Patriots Mailbag: Defining ‘success,' Drake Maye scenarios and more

Week 1 of the NFL season is upon us, which means it's time for the return of the mailbag.

Do the Patriots have a chance against the Bengals in Cincinnati? What can be done about the state of the offensive line? We tackle those topics and much more in a fresh Patriots mailbag entering Sunday's season opener.

Let's get right to it...

@qualitysmoke: "With a plethora of sub-par offensive tackles and a dearth of blocking tight ends and a desperate need to protect the QB and run the ball, do you anticipate much JUMBO OL formations with a 6th lineman, which I think AVP did run some times in Cleveland."

Great question, QS. I could see the Patriots using an extra offensive lineman on early downs quite a bit. They are a team that's going to base a significant portion of their identity in their ability to run the football, so tossing an extra 300-pound body onto the field in order to achieve that is a real possibility.

Would they lose the element of surprise? Do a degree, yes, because they're going to be less likely to throw the football with that personnel grouping on the field. But considering they've already informed the football-watching world of their plans to ground and pound offensively, leaning on the element of surprise on early downs isn't going to be a big part of their approach. Seemingly.

We saw Michael Jordan (practice squad guard) play as the extra lineman in training camp, but it could be Caedan Wallace, Demontrey Jacobs or Zach Thomas -- all on the active roster -- in that role. (It's mentioning here that Thomas, listed as a tackle on the team's website, has been focusing on the two guard spots since arriving in Foxboro.)

@cannonball2552: What should be consider a successful season from Maye, baker, Polk and the rest of the offense?

Different answers across the board there, Jack.

For Drake Maye, a successful season is one in which he shows signs of being the franchise quarterback they hope he becomes. That means seeing real action, and making the most of whatever real action he receives.

The primary goal for Maye should be to develop to the point that he's ready to lead an offense in 2025 that's ready to contend for the postseason. Thus, in order for 2024 to be deemed a success, in my opinion, he'll have to show signs that he's on track to do the things the organization hopes he'll be able to do in Year 2.

For Polk, a successful season is, in my opinion, proving himself to be a starting-caliber wideout. For Baker, a successful season means getting a role on game days. They are two players in different situations in terms of their readiness and reliability at the moment, therefore the standards by which they're judged should be different.

A successful season for the rest of the offense? Produce a watchable product.

Don't be near the bottom of the league in points scored, turnovers and penalties. Improve as the season progresses. Show competency in the running game, in particular, since it's tied to the team's ability to establish what it wants to be from a philosophical standpoint.

Those are low bars, but if the Patriots are able clear them, I think that could be considered a success given what they put on the field last year and where their personnel sits on paper relative to the rest of the NFL.

@MRyan_10: With a top 5 pick in the draft are you going Tet McMillan or Will Campbell. Their refusal to truly address both those positions could be settled next offseason, but which do you address in free agency and which do you address with a top 5 pick.

Give me the lineman. Those guys are rare and hard to find beyond the top half of the first round. The same is not true at receiver. Will Campbell (LSU's left tackle for those not yet onto the 2025 NFL Draft) looks like the real deal.

@KingofFantasy15: Who has Brissett had a better relationship with wide receivers wise?

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone in the locker room who doesn't feel like they have a good relationship with Jacoby Brissett. But I do think it's worth pointing out that he spent a large portion of the summer with DeMario Douglas (no surprise there), Tyquan Thornton and K.J. Osborn (maybe bigger surprises) in his offensive huddle.

If the Patriots are in 11 personnel packages early on Sunday, don't be shocked to see that trio on the field. Thornton's speed and Osborn's savvy (not to mention his familiarity with this type of offense coming from the West Coast-inspired Vikings) make them preferred options for the coaching staff.

Ja'Lynn Polk should have an early role as well, but the extent of his role remains to be seen. The Patriots could end up using both Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper frequently, meaning the offense would likely lean on two receivers, further pairing down the rotation there.

@OutfortheS: The assumption is that Maye is ready to start; there are a lot of insults being thrown Mayo’s way based on this. But preseason is not regular season. Based on what you’ve observed, how ready is he REALLY? If he started, would we be getting Burrow…or Lawrence?

Your definition of "ready" seems to be the question here. It'll differ from person to person, but the Patriots have deemed Drake Maye ready enough to be their backup. Meaning they think he's ready enough to be one snap away from playing meaningful snaps. I agree with them.

He can get through a game from a mental standpoint, based on everything I've heard about his football IQ, his recall, and how he processes what he's seeing. Additionally, his physical skill set is such that even if he's unsure of what he's seeing he'll be able to execute certain types of plays that others can't.

Now, should the Patriots want to play Maye over Brissett just because he can get through a game at this point? Not necessarily. They should want him to be as close to fully-baked as possible before exposing him to NFL defenses -- especially with an offensive line that has yet to coalesce. That would be doing the best thing for his development, which in turn is the best thing for the future of the franchise.

