Mike Vrabel returning to New England to coach the team he once starred on felt like a natural fit for most Patriots fans. But perhaps the biggest reason for Vrabel’s reunion in New England seemingly has to do with second-year quarterback Drake Maye.
Maye came into the NFL last season with a ton of promise as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. And while he expectedly has some struggles with turnovers in his rookie year, he also showed an ability to make spectacular plays when called upon.
In a recent conversation with Dan Dakich of OutKick, Vrabel spoke highly of his second-year quarterback, outlining how Maye’s talents were a “large part” of him coming back to coach the Patriots.
“I see a young, athletic, talented, full-of-potential player,” Vrabel said, transcribed by Boston.com. “Excited to build this team around him, and a large part of the reason why I wanted to be here. And just that talent level, to be able to build around him and to be able to grow and help him and lead and run an offense and run a football team is something that I’m excited about.”
“He can throw from in the pocket, he can throw off platform, he can run, he can scramble. You can design some things for him. So I think you have pretty much everything in the playbook that you could possibly want available. He’s not just a pocket passer. He’s not just a guy that’s going to run. So there’s a lot of different ways that we’re hoping that he can be successful.”
Maye undoubtedly has things to work on to become an elite quarterback at the NFL level. But similarly to a young Josh Allen early in his career, Maye seemingly has all the athletic tools to form into a great quarterback if put in the right system with the right talent around him.
What should certainly help Maye in his development in his second year is the recent addition of former Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs, which the team finalized earlier this week in a much-needed boost to the team’s receiving corps.
Only time will tell how Vrabel is able to mold Maye in the years to come. But at the very least, Patriots fans should be far more excited about the team’s future this offseason than in years past.