Did Pats make a bad choice with Maye's choice? Debate between Curran and Callahan

Did Pats make a bad choice with Maye's choice? The Curran-Callahan debate originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New England Patriots may have their next franchise quarterback in Drake Maye, but the third overall pick in this year's draft isn't necessarily set up for success in the short term.

The offensive line and wide receiver position remain glaring weaknesses four games into the 2024 season. Starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett has already been sacked 40 times, including 15 sacks, which is the third-highest total in the league. New England's wideouts have totaled just 25 catches for 226 yards through the first four weeks.

It's nothing against Maye, but the Patriots may regret taking a QB at No. 3 instead of maximizing the value of the pick. Had they traded down, they could have addressed the offensive line and added another playmaker to the mix. Instead, Maye has no protection and no one to support as he makes his first start in the campaign.

That's our Tom E. Curran's position on the matter, but Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald wants to send him to Alcatraz because he thinks the Patriots shouldn't have signed Maye. They discussed the topic on the latest episode of Patriots Talk Podcast.

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“Their point is simple,” Curran said. “How often do you go to the top of the draft to get great players? You get them before anyone else has a chance to get them. And when you sit well at No. 3 and you have a guy who wasn't good for 15 minutes, he was one of the best quarterbacks in college football last year. You don't look a gift horse in the mouth, you understand that now.

“However, I maintain that you are wasting his time while you are wasting yours, and that you may never see the fruits of it because your team is so bad. Now we could talk about sharing the blame. Is it Eliot? Wolf? Bill Belichick? Do you want to put the blame on (Jerod) Mayo? The point is that it's a bad team and it's going to remain a pretty bad team, which means you're going to waste the opportunity to maximize that position because the other positions still stink.

Callahan, like former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers, believes patience is a virtue when it comes to the Pats' young signal-caller and rebuilding offense.

“My argument would be that this is one year out of a five-year deal where he's going to be a big deal,” Callahan said. “So that’s definitely 20 percent. But in the meantime, you can still develop it the way we discussed. And even if that team had been ready, they might have said, 'We still want you to develop.' Because we know where Eliot Wolf comes from. Alex Van Pelt spent most of his career in Green Bay, where patience grows and then pays off, especially at the quarterback position.

“Admittedly the squads there were different for Aaron Rodgers and now Jordan Love. They are different players than Drake Maye. But even when he was drafted, everyone was listening, everyone was studying the tape like I was, like Phil (Perry) was like, “Okay, he's not a project, but he's someone who needs a little more seasoning.”

“That might have been the plan anyway, even if they were willing to protect him in a way that allowed no pressure and no hitting and rushing on 50 percent of the snaps they currently take for Jacoby Brissett. So I think that.” It's okay, even if it takes a whole year. I don't think he will start later this month or next.

Also in the episode:

• Did the Krafts make a mistake by only replacing Bill Belichick last offseason? Does Eliot Wolf deserve more time to build the team he envisions?

• Is the team starting to falter after the difficulties of the last three weeks?

• Patriots.com's Evan Lazar breaks down how the Patriots' defense has been so badly outclassed in recent weeks.

• Is there a way the offense can be successful without understanding the deep passing game?

• Is it time for the Patriots to move on to Drake Maye?