Are Krafts going too far by seeking help from Maye? Ted Johnson weighs in originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots are all in on developing Drake Maye as their franchise quarterback of the future. And that apparently also includes the involvement of ownership.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported this on Sunday Patriots Pregame Livethe Patriots have been “doing some research in recent weeks” on “how to deal with a young quarterback” like Maye. According to Breer, team owner Robert Kraft and his son, team president Jonathan Kraft, were involved in that investigation.
“The Krafts have been asking people and doing their homework on what the right way to handle a young quarterback is and how they will do that going forward,” Breer said.
The Krafts clearly have good intentions here. They clearly want to avoid a Mac Jones redux — the team traded the young QB just three years after taking him No. 15 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft — and after parting ways with Bill Belichick last offseason, the owner wants there Be confident Maye has the right infrastructure around it.
But if you ask former Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson, there is a downside to the Krafts’ involvement, especially when it’s common knowledge that they seek opinions outside the organization.
“I like that they’re asking around, but I don’t like it coming out,” Johnson said Tuesday Boston Sports Tonightas seen in the video player above. “I think it undermines your offensive coordinator a little bit, and I think it undermines your head coach as well.
“The report is that the Krafts are doing the calling. It really should be the head coach doing the calling. So I’m just concerned about that relationship. Obviously, we’ve all been wondering now that Bill is gone, how much power do we have? the Krafts that? If they’re the ones kind of running this behind the scenes, I think that could be difficult for a young coach and potentially undermine your offensive coordinator.
“…I don’t like it coming out because I think it makes the head coach look bad and it puts a lot more pressure on Alex Van Pelt.”
Again, the Krafts gathering information on how to best support their starting QB isn’t a bad thing on its face. But for Johnson, it’s a matter of optics.
First-year head coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt – as well as de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and the front office – should feel empowered to make the decisions they believe are best for Maye. And even if they Are Strengthened behind the scenes, Breer’s report could at least give the impression that the Krafts are keeping an eye on Mayo, Van Pelt and the front office when it comes to Maye’s development.
The good news for the Patriots is that Maye appears to have some serious potential. The 22-year-old North Carolina product helped New England upset the Chicago Bears last Sunday and showed his leadership skills by addressing the team after a poor practice midweek.
The next step for the Patriots will be upgrading the talent around Maye, and if they find the right pieces, the rebuild in Foxboro could be accelerated.
