FOXBOROUGH - I've lost count of how often we've heard about the Patriots' "plan" for Drake Maye, even if we don't know exactly what that plan entails. For instance, Alex Van Pelt went down that same road Thursday morning.
"He's continuing to grow," said the team's first-year offensive coordinator. "I think the game experience the other night will help him, moving forward, but you know, the plan's in place, and I think we're sitting to see him starting to grow on the practice field as well."
We know part of the plan is the 70/30 rep split between starter Jacoby Brissett and Maye with the first-teamers in practice (I wrote about it yesterday). Brissett feels like that's enough work for him, though he's the only number one quarterback in the league dealing with this rep-share plan (kind of like a co-op). Is it enough for Brissett? And, even more important, is that enough for Maye?
I asked Van Pelt how he's walking the fine line of getting one guy ready to play right now while ensuring the future is growing fast enough that when it's time to make the change, Maye won't look back.
"It's a fine line. It definitely is," acknowledged Van Pelt. "For me, it's all about the Sunday game - who's the starter. I feel like that guy's got to get every opportunity he can. At the same time, you want to develop and bring Drake along. So it's a fine line of deciding, has Jacoby had a thousand reps in that maybe he doesn't need this rep in practice, (such) that we can get Drake some growth there and give him that rep.
"If it's something that new in the system that week, it's a new play, then obviously, we're not going to be able to get Drake that rep. So, it's finding the fine line of what we've had a ton of reps in and what we feel comfortable taking away from Jacoby to give to Drake. But both are ultimately important."
The Pats coaches have seen plenty of growth from their first-round pick, who gets those first-team reps and works with the second-team and scout team. Considering there's usually only one day a week in pads, that time is critical for Maye.
"For me, Drake has improved every day, every week, he's improved," said defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. "I think he's earning the trust and respect of his teammates, which is good and what you need him to do.
"And then we ask every player to do that, try to improve every day, try to be better than what you were yesterday. And I think that's what he's working toward that. I can't speak - offensively - what he's doing or is he making the right reads, all that stuff. I let them do that. But I do know that it seems like he's improving on a week-to-week and day-to-day basis."
Having talked to Maye's teammates in the locker room, you get the sense that they're seeing some of the things that made the 22-year-old the third-overall pick in the draft and that they're seeing that with more consistency than they did at any point this spring or summer. That makes sense, assuming the development is going according to plan (there's that word again). With more experience comes more comfort, and with more comfort comes an ability to play the game faster and let his highly coveted physical skill set come through.
"Yeah, I've seen him locking on his role and making us better, our scout team better," safety Kyle Dugger told me. "He's doing a great job as far as going through his reads, challenging us, and moving the defense with his eyes and things. Like, that has definitely picked up."
"We talk all the time," Christian Gonzalez said to me. "You know, he's a real cool, chill, chill guy. He comes in, has his head down, and goes to work. ... I talk to Coby (Jacoby Brissett) about what he saw in a certain rep if I'm going up against him. So yeah, I'm there for Drake, too. He's talented. You can see it."
We got a brief glimpse of Maye's playmaking ability during week 3's loss to the Jets. But how soon before we see the rookie make his first-ever NFL start? I've always had week 5's home game against the Dolphins circled. It begins a stretch of three home games in four weeks (and the other is in London), and while there is no such thing as a soft landing in this league, it makes a lot of sense.
Of course, the Pats must weigh their "plan" with the realities of sticking Maye behind an offensive line that has allowed over a 50% percent pressure rate by my charting, and that was without a pair of starters (LT Vederian Lowe and left guard Michael Jordan) at Thursday's practice. The team leaves for SF on Friday. I believe strongly that's why Van Pelt mentioned the day after the Jets loss that Maye's best path right now is to continue watching. Considering GM Eliot Wolf's background, he, too, would seem to fall in that camp (Green Bay loved to have guys sit, wait and develop). Meanwhile, you got the head coach saying this:
"He's looked good in practice, but once again, it's just practice," Jerod Mayo told us Wednesday. "You want to get a guy like that, obviously, on the football field..."
Mayo has insisted that he will ultimately decide when it's Maye's day, but there appears to be a push and pull within the organization on when exactly is the right time. This means it could be next week or, if the majority rules, further down the line. But have no doubt that time is coming, so be ready to live with the rookie rollercoaster.