and forth with Maye, Brissett 

If the Patriots are rotating quarterbacks again, which they did with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe the past few seasons, that would probably be an indicator that Maye wasn’t ready to start and the team is enduring another rough season. It will be up to Mayo on when to start Maye, a situation that could become difficult if he decides to go with Brissett in the season opener. In this scenario, Mayo would face public pressure and nonstop questions from the media on when he plans to start Maye, especially if the team has a rough start. Ideally, the Patriots would like Maye to make the decision easy, but if he’s not ready to play, maybe sitting him for a year—like Patrick Mahomes and Jordan Love—could be a better option than rotating quarterbacks.   

Head coach-quarterback tandem ranking

No. 32: Jerod Mayo (31) and Drake Maye (30)

The Patriots are starting anew with Mayo and Maye, hoping the duo finds even a modicum of success compared to Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s 20-year run. For New England, 2024 will be great if Mayo and Maye look like keepers, regardless of the win-loss record. —Matt Verderame

Sleeper fantasy pick: Drake Maye

The third pick in the draft, Maye comes with high expectations after two consecutive strong seasons at North Carolina. While Jayden Daniels is the name that comes to mind when we think of a running quarterback among the rookies, Maye gained more than 1,100 yards and had 16 rushing scores in his past two collegiate seasons.  Most rookie quarterbacks who make an impact can do so with their legs, so Maye fits the bill. —Michael Fabiano

Best bet: Patriots under 4.5 wins (+135) at DraftKings

I like this plus-money option for the team with the second-hardest schedule 

in the NFL. Defensive holes, a mediocre offensive line, questions at quarterback, a receiving corps featuring Kendrick Bourne, Hunter Henry, and rookie wideouts Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, and a new coach all point to value on the under. —Jen Piacenti

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

The Patriots’ Post–Bill Belichick Front Office Is Finally Taking Shape

The Patriots’ Post–Bill Belichick Front Office Is Finally Taking Shape

We’re into the month of the schedule being released and spring practices (aka OTAs) starting, so let’s get into it …

 

• The New England Patriots’ expectation, I believe, is coming closer to reality, with the team honing in on finalizing its football operations structure for 2024.

With the blessing of the league office, New England punted on hiring a “primary football executive” in January. That role had been filled by coach Bill Belichick, was vacated upon his firing and wasn’t conferred over to Belichick’s replacement on the coaching side, Jerod Mayo. The idea from ownership here, as we explained in January, was to do a thorough vetting of the football operation as it stood, before making big-picture decisions post-draft.

Why? Well, because the Krafts felt like, to a large degree, Belichick’s shadow had been cast for years over capable people in the scouting department. From the selection of N’Keal Harry over Deebo Samuel and A.J. Brown in the first round in 2019, to a mass exodus of personnel folks right around that time, it was apparent to ownership that Belichick’s decisions didn’t always jibe with the evaluations of his scouts.

So Robert and Jonathan Kraft resolved to give the guys in-house, whom they liked, a chance to show what they had without that shadow enveloping them. They moved Eliot Wolf—son of Hall of Fame executive Ron Wolf, and with experience as the No. 2 with two different franchises—into the top role, leapfrogging him over director of player personnel Matt Groh with the belief that Wolf was best prepared and suited for a GM-type of job.

As such, Wolf got a three-month audition to show what he had, with Groh and Pat Stewart, who came up in the Patriots’ system, and was a top exec in Carolina under Matt Rhule and Scott Fitterer, as his top lieutenants. And the Krafts did leave a breadcrumb out there for anyone who wanted it, authorizing the hire of Alonzo Highsmith, who came up with Wolf in Green Bay, and went with him to work for John Dorsey in Cleveland.

And now, all signs are pointing toward Wolf landing the job in New England, to the degree where the Patriots have been turned down by prospective candidates with other teams that they’ve sought to interview (such as Buffalo’s Terrance Gray and Cincinnati’s Trey Brown), with those candidates leery that this is a done deal.

The truth being that it probably is.

• The one other detail on that to watch is how they handle the new primary football executive’s title. This will be Kraft’s 33rd season owning the Patriots, and he’s never had a general manager in title. Bobby Grier, Scott Pioli, Nick Caserio, Dave Ziegler and Matt Groh all entered the top scouting role under the title of director of player personnel. Grier and Pioli eventually ascended to vice president of the player personnel.

The last Patriots GM was Patrick Sullivan, the son of then owner Billy Sullivan. He held the title from 1983 to ’91.

Now, there would be a very real and functional reason to give someone like Wolf the title. Doing it would allow for the team to hire an assistant GM, and that title allows you to poach from another team without the other team having to let such a person out of their contract. So theoretically, the Patriots could use the GM interviews to search for an assistant GM, then use that assistant GM title to pull the candidate away from another organization.

If the Patriots were to do something like that, it’d be smart to look toward the Packers’ organization, and maybe someone like director of pro scouting Richmond Williams, to find guys who’d fit under Wolf.

