New England Patriots are continuing to address their quarterback room as they prepare to give Drake Maye the best possible chance for success in hist first in Foxborough.
Nathan Rourke had been on the Patriots depth chart, giving them five signal-callers on the roster, but with the first run of practice sessions set for May the team have made decision to trim their resources and have cut Rourke who had been with the team on a futures contract since last season.
However, the Patriots drafted Drake Maye as the third overall pick, and he is expected to compete for the starting position alongside veteran Jacoby Brissett - who returned to the team after spells with Indianapolis, Miami, Cleveland and Washington.
The Patriots also brought in former Tennessee starter Joe Milton via the NFL Draft, a promising player with a powerful right arm who some believe could be a future NFL starter, and looks set to succeed Rourke as the team's developmental player at the position.
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In addition to these three, the Patriots have retained Bailey Zappe, who has started games in his first two seasons with the team, but was waived twice in the 2023 season.
With Rourke's departure, the Patriots will focus on the remaining four quarterbacks - allowing them to distribute reps among them as they decide who will stay on the roster and, crucially, who will start.
Maye and Brissett look set to be the future under centre after Mac Jones was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars before the draft following three seasons in New England that started brightly and faded fast.
The Patriots are set to kick off their off-season training on May 20, as part of the NFL's Organized Team Activities (OTA's) sessions. This will see Maye join his fellow quarterbacks in throwing practice with their receivers.
Brissett may get the initial decision to start, the veteran's experience would give Maye time to acclimatise to the offense and the NFL.
Drake Maye is hoping to be the future of the Patriots franchise, as he'll compete with Jacoby Brissett for the starting role (Getty)The Patriots have also brought on board former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt as their playcaller - a familiar face for Brissett from the 2022 season. With an impressive 53-25 touchdown-to-interception ratio under his belt, Brissett could be the day one starter despite Maye being an early pick in the class.
While Maye is seen as the future of the franchise, some suggest it might be wise for the 21 year old to sit out his rookie season - much like Patrick Mahomes did in his first year with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Meanwhile, sixth-round quarterback Milton will be vying with Zappe for the third-string role. It's rare for NFL teams to carry four quarterbacks on their roster, so Milton will get his chance to shine in the upcoming OTA's, likely playing a significant role in the preseason games in August.
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