Drake Maye is the quarterback of the future, and most Patriots fans are in agreement about that. Of course, he'll need to continue to improve on last season's performance, but he built a good base with 17 total touchdowns to 10 interceptions last year. The team around him has improved dramatically, and he's due for a leap in 2025.
Despite Maye's potential, there are still some concerns. He won just one game he started and finished last year, a 19-3 win over Caleb Williams's Bears. Maye put up middling numbers that game, though, throwing for just 184 yards with a TD and an INT to his name, completing 60% of his passes.
A concerning asterisk to put on the former UNC star's encouraging season was his pair of injuries. Against the Jets, he was sidelined with a concussion, and he missed time against the Chargers with a head injury as well. A significant aspect of this came through his somewhat reckless scrambling style, which Josh McDaniels and his team will likely work on with him.
The Patriots have room to add more help to their roster, maybe even another QB
Here's to hoping Maye can stay healthy, but in the event injuries persist, could adding a backup quarterback make sense?
There's been plenty of talk throughout the offseason surrounding the "need" for the Patriots to acquire another veteran for the quarterback room. Maye, Josh Dobbs, and UDFA Ben Wooldridge currently occupy the QB room. Now, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox suggests a handful of backup quarterbacks that could be on the move. Does it make sense for the team to pursue one?
Knox suggests some players with real name value, but two names stand out as more Patriot-friendly options than the rest: Jameis Winston and Taylor Heineke. Each is in their own position battles at the moment. Winston is battling with Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart for their orders on the depth chart. Heineke will face off against Trey Lance to backup Herbert in LA. Acquiring each player could make sense, but for different reasons.
There's no reason to add a player who would heighten speculation about Maye's future
New England's quarterbacks look a lot different this season compared to last. Jacoby Brissett walked in free agency, and Joe Milton was traded to eliminate any unnecessary pressure on Maye. Given that Maye is still developing, adding competent backup QB play without unnecessary pressure should be the top priority. With Brissett last season and Dobbs now, the organization has done just that.
In 2023, Dobbs played more extensively than he ever had before, totaling 19 touchdowns in 13 games. He played better than expected, but in the event of a long-term injury, he shouldn't be expected to garner large win totals. Heineke is likely in the same category.
Heineke has had a sound career as a backup, and it's hard to imagine him being traded by the Chargers. Now, Jim Harbaugh values possession football, and Trey Lance doesn't offer that in the same way Heineke does. While a late-round pick might be enough for the Chargers to bite if Lance impresses in camp, would the Patriots be better off by trading for a player worse than the former Niner? I'd wager not.
There are some solid options, but other positions should be considered over quarterback
During the Mac Jones years, Patriots fans complained about the lack of entertaining football. Maye alleviated that feeling, but should he go down with an injury, the entertainment value and win percentage will drop. While at the moment, a move wouldn't make sense, Jameis Winston would be an excellent candidate for a trade should Maye struggle with a long-term injury. From his first start against the Ravens, he averaged nearly 300 passing yards a game, and passed for 497 yards in a loss to the Broncos.
A move for Jameis now would be foolish. The pressure would be unnecessary to put on Maye, and Winston wouldn't play unless an injury were incurred anyway. But, in the event of such an injury, Winston could be a name to keep an eye out for at the midseason mark.
For now, a trade in the quarterback room seems unnecessary: Maye and Dobbs are a solid top two. Heineke and Winston could be names to keep an eye on, but moving draft capital for a backup seems a redundant move for now.