“Less of a question and more of a comparison: Why should all four quarterbacks have a shot at starting this season? As well as which will be the starter vs. who should be the starter.” ~ @AidenHolloran
NFL fans love to debate. It is in our nature to protect the image of our favorite teams and players. That being said, every Patriots fan has their own opinion regarding who New England’s starting quarterback should be come Week 1 of the regular season. For the beginning of this week’s Patriots mailbag, I will be searching for one main argument for every quarterback, giving a reason as to why they should be the starter in 2024.
Jacoby Brissett – Experienced veteran who can aid in the development of surrounding offensive pieces.
Brissett was brought to New England to be a bridge/mentor quarterback for 2024 third overall selection, Drake Maye. If Maye is not ready to be the starter come Week 1, Brissett’s job is to hold down the fort until Maye is ready to take over.
In the instance where Maye is not fit to command a developing offense, Brissett is a reliable, low-end starter who possesses the football IQ to lead a young and revamped offense that will be searching for an identity in 2024.
Additionally, with stable quarterback play comes the development of surrounding offensive pieces; maybe rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk gains a rhythm early in his career and has a great rookie season, or maybe the offensive line begins to mold into a reliable group that is ready to protect Maye later in the season.
Drake Maye – Giving the rookie, and potential franchise quarterback, NFL reps with the new generation offense.
Maye progressed considerably throughout New England’s spring practices, garnering attention from head coach Jerod Mayo on multiple occasions, as well as other members of the coaching staff. If Maye’s progression continues at the rate we saw in the spring, he will undoubtedly be in heavy contention to start for New England come Week 1.
Starting Maye early in his career creates a substantial opportunity for growth in chemistry with his young pass-catchers as well as the offensive line (if, during the summer, coach Scott Peters is able to fix some of the hiccups the group experienced in 2023). Developing this chemistry early on can improve Maye’s confidence and play on the field as he trusts the pieces surrounding him, which may also attract offensive talent from outside of the organization during next year’s free agency period.
Bailey Zappe – Deserving of another chance to lead a more competent roster.
Some may argue that Bailey Zappe’s chance to show that he could be New England’s starting quarterback was unfair to him, given the lackluster offensive talent he had to work with. The offensive line had health and inconsistency issues, and there wasn’t a reliable pass-catcher outside of DeMario Douglas, all while the coaching staff was experiencing internal controversy.
Now, under new management, there has been a significant shift in the organization’s desire to bring in offensive talent, with the organization drafting a league-high seven offensive players in the 2024 NFL draft and showing the will to spend $20M+ annually on then-free agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
An improved roster with greater offensive talent than in years past and a well-connected coaching staff could be just what Bailey Zappe needs to regain his confidence and receive a fair opportunity.
Joe Milton III – Elite arm strength and developmental tools that offer valuable starting upside.
Milton has one of the most impressive arms in the 2024 draft class, being able to throw a football up to around 80 yards in effortless fashion. Milton throws with a lot of velocity, which makes it easier for him to fit balls into tight windows and hit the middle of the field.
However, Milton does struggle with accuracy when attempting to change the cadence of his throws, which can cause him to be inconsistent with his ball placement. Milton’s mechanics can be an issue, but his raw arm talent paired with his size (6’5″, 246 lb) can make for an entertaining experience if he can put it all together.
Who will vs. who should be the starter?
This question depends on what we see later this summer in training camp. That judgment simply cannot be made this early into July given the fact that Drake Maye, in particular, could improve exponentially throughout those summer practices. It would be unfair to judge Maye’s ability to start based on his spring practices.
As of July 7th, Jacoby Brissett seems to be the best option to start for New England come Week 1. However, if Maye continues improving at the trajectory we saw in the spring, he could win the starting job within the first couple weeks of training camp. Which I, for one, believe will happen.
“What do you see happening with Marte Mapu this year? What will happen at the free safety spot?” ~ @Badash04
I think Marte Mapu will play a similar role to what he did in 2023, but this year in an expanded role. One of the reasons Mapu was drafted by Bill Belichick in last year’s draft was to utilize his mobility to cover a lot of ground, which he is excellent at, being able to drop back into coverage when needed, run sideline-to-sideline, and rush to the line of scrimmage to help stuff the run.
However, Mapu also has a big enough frame to cover opposing tight ends with effectiveness, which we saw in Week 15 of last season as Mapu was a disruption to Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce on multiple occasions. We may see him play in the box more often.
Mapu was a LB/S hybrid last season, and I expect that to be the same in 2024, with him seeing significant reps at both positions. New England added stability at free safety this off-season, signing a more traditional free safety in veteran Jaylinn Hawkins and drafting CB Marcellas Dial, who I think can see a lot of success playing deep zone coverage. These signings may raise questions about whether or not the coaching staff fully believes in Mapu starting at free safety consistently.
Nonetheless, Marte Mapu should be more involved this upcoming season and most likely will see those increased reps.
“How’s the kicker competition in New England going?” ~ @maddjestor
After kicker Chad Ryland struggled in his rookie campaign in 2023, the Patriots decided to find some stability by signing veteran kicker Joey Slye. The 28-year-old has had stints with the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, and most recently, the Washington Commanders.
Throughout the occasions both kickers have seen reps in the spring practices open to the media, Ryland has struggled with his accuracy at the intermediate and deep ranges. On the other hand, Slye’s performances have been more consistent and reliable.
Even if Slye misses the cut for the final 53-man roster, he would be a notable candidate to join New England’s practice squad and would have provided much-needed competition for Ryland.