• Great news from Cincinnati, where the Bengals released video of Joe Burrow, back from surgery on his throwing wrist, spinning the ball as he normally would (albeit with a sleeve over his right arm) inside the team’s practice bubble. He also told the team website that the timetable has allowed for him to have a relatively normal offseason, since he wouldn’t be throwing in earnest until OTAs, which is when he usually ramps things up anyway.

My understanding is that, through two days of throwing on-site, his velocity and deep range have been normal, and he’s in great shape, while there is a little rust and the team is monitoring his workload. I’d expect the Bengals to be careful with their franchise quarterback (with rest days, etc.), especially since he somehow still hasn’t had a full and normal offseason as a pro. Burrow lost time to ACL rehab in 2021, appendicitis in ’22 and a calf injury last summer.

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck

Beck will be returning to Georgia for a fourth season.

Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

• Every year, there’s a lot of noise in May over who the top quarterbacks will be in the following year’s draft. This year is no different. And sometimes, it can be tough to decipher what’s real, and what’s not (remember Spencer Rattler’s “stock” in the summer of 2021).

So I’d just say looking at the names, the guy I’ve heard the most real, genuine, this-guy-could-make it buzz in a class that looks just so-so right now is Georgia's Carson Beck. Scouts visiting Athens in November were alerted to the reality that he was almost certainly returning to school for a fourth season. But at that point, there was a thought that he could be taken in the top half of the first round in 2024. Making the idea of that real for ’25.

Obviously, we’ll be talking plenty about guys such as Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Texas’s Quinn Ewers too.

• The addition of Tyler Boyd to the Titans’ roster is a sharp one for Brian Callahan, who was together with the veteran receiver in Cincinnati. Every new head coach is well-served to have people who know the program, and the coach’s expectations, coming in. And until now, Callahan had only Chidobe Awuzie coming over from the Bengals with him.

That Boyd’s a pro’s pro only adds to the logic of the signing.

• It’s worth mentioning here, given the battle royale that’s ensued between college all-star games over the past few years, that the Senior Bowl remains at the top of the heap. Among the players who at least participated in practices at the various all-star games, the Senior Bowl had 25 of the 26 guys taken in the first two rounds (including all 10 first-rounders), and a 45-5-1 edge over the East/West Shrine Bowl and Hula Bowl, respectively, over the first four rounds.

Also, the one Hula Bowler taken in the first four rounds, Boston College CB and Arizona Cardinals third-rounder Elijah Jones, was a late injury add to the Senior Bowl, meaning he’d been high on their list. So … good job by Jim Nagy and the folks in Mobile on all of that.

• The Panthers added Rashaad Penny to a crowded running back group that already has Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard, which, rightfully, raised some question on the readiness of second-round pick Jonathon Brooks, who tore his ACL in November as a Texas junior.

My understanding is that Brooks will be held out of spring drills, with the expectation that he’s cleared on July 1, and starts training camp on a pitch count. That should give him a chance to play from the start of his rookie year, though he’ll have fewer early opportunities to make an impression on new coach Dave Canales and his staff. (It is worth noting that Penny was with Canales in Seattle for the first five years of his career.)

• Keep an eye on Chiefs fourth-rounder Jared Wiley. Some saw him as a top guy in the tight end group behind Brock Bowers in his class, and he turned some heads at the team’s rookie minicamp (his raw size and hands stood out). Plus, he’ll get to learn from a pretty good one.

• Not for nothing, I think the Vikings are pretty comfortable with Sam Darnold playing quarterback, which gives them flexibility with J.J. McCarthy. I’d also expect that Kevin O’Connell will have a detailed set of markers for McCarthy to hit as he tries to compete to become the starter. So if he does, that’s great news for the team. And if he hits the normal rookie speedbumps, that’s O.K. too, with Darnold in tow.

• Justin Simmons is one current free agent I’d be calling if I were a team.

Mics Caught Tom Brady's NSFW Response to Jeff Ross's Joke About Robert Kraft

Mics Caught Tom Brady’s NSFW Response to Jeff Ross’s Joke About Robert Kraft

Tom Brady was a good sport during Sunday night's roast of the seven-time Super Bowl champion on Netflix, as the retired NFL quarterback laughed at many of the barbs thrown his way by comedians, ex-teammates and former opponents—and even told some good zingers himself.

But Brady was not a fan of every joke.

When comedian Jeff Ross told a joke about the 2019 massage parlor scandal involving New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Brady was not pleased, and the three-time MVP proceeded to walk up to Ross to let him know not to say anything about the incident.

Netflix mics caught Brady's NSFW message to Ross.

Ross, imitating Brady in a conversation the longtime Patriots QB had with Kraft after the 2000 NFL draft, said, " 'I'm the best decision your organization has ever made.' "

Ross, then playing Kraft, responded.

" 'Would you like a massage?' "

After Ross was finished with the joke, Brady could be seen speaking into the comedian's ear.

"Don't say that s**t again," Brady said.

Kraft, owner of the Patriots since January of 1994, became embroiled in controversy when he was hit with two charges of soliciting another to commit prostitution after police surveillance videos of the NFL owner at a massage parlor in Jupiter, Fl surfaced. The Patriots owner was cleared of the charges, but it's apparent that it's still a sore subject for Brady.