With Patriots training camp in full swing, every play open to the media and fans is being scrutinized. Every pass, every catch, every drop, everything is under the microscope as analysts, scouts, writers, and of course, fans look to determine what the 2024 version of the New England Patriots will look like.
All those plays are now in the spotlight as the Pats prepare for an Aug. 8 preseason game against the Panthers in Gillette. Rookies are getting special attention. First among them is the Pats’ first-round pick, quarterback Drake Maye.
Maye’s every move, whether it’s back, out, long passes, short passes, etc., is being evaluated, analyzed, dissected and debated. After all, he is the top rookie. However, others like wide receivers Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker and rookie tight end Jaheim Bell are also under intense scrutiny.
So what are the biggest mistakes we’ve seen from rookies? Who has made the worst rookie mistakes so far early in their Patriots careers and for what reasons? We’ll break that down here in some detail and the conclusions will likely be surprising.
Most of the attention in summer camp is focused on the aforementioned Patriots rookie players, their mistakes, good plays, etc. It’s all been well-reviewed, however, the worst mistakes thus far, while they’ve received some attention, haven’t been made by a rookie player at all. They’ve been made by Patriots executive vice president of rookie player personnel Eliot Wolf.
Now, those proverbial chickens are coming home to roost, and the Patriots’ mediocre offseason, poorly orchestrated by Wolf, is now emerging as the key indicator of what’s likely to follow during the 17-game season. And the forecasts aren’t rosy at all.
Wolf made several rookie mistakes that, taken together, could ruin the Patriots’ season before it even begins. The first and most glaring one has gotten a lot of attention in recent days, even though it was caught much earlier. The Patriots don’t have a left tackle, and that’s a major problem.
Left tackle is the second most critical position on any NFL team (unless you have a left-handed quarterback, in which case it’s right tackle). You have to protect the QB. The left tackle plays on an island with little help, and he better have the necessary skills, or the offense will pay the price. Wolf did not sign or draft a left tackle this offseason.
Instead of aggressively shoring up the position vacated by Trent Brown, Wolf opted for two potential stopgap solutions, neither of which are likely to bear fruit. First, he signed a right tackle, Chukwuma Okorafor (who was benched at right tackle by the Steelers last season), and installed him as the potential left tackle. This was a huge mistake. It’s a completely different position.
He then drafted a right tackle (which in itself is fine). However, once again, Wolf suggested that this rookie, who also played right side for his entire college career, Caedan Wallace, could miraculously emerge like a butterfly metamorphosing into a left tackle. Once again, welcome to Disneyland, which is not happening.
Patriots staff lists other key rookie mistakes from Eliot Wolf
In addition to the left tackle blunder, Wolf also didn’t use the abundant salary cap money available to land a No. 1 wide receiver. He spent a lot of money re-signing current players, which is fine, but does that make the team “better”? No. However, not a penny went to a No. 1 wide receiver, something that hasn’t been seen around these parts since Julian Edelman retired.
Another disastrous situation is at offensive guard. Wolf apparently re-signed right tackle/right guard Mike Onwenu to a tackle-sized contract extension. That’s fine if he plays tackle, but now Onwenu is back playing right guard.
Plus, with a ton of draft picks spent on guards over the past three drafts, it’s unclear if others can even adequately fill the left guard position. All of these ill-advised offensive moves have left the Patriots’ offense in a state of disarray. Only a miracle performance from rookie Drake Maye (if he’s a starter) can turn this mess into gold.
So the worst mistakes by the Patriots rookies in this stretch of games leading up to the 2024 season were not made by the rookie players, but by the rookie personnel management operation. Good teams are built in the offseason. More often than not, the season simply reflects those efforts.
In this case, there were serious mistakes made in the team’s formation. If the miracle suggested above doesn’t happen, their record will be that of a .500 team, likely back in the basement of the AFC East. Welcome to the new normal.
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