Drake Maye's appearance on Hard Knocks confirms a lot for the Patriots
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An excerpt from the Hard Knocks show featuring the New York Giants has created a media storm of interest, not in the Giants but in the new Patriots’ rookie quarterback, Drake Maye.
Maye evidently seriously impressed the Giants' brass, including head coach and former Pats’ offensive assistant Brian Daboll. While that shouldn't be a shock, it's still a welcome confirmation of four things about the Pats’ young quarterback that require mention.
Pat’s observers are laboring to drum up reasons why Maye should be moved along slowly, aka babied, rather than being what a third-pick overall should be doing, playing. The Hard Knocks clip serves to dampen those bogus arguments. It’s evident, though, he’s only 21 years old, he’s ready to lead a Patriots offense that needs a lot of help.
Thank you, Giants' for reinforcing four major facts for the Patriots and Patriot Nation. The Patriots need to get the message if they haven't already. It's time for them to face facts and do what needs to be done to set up the 2024 New England Patriots to win.
Two aspects of the now-viral clip that salute the Patriots
The Patriots' 2024 offseason was a mixed bag, getting a grade of B-. Some good moves were made, accompanied by bone-headed ones. The B- was mainly due to their ignoring foolish calls to trade the third pick overall and draft Drake Maye.
Subsequently, they flattened out. But, with Maye, they did exactly what they should have. Now, the
Giants have helped confirm that. They essentially pointed out the Pats were wise to keep that pick, and they wished they’d had it so they could have selected Maye.
The clip solidified another aspect of Maye’s ability to grasp the intricacies of an NFL offense. He also did so in one of the most stressful circumstances possible: a veritable job interview. Maye aced the NFL team’s interview, and even better, it wasn’t even the team that drafted him. Having it now available for all to see confirms an important facet of the pick: Maye is smart enough to understand an NFL offense right now.
The Giants clip going viral confirms that the Patriots drafted the right player. If you're going to do one thing right, doing it with the third overall pick is a great place to do it. The Pats made a great pick (A+++ here), and it's now obvious to everyone. Two additional things should now also be perfectly clear.
Two possible great practical results of the Giants' clip on Drake Maye
There should be no question, and probably isn’t in the minds of any objective NFL observers, that
Drake Maye should start for the Patriots from the outset. Third-picks overall, especially quarterbacks when you need one, are drafted to play, not sit.
You only have that player under your control for four years before his salary could balloon exponentially. The rational thing to do is put him on the field and let him play. All the gobbledygook about ruining players if you don’t have all the "complementary pieces" in place is just nonsense.
A talent with grit who faces adversity will overcome it. If he can't, you move on. The important thing is to find out as soon as possible. Sitting young talent is an excuse for others, not the player. If Maye isn't chomping at the bit to play right now (he surely is), he shouldn’t have been drafted that high in the first place.
The final Giants' clip's gift to the Patriots personnel management is this: You can be certain Drake Maye gives your team its best chance to win. If that’s not your bottom line, what is? Besides being smart, Maye can make any throw, including on the run. (He’ll have to with his porous O-line.)
He’s an accurate passer and does a solid job of protecting the ball. Inculcating ball protection will be Job One for the coaching staff with Maye in camp. The young quarterback is also a true dual threat who runs well, even on scripted plays. This creates more problems for defensive coordinators. Finally, Maye will make his young or mediocre receivers better because of all those attributes.
Those are four solid reasons why the Patriots should be grateful the Giants were on Hard Knocks this year and interviewed Drake Maye. What better confirmation of your draft decision can you get?
Now, you should take that valuable information, filter out all the media hogwash, and roll out Drake Maye as your quarterback from the outset. The rest will take care of itself, one way or another.
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