Patriots VP Elliot Wolf says starting decision on Drake Maye will be 'collaborative'

This could be either a good or bad thing for Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye, the quarterback who was the third pick of last month’s NFL Draft.

The Patriots don’t plan to force Maye, who signed his rookie contract Tuesday, into the starting job before he’s ready. After rookie camp and the first week of team drills, Jacoby Brissett is QB1. Elliot Wolf, New England’s VP of personnel, said Maye’s development would be a collaborative one.

“I think those will be some important conversations for us to have,” Wolf said on Tuesday’s edition of Up & Adams podcast. “Right now, it’s Jacoby Brissett. He’s taking the first reps. And we’re excited about what he’s shown not only off the field but on the field with his throwing ability.

“Drake Maye, let’s be honest, we’ve had him for three weeks now. There’s a long way to go to for all of our rookies and all of our players as we adapt to this new scheme that coach (Alex) Van Pelt is implementing offensively.

“So we’ll have those conversations as they arise. I’m sure it’s gonna be a collaborative approach as it’s been so far with really all the big decisions that we’ve made. All four of the quarterbacks that we have on the roster right now are working hard and ready to go.”

Movement throwing from Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett.

Off-platform throw from Maye goes SWISH. 🏀🗑️#Patriots pic.twitter.com/mdflLad3y5

— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) May 20, 2024

Patriots probably learned lesson from Mac Jones’ brief tenure

Maybe the Patriots learned a lesson from how they handled Mac Jones, the team’s first-round pick from Alabama in 2021. Jones started immediately, with the team releasing Cam Newton on the final roster cut before the regular season. Jones led New England to a playoff berth and even made the Pro Bowl as an alternate. Then, for whatever reason, Jones regressed. Finally, New England traded him to Jacksonville before the draft for a sixth-round pick.

Wolf was asked if what happened to Jones impacted how the Patriots will handle Maye.

“I would say again every situation is different,” Wolf said. “The main thing that we’ve been able to take away is being able to support not only Drake, but every quarterback we have, just throw every level of support that we possibly can at the quarterbacks. Those are things, whether it’s coaching, whether it’s something off the field, whether it’s virtual reality, whatever the case may be, just really having the willingness to support whoever the quarterback is in every facet that we possibly can.”

Brissett is a journeyman quarterback who is in his second stint with the Patriots. He’s also comfortable starting games. New England selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft. He was third team behind Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo when the season kicked off. But he started two games as a rookie when Brady was serving an NFL suspension and Garoppolo was sidelined by injury.

Brissett, the former NC State star, has 48 starts on his football resume. With new coach Jerod Mayo, the Patriots likely have penciled in this season as a rebuild, so expectations are lower. That could give Maye a more comfortable transition to starter. Plus, the team still has Bailey Zappe, a former starter, and the Patriots drafted former Tennessee star Joe Milton in the sixth round last month.