FOXBORO, Mass. — Mike Vrabel has a plan for Drake Maye. For the younger quarterback, who’s coming off a promising rookie season, it’s much less about particular footwork and probably not — no less than but — about reads, processing or mechanics.
Vrabel, formally now the top coach of the New England Patriots, has been round sufficient quarterbacks to know what success at that place ought to look and sound like. And that’s the place he thinks he can most assist the 22-year-old Maye.
“Drake goes to be his personal individual, however I’m going to provide him some issues that I really feel like are mandatory to assist us win soccer video games,” Vrabel mentioned throughout his introductory information convention Monday.
Left unsaid through the pomp of Vrabel’s massive day is what his presence subsequent to Maye solidifies. Even when the Patriots have loads of different points that require fixing, they consider they’ve their coach and quarterback for years to return, an important pairing in skilled sports activities. They haven’t had that since no less than Mac Jones’ rookie season (with Invoice Belichick) in 2021, maybe since Tom Brady had a locker at Gillette Stadium.
In a league that’s all in regards to the head coach and quarterback, it’s OK that the Patriots’ to-do checklist is lengthy and troublesome. Nothing actually issues till you’ve the proper coach and quarterback. Now the Patriots really feel they’ve each.
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There’s a protracted option to go for each Vrabel and Maye to make this work the way in which the Patriots envision, nevertheless it’s additionally truthful to notice there are most likely not too many different coach-quarterback pairs you’d little doubt take over Vrabel and Maye for the following 5 years. That’s to not anoint them the second coming of Belichick and Brady. Nevertheless it’s the one cause that amid so many different points, there’s a whole lot of optimism proper now in New England.
“Put nice individuals round him,” Vrabel mentioned of his plan for Maye. “I’d say that my involvement shall be because it pertains to recreation administration and situational consciousness and the place we’re on the soccer discipline and attempting to develop him as a pacesetter of the offense. When a quarterback calls the play, you need to say it like all people’s going to consider that it’s going to attain a landing — like with that kind of emphasis on how every part goes to function.”
Mike Vrabel on growing @DrakeMaye2 and the Patriots offense. pic.twitter.com/k3gisgBG97
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 13, 2025
It sounds wild given how dangerous the Patriots have been the previous couple of years and the state of the roster, however there most likely aren’t many pairings extra promising over the following 5 years than Vrabel and Maye. The Chiefs, Bengals, Payments, Ravens, Chargers and 49ers have strong arguments for a greater pairing. However the Patriots may very well be within the subsequent tier with the Texans, Eagles and Lions.
Maybe one of many slights on the duo may very well be that Vrabel’s passing offenses with the Titans by no means put up gaudy numbers. Throughout their 11-win season in 2020, they ranked twenty third in passing yards. After they gained 12 video games the following yr, they ranked twenty fifth. However that may ignore their effectivity. In these two years, they ranked third and sixth in passing success fee.
For his half, Vrabel tried to place to relaxation the considerations that he’s at all times had run-first offenses, which doesn’t appear supreme for a promising younger quarterback.
“We now have to be a really environment friendly passing soccer group,” Vrabel mentioned. “Whenever you have a look at statistically what wins within the Nationwide Soccer League, our skill to have an effect on the opposite group’s quarterback and our skill to supply for an environment friendly quarterback and passing recreation is a excessive contributor to success.”
After all, Maye’s improvement goes to be largely pinned on whomever Vrabel picks as his offensive coordinator.
Vrabel mentioned that call isn’t near being made but and that the Patriots will do a full search to fill out their teaching workers.
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“That’s removed from solidified,” he mentioned. “We need to put the most effective, (most) gifted coaches in entrance of our gamers. … I need the gamers to embrace what each coach is instructing. I’ll inform you this, so long as I’m the top coach right here, our coaches may have three easy jobs — they usually sound easy, however they’re most likely not so simple as we need to make them be. They need to educate, they need to develop they usually need to encourage our gamers by making a connection.”
On at the present time, a celebratory one in entrance of a slew of microphones and cameras, Vrabel appeared to have all the appropriate particulars and solutions all the way down to the three duties for his assistant coaches.
On Day 1, he introduced stability and respectability to a franchise badly in want of it. And within the course of, he’s paired now with Maye to provide the Patriots assurances on the two most necessary spots in constructing an NFL group.
(Images: Eric Canha and Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Photos)