PATRIOTS NEWS Patriots Rookie Minicamp Thread

[Kasmir]

I think we need to stop using Brady as an example of anything repeatable. Brady is one of one.

Then how about the last pick in the draft (Brock Purdy) beating out the #3 pick (Trey Lance)?

 

[Wozzy]

At least the front office addressed our 3 biggest needs with our first 3 picks. The team obviously prioritized WR in Rd 2 otherwise they may have went after one of the two OTs you mentioned…who knows.

I was happy to see that we had a plan going into the draft and it looked like we adhered to it. We didn’t have a real draft philosophy under BB (a lot of Bill’s drafts felt very haphazard) so this draft felt a little more organized to me at least.

Time will tell if Maye, Polk, Wallace and the rest pan out or not. I’m really looking forward to TC this year just to see the newness at work…fingers crossed.

We’ll see how these players work out over time.

 

[Wozzy]

You could be right that they should have gone OT in round 2, but it’s not that cut and dried. Polk looks like a good pick, and there wasn’t another WR taken in the 2nd round except Adonai who we clearly didn’t like, so Polk would likely have been gone by 68. And one of the key underrated moves by Wolf was trading down from 34 to 37 in exchange for a move up from 137 to 110, which got us Baker at 110.
The one head scratcher was the G at 103.

Thing is they could have taken the tackle and traded back up to take Polk if they were so desperate to take a WR. There wasn’t another one taken for fifteen more picks when Adonai was taken. Malachi Corley was taken at the top of the third by the Jests, are we sure Adonai and Corley aren’t better players? Time will tell, but if Baker becomes a better player than Polk and they struggle at LT they will look pretty foolish.

 

[Force Zero Boomer]

Milton also has physical ability that you can’t teach.

The list of elite athletes that failed in pro sports is very, very long. At QB, even elite physical traits and the ability to make all the throws isn’t enough to be special: Jeff George is one example that comes to mind, and he was a #1 pick. If the Pats elect to carry 3 QBs, it’s likely Milton gets cut. He’s probably not going to learn touch and accuracy at his age. I don’t think that’s teachable now. I’m rooting for him, though. I would love to be wrong in this case.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

It was an imperfect draft for us, but still a good draft:
- we stuck at 3 and got our QB, despite pressure to trade down
- we tried to move up from 34 for Legette or Coleman, but landed on our feet by trading down from 34 to 37 and getting 2 promising WR's in Polk & Baker. Maye-Polk-Baker alone make this draft an apparent success.
- taking Wallace at 68 and Robinson at 103 is controversial cause they weren't on anyone's radar and they're apparently going to both play new positions. If they become starters then great, but people are understandably nervous about those picks.
- Dial in the 6th is probably a special teams pick. Not sure what scout was tracking Georgia Military, but the guy is 6' 190 4.46 so we'll see.
- Milton at pick 193 looks like a very good gamble. He's a little older at 24 but if he were 23 nobody would even mention his age. All I see in his clips is a talented thrower and runner, I think he's gonna be good. Biggest concern is how is he going to get experience?
- Bell at TE makes plays, seems like a Jonnu Smith type.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

The list of elite athletes that failed in pro sports is very, very long. At QB, even elite physical traits and the ability to make all the throws isn’t enough to be special: Jeff George is one example that comes to mind, and he was a #1 pick. If the Pats elect to carry 3 QBs, it’s likely Milton gets cut. He’s probably not going to learn touch and accuracy at his age. I don’t think that’s teachable now. I’m rooting for him, though. I would love to be wrong in this case.

He's 24, not 27. A lot of guys were delayed a year due to Covid in 2020, and I think his age is being way overemphasized.

I keep hearing how inaccurate he is, but his clips look good, his completion percentage and TD/Int numbers were good last year. He runs well, and throws on the run well.

I think people are underestimating him.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I thought this was an interesting Q&A from Lazar. He talks about how AVP is trying to change Maye's footwork on shotgun snaps and the belief that Maye will be playing around week 8.

Patriots Mailbag: What is OC Alex Van Pelt's Plan as the 'Lead Guy' in Drake Maye’s Development?

 

[Force Zero Boomer]

He's 24, not 27. A lot of guys were delayed a year due to Covid in 2020, and I think his age is being way overemphasized.

I keep hearing how inaccurate he is, but his clips look good, his completion percentage and TD/Int numbers were good last year. He runs well, and throws on the run well.

I think people are underestimating him.

