New Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt met with the media on Tuesday morning prior to the Patriots final OTA practice. Van Pelt answered several questions including ones on the quarterback competition.
Van Pelt made it clear. Veteran Jacoby Brissett is the team’s starter. For now.
“Jacoby, again, is our starter. He’s playing excellent football for us in the spring. And Drake is coming on. Until that changes, we’re going to stick with what we’ve got.”
It is no surprise that Brissett is considered the starting quarterback. It was the expectation that he would be the team’s starting quarterback when he signed. Brissett will be the starter until rookie first round pick Drake Maye is ready. When that time comes, Brissett will turn the reigns over to Maye.
Brissett’s knowledge of Van Pelt’s offensive system from their time together in Cleveland gives him the upper hand. At least for now.
When and if there is a time in the near future where a decision has to be made, Van Pelt said that it will be a collective decision.
“It’ll be a combination of a couple things when those decisions are made and they’ll be made together as a group with (vice president of player personnel) Eliot (Wolf) and coach Mayo. But when that time comes, we’ll see. There is no timetable on when that time comes.”
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo reiterated on Tuesday that he is pleased with the development of Maye so far this spring but gave no indication on when he thinks the rookie will play.
“He’s doing well. He’s headed in the right direction. A lot of times people think it’s this longitudinal, just straight line up to the top, and realistically, it’s up and down, up and down, up and down. But hopefully, you end up still – from left to right – going in the right direction. So, he’s doing well. You guys, I’m sure, will evaluate him today at practice.”
Maye has certainly gained confidence. He got all of the second team reps at today’s practice. Last week he was behind Bailey Zappe but he it appears like Maye might have leapfrogged Zappe. We will get a better idea if that is in fact the case in next week’s mini camp.
For now it is Brissett’s team. How long that lasts remains to be seen. For the first time since they drafted Maye in late April, you get the sense his timeline might be sped up. He might be ahead of schedule.
If that’s the case. He could be your week one starter. It still is a long shot but after today’s practice, Maye is catching on and further along than the Patriots thought he might be. We have a legitimate quarterback competition on our hands.