Vrabel was introduced as Patriots head coach on Monday.
Not a whole lot went right for the New England Patriots in 2024. The play of quarterback Drake Maye, however, was a definitive positive to take away from an otherwise underwhelming season.
The third overall selection in last year’s draft, Maye entered the starting lineup in Week 6 and immediately made an impact. While he did have his fair share of rookie learning experiences, he also showed the ability to translate the traits that made him a highly-regarded prospect to the NFL game.
Throughout, the arrow kept pointing up for the 22-year-old. In order to ensure it will continue doing that, new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has a simple plan in mind on how to develop the young QB.
“Put great people around him,” Vrabel explained during his introductory press conference on Monday. “I would say that my involvement will be as it relates to game management and having situational awareness, and where we are on the football field, and trying to develop him as a leader of the offense.
“A quarterback, when they call the play, you want to say that everyone is going to believe it’s going to score a touchdown. That type of emphasis on how everything is going to operate. Drake is going to be his own person, but I’m going to give him some things that I feel like are necessary to win football games.”
Vrabel has experience managing quarterbacks from his previous stint as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. While the Titans had six different players start games at the position during his six-year stint for a variety of reasons, he also was able to get some quality play at the position out of his QBs
The best example of that is Ryan Tannehill, a 2019 trade pickup by the Titans who had also entered the league as a high first-round draft pick. Tannehill, who is a similar type of quarterback as Maye, played the best football of his career under Vrabel.
While no two quarterbacks or situations are alike, the Patriots’ new HC knows the importance of effectively moving the ball through the air in today’s NFL.
“We have to be a very efficient passing football team,” he said. “When you look at, statistically, what wins in the National Football League, our ability to affect the other team’s quarterback and our ability to provide for an efficient quarterback and passing game is a high contributor to success.
“There are a lot of way to do that. By protecting the middle of the pocket and all those things that we’re going to talk about as we move forward; how we protect the football; how we are aggressive but not reckless; understanding where we are in the game; situational awareness that I feel like I’ve developed over six years and in my past year in Cleveland.”
Drake Maye is at the center of all of those conversations in New England. His new coach is making sure to treat him accordingly.