I think people on this board are overestimating him. The same thing went down with Cunningham. Long before him, it was Michael Bishop (if you're old enough to remember him). And that's the most likely outcome here, but who knows, maybe we'll hit the lottery. Perhaps this is what it comes down to: I never play the lottery, because I know if I keep playing, the house will get all my money. But in the 6th round, maybe he was worth it. I would have rather had them draft a much younger developmental prospect at another position, or a kicker (Ryland sucks).

 

[Force Zero Boomer]

No. You mis-read my post. Trying to say that by the end of camp when roster decisions have to be made and if Milton performs well and out shines Zapp.. he'll have earned a roster spot over him. We don't know who's the starter right now so no one can say that everything will be competitive.

Okay. This whole discussion seems to come down to two things: how much risk they are willing to take with their rookie QBs and how many QBs they'll carry. If it's little risk, they need Zappe or some other vet backing up Brissette. If they are willing to admit some risk by throwing Maye out there either before he's ready or before the OL proves itself, then they don't need another QB not named Maye or Milton, at least on the 53 man roster. There's a lot of information hidden from me: how much risk they are willing to take, their evaluation of the state of the OL, their evaluations of Maye, Milton, and Zappe, how much they value a roster spot to carry an extra QB, etc. We'll just have to see.

 

[Stu Pidassle]

I truly believe this season is very important. This isn't a throw away year like some have made to be. We've had seemingly throw away years the last 3. The development of maye and the young players, along with being competitive is what the teams goal is. The LT position will all be sorted out in camp. I would seriously doubt our O line could be worse than last seasons.

I agree that this is not a throw away year. To me a throw away year is one where the record is bad and there is no progress towards the future. By that definition this is a very important year for the development of Maye and establishing the new offense. To your point only Mac's rookie year represented some progress, the Cam year, the OC experiment year and Mac's implosion year were truly lost years.

 

[Real fan 02]

Okay. This who discussion seems to come down to two things: how much risk they are willing to take with their rookie QBs and how many QBs they'll carry. If it's little risk, they need Zappe or some other vet backing up Brissette. If they are willing to admit some risk by throwing Maye out there either before he's ready or before the OL proves itself, then they don't need another QB not named Maye or Milton, at least on the 53 man roster. There's a lot of information hidden from me: how much risk they are willing to take, their evaluation of the state of the OL, their evaluations of Maye, Milton, and Zappe, how much they value a roster spot to carry an extra QB, etc. We'll just have to see.

Definitely agree! Is why this training camp is so much worth paying attention too. We have so many questions. You'd think that Brissett being the old wise owl in the room has all the knowledge and experiences. He'd have the advantage wich he does. But he has to go against his own defense wich will test all our QBs I want it to be hard on them. It will only make the compe better. From purely a TALENT standpoint it's Drake, Milton, Brissett and Zapp in that order.

If ... just if... it goes according to how I believe it will.. Drake earns the job in camp, Milton earns a roster spot then Zapp is expendable. Or will be offered a practice squad opportunity. So we'll see as we know anything is possible.

 

[Real fan 02]

I

I agree that this is not a throw away year. To me a throw away year is one where the record is bad and there is no progress towards the future. By that definition this is a very important year for the development of Maye and establishing the new offense. To your point only Mac's rookie year represented some progress, the Cam year, the OC experiment year and Mac's implosion year were truly lost years.

Agree! We had some progress in '21.. in '22 it was self inflicted. I really like that Mayo and wolf are prioritizing the relationship aspect. Because it's vital especially with AVP and Drake. You have to be able to have the relationship with the coaches and players. That will help this new era of patriots to have success on the field. Player's want to be coached.. as a coach you want to challenge your players, but you also have to help them build confidence in their abilities especially young guys.

 

[Sicilian]

Then how about the last pick in the draft (Brock Purdy) beating out the #3 pick (Trey Lance)?

So, two examples in 25 years, the latter of which achieved the same level of success (losing a Super Bowl to the Chiefs) as Jimmy Garropolo did with the same team. Again, what is the point of these comparisons? Milton is a long shot. I don't know why we're treating him as something more than that just because he can throw an orange to the moon.

 

[Stu Pidassle]

So, two examples in 25 years, the latter of which achieved the same level of success (losing a Super Bowl to the Chiefs) as Jimmy Garropolo did with the same team. Again, what is the point of these comparisons? Milton is a long shot. I don't know why we're treating him as something more than that just because he can throw an orange to the moon.

I am hoping for Jimmy G situation with Milton. It is not feasible to keep two starting caliber QB's on the roster for more than a couple of years. Ideally Milton develops into a legitimate NFL QB and Maye is the real deal allowing the team to get back some assets in a trade. In the interim it is healthy to have both to provide depth and healthy competition for Maye.

