Mike R.'s Quick Hits today
1. AVP influence:
In a league that has been trending more to younger coordinators who worked under offensive innovators such as Rams head coach Sean McVay and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, the Patriots ran a counter play in tapping the experienced and affable Van Pelt, who runs a West Coast offense featuring wide-zone run concepts. Mayo said he and Van Pelt meet multiple times a day and believes their partnership is off to a promising start.
Van Pelt, 54, is arguably the most important hire that first-year head coach Jerod Mayo made on his staff. Mayo refers to him as the "head coach of the offense" and his development plan for quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, is directly linked to hopes for the Patriots' return to excellence.
Now in his 20th coaching season, this is the first time he's truly been handed the keys to a team's offense from Day 1.
"To be able to stand in front of the group, and run it as your offense, as our offense, it's special," Van Pelt acknowledged in the days leading up to Sunday's preseason finale at the Washington Commanders [NBC, 8 p.m. ET]. "It's different. I haven't had that opportunity in quite a while."
Van Pelt has veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who played for him in Cleveland in 2022, as his No. 1 quarterback. Brissett has also served as a mentor to Maye, who has been working as the No. 2 quarterback throughout training camp. Mayo has yet to officially name his starter for the regular-season opener at the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 8, saying he would wait until after the preseason to do so.
Van Pelt served as the Browns' offensive coordinator from 2020 to 2023, but head coach Kevin Stefanski called the plays. In 2009 with the Bills, Van Pelt was thrust into the coordinator role just days before the season opener, which he said still shapes his approach today. He was also an assistant with the Buccaneers (2010-2011), Packers (2012 to 2017) and Bengals (2018-2019) and cites the totality of that experience as "vital."
4. QB breakdown: Quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney on each of the team's four quarterbacks:
Brissett -- "We have nine years of tape. We know what Jacoby is. We know what to expect from him. He's just fine-tuning his game. He's a better player than he was when I had him in Cleveland [in 2022]."
Maye -- "Very calm. In control. When he comes off, he can tell me exactly what he sees, which is very important. ... There's obviously a difference when you come in your first day to knocking on the door of the season, so we were expecting him to be here. We expected him to be really good."
Joe Milton III -- "Joe's been tremendous. He had a much different offense, so learning our system, and maybe not getting as many reps as some other guys. But he's doing a lot with the reps."
Zappe -- "Bailey's been a pro's pro. He's been in some tough situations here over the years. Tough situation when you go in for your first preseason game [this year] and they boo. He's been the same guy every day and he's had a really good camp. He's gotten a lot better from Phase 2 [of the offseason] when I first saw him. I've been impressed."
5. Depth needed: Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said he anticipates the Patriots being "aggressive" on the waiver wire with the No. 3 priority, and offensive line and run-stuffing defensive tackle are among the numerous spots that look like they could use reinforcements.
First-year Patriots defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery spent the prior nine years in Green Bay, and so if a player like 2022 seventh-round pick Jonathan Ford is waived (and healthy after leaving Saturday's game with a calf injury) based on the depth the Packers already have in place, he'd seemingly fit the profile of what New England might be seeking; similar to late-round draft picks such as Georgia's Zion Logue (Falcons), Northern Iowa's Khristian Boyd (Saints) and Auburn's Justin Rogers (Cowboys) if they are waived. Those are the types of moves that can be anticipated -- nothing headline-grabbing, but additions to build much-needed depth.
8. Layden on OL: Rookie right guard
Layden Robinson, the fourth-round pick from Texas A&M, was elevated to the top unit the past two practices after an injury to left tackle
Vederian Lowe led to a shake-up that bumped
Mike Onwenu to right tackle and
Chukwuma Okorafor to left tackle. Mayo referred to the new grouping as "encouraging," with starting left guard
Sidy Sow saluting Robinson's work by saying, "Very, very strong and smart. Physically, that guy is so damn strong."
Van Pelt is the Patriots' most important offseason hire and has full control over the Patriots' offense and Drake Maye's development plan.
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