I've been covering the National Football League for 25 years. Over that time, I've been fortunate to develop excellent relationships with people across the league, from front-office types to coaches to scouts. As that network continues to grow, one of my favorite exercises is to check in with these folks during the offseason to gauge their reactions to what the Patriots have or haven't done. Having the space Greg has provided me has allowed me to share much of that with you over the last year (I just had my first anniversary at BSJ), but there's still plenty of meat on the bone from the off-season, and this seems as good a time as any to put it out there for your consumption.
Let's begin with the Patriots approach to the offensive line.
AFC NORTH SCOUT: "Explain the plan to me again? Is there a plan? And I say this liking some of the pieces. (Mike) Onwenu is a good player. (David) Andrews is a good player. But to think you can take a pair of right tackles (Chuks Okorafor and Caedan Wallace) and turn them into solid left tackles is either really forward-thinking and great scouting or just a piss-poor idea that can really eff up their season. I don't think that gets anyone fired. They obviously know this isn't a one-year rebuild, but I would have focused more on building a wall for the rookie QB, even more so than worrying about pass catchers."
ASSISTANT GM IN THE AFC: "Good tackles are hard to find. And with the way they're coached in college, it's become even more problematic. There's been an erosion of development at the high school and collegiate levels, and then we're tasked with identifying the best of this poorly coached bunch and then turning them into good players at the NFL level. That's not easy. It's why the best offensive line coaches get paid like coordinators (Bill Callahan in Tennessee, Jeff Stoutland in Philly).
"So I understand the challenge Eliot (Wolf) and his staff have to find pieces. I know we liked (Layden) Robinson in the draft process. He could be a long-term fit, especially with the style of offense they'll play under (Alex Van Pelt). I don't see Onwenu as a tackle, and they're rolling the dice on the left side, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and this line won't be either. There's a real chance they're picking in the top 10 again, and this is a good draft for tackles. Let it play out, even though you may suffer in the short term."
NFC ASSISTANT COACH: "Here's what I wonder about: do they have the personnel to run the kind of offense Van Pelt's bringing there? Or do some of the leftover pieces - the guard (Sidy Sow), Onwenu, even Andrews - fit what they're trying to do? And if they don't, you're back in the market for two of three starters (!) next off-season. That's a tough way to live, especially when they're trying to develop (Drake) Maye. If you screw that group up, you can screw up the kid. Do that, and you're out of a job."
When is the right time to play Maye (from the outside looking in)?
COLLEGE SCOUTING DIRECTOR: "We were in the QB market, but more for a second or third-day guy. I still saw plenty of Maye, and let me tell you, the scheme last year at North Carolina wasn't very refined, and the overall skill level around him (Maye) was surprisingly bad for a Mack Brown-recruited team. Maybe the kid (Tez) Walker becomes something at the NFL level, but I came away from their tape thinking Maye was basically on his own. I think there was an overreaction to some of Maye's flaws. A good coach and coaching staff will get that out of him and do it quickly. Then, it comes down to how Maye handles the system's nuances and whether he consistently makes the right decisions. It won't be perfect. It never is, not even for C.J. (Stroud). But there's a strong foundation with Maye's skill set. I don't think it'll be long, and I think he can handle the roller coaster, but I guess time will tell."
AFC ASSISTANT COACH: "Do they feel good about what they've put around him? Do they have faith (Maye) won't get broken by bad times because there will be plenty? That team has some work to do. But if they're confident in that, get him the experience so that he knows what it takes to win at this level and that you learn more about how he operates in this environment. He's about to deal with more scrutiny than he's had in his entire life. Not everyone is going to be nice. Ask Mac Jones about that. Does he have that confidence that borders on cocky? That eff you in him to all the doubters? You may laugh (editor's note: I didn't), but I want my QB to stick it up those people's asses every single day. Give me that guy all day."
NFC ASSISTANT COACH: "Remember that movie - Bad News Bears? Not the original but the sequel. I think of the 'Let them play' chant when I see someone with his talent. Not right away. No, it's fine to let the other guy (Brissett) start the season, but I see it as something akin to what Miami did with Fitz (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and Tua, except Maye has a lot more athleticism and horsepower in his arm."
(Brian Flores benched Fitz six games into Tua's rookie season. The Fins were 3-3, having won two straight, outscoring the opposition 67-17. Another example of feelings not mattering in this league.)
The pairing of Kyle Dugger and Jabril Peppers.
AFC ASSISTANT COACH: "That's not the best safety duo in the league, but it might be the meanest, most physical duo. You put in the tape, and they're in seek-and-destroy mode. Fun pairing.
DANNY DIMES FEELING THE HEAT
Daniel Jones is a full-go for the Giants after missing much of last year with a torn ACL. Jones watched HBO's "Hard Knocks" and saw head coach Brian Daboll lust after a couple of the quarterbacks at the top of the draft (especially Jayden Daniels). Eventually, the team didn't pull the trigger on a trade-up, meaning Jones is still the guy.
"Yeah, I mean, I wasn't fired up about it," Jones said. "But I think it's part of it at this level. What I can do is focus on myself and getting healthy. Play the best football I can play and that I know I'm capable of playing.
"That's my job, and that's what I'm gonna do."
To a certain degree, the Giants did keep Jones in the loop on their interest in adding to the QB room, but most of what he heard was through the rumor mill and conversations with his agent. That included the Giants talking trade with the Patriots to move up to #3 overall and make a move for Drake Maye.
"I wasn't sure what was gonna happen or how it was gonna play out, so I was just watching and waiting to see like everybody else," he said. "I don't think you can take anything personally at this level. How exactly [trade talks] happened and what happened, I'm not sure I know, I'm not sure you know.
"At the end of the day, I'm focused on playing football."
The message to Jones is crystal clear now. With Saquon Barkley gone and no Daniels or Maye on the roster, this is his team, his offense, and his time to stand and deliver, or he will be replaced at year's end.
NEW OC, SAME SETUP
I hope Ken Dorsey has Alex Van Pelt's number.
The Browns new offensive coordinator, hired after Cleveland fired Van Pelt, has the title, but he won't have the keys to the car. Thursday, Kevin Stefanski announced to the gathered media that he would remain the playcaller.
"Any decision I make for our football team, I try to take a lot of information in and listen to a lot of people," he said. "I wanted to get that (announcement) out of the way."
A two-time Coach of the Year, Stefanski and Dorsey split the play-calling duties in the spring. This was after the surprising dismissal of not just Van Pelt but also running back coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney (now the Pats' QB coach). Stefanski also had to replace offensive line coach Bill Callahan, who was allowed to leave and join his son Brian's coaching staff in Tennessee.
"Ultimately, what I feel really, really confident in is our offensive staff," Stefanski said. "I feel really strongly about coach Dorsey and the entire offensive staff, so we will continue to be an operation that works together. It's never been a one-man show.
With Deshaun Watson returning to full health, it is incumbent upon Stefanski, Dorsey, and everyone else to get him back to the level he was at in Houston. If not, Watson's fully guaranteed contract is one of the NFL's biggest blunders, but it's easier to can the coach than the QB.