 

[Kasmir]

So, two examples in 25 years, the latter of which achieved the same level of success (losing a Super Bowl to the Chiefs) as Jimmy Garropolo did with the same team. Again, what is the point of these comparisons? Milton is a long shot. I don't know why we're treating him as something more than that just because he can throw an orange to the moon.

Go back 5 more years and you can add Kurt Warner -- who was undrafted altogether and did win a Superbowl. And hell, in 2000 the team thought Michael Bishop was a better prospect than Tom Brady.

I agree that Milton is a very long shot to even stay in the league. But QB drafting is so unpredictable that sadly there is no guarantee that Maye will make it either. I can't fault the Pats for making another cheap bet in this year's crap shoot.

 

[Wozzy]

Go back 5 more years and you can add Kurt Warner -- who was undrafted altogether and did win a Superbowl. And hell, in 2000 the team thought Michael Bishop was a better prospect than Tom Brady.

I agree that Milton is a very long shot to even stay in the league. But QB drafting is so unpredictable that sadly there is no guarantee that Maye will make it either. I can't fault the Pats for making another cheap bet in this year's crap shoot.

Agree here, the 49ers failed miserably with Trey Lance, but because they took another bite of the apple with Brock Purdy they saved their butts.

 

[Real fan 02]

I am hoping for Jimmy G situation with Milton. It is not feasible to keep two starting caliber QB's on the roster for more than a couple of years. Ideally Milton develops into a legitimate NFL QB and Maye is the real deal allowing the team to get back some assets in a trade. In the interim it is healthy to have both to provide depth and healthy competition for Maye.

Agreed here. Just going by a pure talent standpoint and ability he just has to develop to the NFL game as all rookies have too. There is no real offensive minded football coach out there IMO saying "nah.. I don't want the guy with the rocket arm to develop ".. malarkey.

The guy signed his rookie deal. I believe he makes the roster. Talent is what gets you an opportunity to play in the league. The hard work is what will keep you there.

 

[The Gr8est]

Okay. This whole discussion seems to come down to two things: how much risk they are willing to take with their rookie QBs and how many QBs they'll carry. If it's little risk, they need Zappe or some other vet backing up Brissette. If they are willing to admit some risk by throwing Maye out there either before he's ready or before the OL proves itself, then they don't need another QB not named Maye or Milton, at least on the 53 man roster. There's a lot of information hidden from me: how much risk they are willing to take, their evaluation of the state of the OL, their evaluations of Maye, Milton, and Zappe, how much they value a roster spot to carry an extra QB, etc. We'll just have to see.

We need to also consider that once Maye is starting and we have an offense suited to his skills, who is better able to enter a game and x run Maye’s offense, Milton or Zappe?

Milton will be able to make throws that Zappe can’t.

Now we will also need to consider other factors like ball security, but Zappe running the Maye offense will need to be altered to account for the lesser arm.

 

[Force Zero Boomer]

So, two examples in 25 years, the latter of which achieved the same level of success (losing a Super Bowl to the Chiefs) as Jimmy Garropolo did with the same team. Again, what is the point of these comparisons? Milton is a long shot. I don't know why we're treating him as something more than that just because he can throw an orange to the moon.

When you're in love, you tend to overlook faults, even critical ones. You are bedazzled by her beauty, smile and sense of humor, but don't see her toxic narcissism and selfishness. If someone points out the faults, you dismiss the criticism or convince yourself the faults can be fixed -- because you're in love. Some folks here are in love with Milton, bedazzled by unreal arm strength and excellent athleticism. Here's to hoping he doesn't let them down.

 

[Force Zero Boomer]

We need to also consider that once Maye us starting and we have an offense suited to his skills, who is better able to enter a game and x run Maye’s offense, Milton if Zappe.

Milton will be able to make throws that Zappe can’t.

Now we will also need to consider other factors like ball security, but Zappe running the Maye offense will need to be altered to account for the lesser arm.

Zappe can make throws Milton can't: anything less than 20 yards. But, we're getting way ahead of ourselves. It might even not be Zappe. What if it's Joe Flacco or some other vet? At this point I'm ready to withdraw from this discussion because there are just too many unknowns. There are two absolute, 100% "knowns" at QB: Brissette and Maye. Both make the team without question, barring a major injury that puts someone on IR for the year. Everything else depends on a lot of unknown factors. The Pats picked Milton, I want him to succeed, but it's not a given that he makes the team.