Drake Maye talks Bill Belichick’s UNC debut on WEEI

Patriots QB Drake Maye made his weekly look on “WEEI Afternoons” on Tuesday, with the second-year professional concerning matters that ranged from Bill Belichick’s tough debut with UNC to Jabrill Peppers’ release. 

Listed below are three takeaways from his interview:

Transferring on from Peppers

The Patriots had to cut more than 20 players from their training-camp roster last week with the intention to convey their depth chart all the way down to 53 gamers. 

However as Mike Vrabel, Eliot Wolf, and the remainder of the Patriots’ prime decision-makers proceed to overtake New England’s roster, there have been a number of extra surprises in retailer over the previous couple of days — headlined by the release of veteran safety Jabrill Peppers over the weekend. 

Peppers, who made the preliminary 53-man roster final week, was initially slated to be one among New England’s beginning safeties getting into Week 1 towards the Raiders. However, the Patriots opted to launch the protection, who totaled three interceptions and totaled 178 tackles over 38 video games in Foxborough.

Regardless of Peppers’ standing as a former captain, Maye acknowledged that shock cuts are a part of the enterprise within the NFL. 

“It’s unlucky,” Maye mentioned of Peppers’ launch. “Anyone you get to know effectively, a veteran on this league that I revered. However on the finish of the day what we’re making an attempt to determine round right here is placing belief within the teaching employees, placing belief and respect in what they do.”

Vrabel didn’t supply up a lot readability Monday when requested if Peppers’ launch in Foxborough needed to do along with his match inside the group’s revamped defensive scheme underneath their new head coach.

“No, I don’t suppose — that was definitely not the difficulty,” Vrabel said. “There’s a variety of causes. I wouldn’t say — we’re going to attempt to do what’s greatest for the group. We’ve received a variety of totally different schemes that we are able to run in any respect three phases … there’s rather a lot that goes into it. Once more, we’re simply making an attempt to construct towards Sunday right here, and that’s our focus. It’s a call that we needed to make. Once more, want the most effective for Jabrill.”

Peppers himself defended his capacity to slot in any defensive scheme on social media Monday morning. 

“Occurring 9 years on this league. I’ve had 7 HCs & 6 DCs lol,” Peppers wrote on X. “There isn’t any scheme you possibly can place me in the place I received’t discover a solution to be efficient.”

Regardless of Peppers’ sudden exit, Maye acknowledged that the remainder of the Patriots’ locker room can’t be discouraged by roster turnover this time of yr. 

“There’s two sides to it. You care concerning the individual and the connection you had with Pep,” Maye famous. “But additionally, you care concerning the group and know they’re making an attempt to do what’s greatest for this soccer group this yr.”

Rising as a frontrunner

The Patriots’ hopes of punching their ticket to the playoffs for the primary time since 2021 may relaxation on the strides that Maye makes as a possible franchise QB. 

Past his execution on the gridiron, Maye may also be counted on as a frontrunner off the sphere for a revamped New England roster.

Maye was voted on by his teammates as one of New England’s six captains on Monday, becoming a member of a management group that additionally contains TE Hunter Henry, CB Marcus Jones, LB Harold Landry III, ST Brenden Schooler, and LB Robert Spillane. 

“What a fantastic honor. I feel it comes with a variety of duty,” Maye mentioned of being named a captain. “It’s at all times a fantastic feeling. It exhibits what I’ve accomplished, however there’s extra work to do sooner or later. 

Whereas Vrabel and New England’s overhauled teaching employees is predicted to play a large function within the Patriots’ tradition shift this season, Maye believes a number of the duty falls on him and the remainder of the captains to translate the coaches’ messages from each apply and the assembly rooms onto the sphere as soon as the common season begins.

“I feel simply convey a presence to the huddle,” Maye mentioned of how he can assist Vrabel and Co. perform their imaginative and prescient in New England. “I feel having command of the offense, bringing a presence to the huddle — form of giving additional tidbits within the huddle of sure performs or key particulars. Simply form of being sharp with my recreation. After which on the finish of the day, once I’m on the market taking part in, having the ability to step up within the pocket, take some hits, and be capable of form of hold in there within the pocket, and make some throws whereas getting hit. 

“I feel that stuff is form of what folks might not see through the recreation, however you understand what, they will see on tape. And I feel that’s what nice quarterbacks across the league that I watch — hold in there and take hits and rise up and simply proceed to get on the market and compete. That’s the most important factor. Compete.”

Checking in on “Chapel Invoice”

With the Patriots having a while off earlier than the beginning of regular-season play, Maye had ample time to absorb a full slate of college-football motion through the vacation weekend.

Sadly for the previous UNC product, that included watching Invoice Belichick and the Tar Heels get trounced by TCU, 48-14, in a nationally-televised recreation. 

“Clearly had some days off, so I used to be capable of tune into faculty soccer,” Maye mentioned. “Took a take a look at that one final evening. Good begin within the first drive. And wasn’t the way in which I’m certain we wished to finish it. However no, it’s good to see that form of soccer again. And clearly, it wasn’t the ending we wished. However fairly cool to see Coach Belichick on the sideline [with] these guys.”

As Maye famous, the Tar Heels opened their matchup towards the Horned Frogs on a excessive notice. 

In a bit greater than 4 minutes of recreation motion, UNC discovered the top zone off of a seven-play, 83-yard drive that ended with a landing run from Caleb Hood. However, TCU then rattled off 41 unanswered factors to show Belichick’s anticipated debut right into a lopsided laugher — with UNC solely producing 139 whole yards of offense over its subsequent 10 drives. 

Regardless of that setback, Maye — who met Belichick throughout his offseason visits to his alma mater — believes that the Tar Heels are nonetheless in good palms transferring ahead. 

“First off, was honored to fulfill him. What a legendary coach,” Maye mentioned of Belichick. “And I feel he’s gonna — they’ve received a bunch of latest gamers in this system, they usually’re figuring it out in faculty soccer. However, I’ve little doubt … what he’s accomplished up to now, and his proof of being a successful coach goes to unfold.

“I’d love to select his mind, football-wise,” Maye added. “It wasn’t a lot of as a lot probability to try this once I went again and visited, however I used to be on the market at apply as soon as and and talked to the quarterbacks, so it was good to fulfill him and be on the market and nonetheless assist my my college, and searching ahead to following this upcoming season and proceed to see them enhance.”

 

Conor Ryan is a employees author protecting the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Purple Sox for Boston.com, a task he has held since 2023.