@Soxnation0613: Is there a scenario where draft positioning may dictate if or when drake maye plays?

I don't think so. Maye will play when A) he's made it abundantly clear that he's ready to compete in games at a high level, B) Jacoby Brissett's play dips to a point where Maye would represent a clear upgrade, or C) if Brissett becomes unavailable.

One (or more than one) of those may happen before draft position becomes a real conversation.

@patsfan4life129: Watching college ball.. I noticed many an Oline lining up in the backfield. Who should adjust.. The college rules or the NFL?

The rule is that the tackle's head needs to break the imaginary plane coming from the hip of the center. Therefore if you look down the line of scrimmage on Sunday and see Chukwuma Okorafor's head, for example, clearly behind David Andrews' hip, expect to see flags.

@curtfield13: Hey Phil! After a lot of talk about the rookie receivers this summer, what do you see Demario Douglas’ role being this year? Is he a starter in AVP’s offensive scheme? What would a realistic stat line look like for him this season?

Douglas their best offensive player, Curt. In my opinion. Rhamondre Stevenson certainly has an argument to be thought of in that way. Same goes for David Andrews. But in a league that is becoming more and more reliant on finding chunk gains in the passing game without throwing the ball deep down the field -- two-high safety coverages have limited those -- he's their best chance at explosiveness.

Is Douglas a starter if the Patriots dip into their 12-personnel packages to start games? We'll see. That could still be Thornton (at "X") and Osborn (at "Z"), but he should be their most frequently-targeted player in the passing game whether he starts or not.

@CelticsPride86: Nearly every analyst predicts a bottom 5 record this season, mainly due to OL. If the Patriots magically acquired (without giving anything up) the best pair of OT in the NFL right now:

• Would Maye be the starting QB?
• What would your final record prediction be?

I'll play your game, Lloyd. If they had acquired Trent Williams, I think Drake Maye would start. And I'd pick them to finish closer to .500.

They still have plenty of uncertainty at the receiver spot, and they'd be starting a rookie quarterback. Hard to suddenly thrust them into the playoffs based on one (ridiculously good) addition. But it would help.

@LereimTrygve: The Judon trade suggests a re-build strategy for the Patriots (being fine getting a good draft position). Do you agree, and if so do you expect other veterans to be traded?

Trading Matthew Judon had everything to do with solving a problem that needed solving (he wasn't playing here on a deal that the front office wasn't willing to adjust to his liking) and picking up an asset to build for the future. Will it impact winning games and therefore give them better draft position? It very well could. But I don't think that was the primary motivation.  

@Kodiva22: Will we learn anything about this team after G1 vs Bengals? I am hopeful that we see some sense of cohesiveness with oline and all- coaching… am I too optimistic this early?

We're about to learn quite a bit, Karen! How does Jerod Mayo handle in-game situations? What does the line look like? Who is on the line? Can the Patriots defense live up to the hype, holding their own against what is widely expected to be one of the most efficient offenses in football (star wideout Ja'Marr Chase returned to practice Wednesday)? Learning, learning, learning. 

@BrayallPatrick: What’s the update on the strength and conditioning program? The Patriots utilized heavy lifting for a long time. Has the program evolved under new leadership? Could have big injury implications

The program is now run by Deron Mayo (Jerod's brother), who has been the assistant strength coach in Foxboro since 2018. I'll have more on this soon, but they're still lifting heavy. Squatting heavy, specifically.

How they handle their business in the weight room matters a great deal to new leadership, as was the case under old leadership. It's a culture thing and an identity thing. If they're going to be a tough team, they need to show it on the field and inside the facility.

"Toughness, for me, is important," Jerod Mayo said Wednesday. "The first place you see toughness is in the weight room. That's the first place where you can see if your team is tough or not." 

@Kaos_Be4st: Hey Phil, I hope all is well. What is your ideal O-Line rotation, and can we hope for mediocrity out of this group?

In my opinion, their best line is Chukwuma Okorafor at left tackle, Sidy Sow at left guard, David Andrews at center, Layden Robinson at right guard and Mike Onwenu at right tackle. Something close to that may be what we see on Sunday.

Vederian Lowe was the top left tackle earlier this summer, but he's been banged up and the possibility exists he may not be ready for Cincinnati. Nick Leverett will likely be filling in for Sow (ankle) at left guard Week 1. (Sow was in street clothes for Wednesday's practice.)

They can be a serviceable unit if Okorafor takes to left tackle after spending most of the summer at right tackle. They need more time together, though. There have been a lot of moving pieces lately and expecting them to all be in sync in a few days is expecting too much, in my opinion.

@junkfishjordan: What are your thoughts on grooming Cole Strange to be the David Andrews replacement? He has months of rehab ahead to learn the mental side to set protections, make checks, etc. His size/strength worries at G would be way less of a concern at C, and he's athletic.

It's not a bad idea. But they might need Cole Strange at guard when he's healthy enough to play.