Perry: Why Pats should prioritize o-line over receivers this offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots have several glaring needs to address in the upcoming offseason, none more important than surrounding their young quarterback Drake Maye with talent.
While they’re expected to be active on the free-agent wide receiver market or pursue a blockbuster deal for a No. 1 target, the Patriots also need to upgrade their offensive line to protect their prized signal-caller. It may not be wise to pay top dollar for a wideout before finding linemen who can keep Maye comfortable in the pocket.
Ahead of Sunday’s game vs. the Miami Dolphins, our Phil Perry revealed he spoke with a high-level executive involved in Miami’s blockbuster trade for star receiver Tyreek Hill. That executive cautioned against paying an elite wideout before improving the o-line.
“When he looks at the Patriots’ situation from afar, he’s pumping the brakes on the idea of giving up big-time assets and paying a big-time, maybe market-setting contract to somebody who plays at that position before they have the offensive line settled down,” Perry said of the executive involved in the Hill deal.
“Yes, he acknowledged to me, Drake Maye could make a bad offensive line look a little bit better as he has since he became the starter here in Week 6 because of his mobility and his ability to create off-script, But when it comes to the run game and truly protecting your quarterback — not just from a physical standpoint, but from an Xs and Os standpoint as well — forcing defenses to be multiple against you so that they can’t just pin their ears back and get after you as a quarterback, you need to build up your offensive line first, figure out the receiver situation later and hope that Drake Maye is good enough that he can elevate the receivers that are around him.”
Ideally, the Patriots front office will find a way to get Maye a go-to target while upgrading the offensive line. Perry and the unnamed executive involved in the Hill trade are simply pointing out the Pats may not get the best bang for their buck if they land an elite wideout while the o-line remains in poor shape.
Regardless, the Patriots seem to have sometihng special in Maye. The 22-year-old has already received high praise from several high-profile NFL figures for his play through his first six starts. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel raved about Maye earlier this week, and Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay waxed poetic about the third-overall draft pick after last Sunday’s game.
Maye has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for nine touchdowns and six interceptions through seven games played. He also has rushed for 260 yards and a TD on 28 carries. If the Patriots can bolster their offensive line and add a weapon or two this offseason, the sky is the limit for the up-and-coming QB.
