3 dream scenarios for the Patriots in 2024

The Patriots' last dream scenario is to find a solid left tackle

The last dream for 2024 that comes closest to a nightmare is finding or acquiring someone who can play left tackle and give solid protection to rookie quarterback Drake Maye. The Patriots neglected to fill this second-most important position on the team either in free agency or the draft. It was an omission of the highest order.

Currently, they have no experienced left tackles at all on the roster. It's a mistake that may very well tank the 2024 season on its own. Only drafting Maye redeemed a decent offseason grade (B-) for personnel head, Eliot Wolf. Absent that, neglecting to bring in a left tackle would have warranted a straight D grade for the entire offseason.

Possible holders of this critical position are two former right tackles. One is veteran, Chukwuma Okorafor. The other is rookie Patriots' third-round pick, Caedan Wallace. Neither is an experienced left tackle, which bodes ill for the 2024 Patriots fortunes.

However, we're dreaming here, and the rosy wish is that one of those two candidates, or perhaps a surprise acquisition by trade or the waiver wire, miraculously emerges. Otherwise, this dream will become a Nightmare on Route One, and the season will teeter on the brink.

Yet, all may still not be lost, even then. Dream No. One, Drake Maye, as the starting quarterback, can compensate for a whole host of deficiencies. Maye can do it all, including scramble and run, and he'll have to if he's to make chicken salad out of proverbial chicken ... scraps.

These dreams rely on one overarching factor: Drake Maye's ability to perform well as the Patriots' starting quarterback right out of the gate. Maye has the requisite physical skills to excel. If the rookie can use these skills to fashion a successful offense, despite the limited tools he'll have at his disposal, the Patriots can be a winner. It says here that if he plays, they may just be that. We'll see.

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