Regarding the bolded, Belichick started the segment comparing the footwork and vision of Brady and Manning against Williams, Daniels, and May, and showing how all 3 will need to fix a few things to be successful in the NFL. He made the "NFL open" comment for both Daniels and Williams as well.
The one concerning comment about Maye was the "lowest rated pocket passer", but the youth and clear lack of experience could be the issue there.
Sorry to repost
the Lazar breakdown, but I feel a lot better about this after reading his breakdown and watching the film.
To me, there are "lowest rated pocket passers" and "lowest rated pocket passers," if that makes sense? In other words, from what I saw Mac Jones will always be a limited pocket passer because he simply doesn't have the arm strength to hit his guys, especially when he needs to step up in a collapsing pocket and not be able to put his full body into the throw.
Maye, on the other hand, has an incredible arm and is able to hit the throws. He has all the tools needed to be an outstanding pocket passer, he just needs help processing and reading coverages and being more consistent with his footwork.
Edited to add: And note, even without perfect footwork, his arm is so good that he can STILL hit throws and throw spirals! Which, to me, bodes very well for a QB who needs to expect to play in rain and snow with collapsing pockets. Maybe he never realizes the potential, but if I can only draft one pitcher to anchor my rotation, I'd rather draft a pitcher who throws 100mph and needs to control it than one who tops out at 92mph, if that makes sense.
The other area that makes Maye an intriguing fit for the Patriots is that he excels at throwing the ball between the numbers, both driving it and layering throws around defenders.
North Carolina took advantage by having Maye throw a high number of in-breaking routes, such as crossers and dig patterns, where he was often on time and sharp reading out coverage. For a Pats offense that wants to incorporate play-action and attack between the numbers, these aspects of the Tar Heels offense under OC Chip Lindsey were pro-style in nature.
When the Heels anticipated man coverage, Maye thrived making NFL-style middle of the field throws by reading leverage/help defenders to find single coverage to keep the offense moving.
Here's video of a lovely, accurate, ~25 yard throw zipped from the pocket:
https://x.com/NDraft202488294/status/1777707858504630751
Here's another one. Lazar says this:
Here, Pittsburgh is in a similar man coverage structure, with the gun-action fake freezing the second level for a split second. That gives Maye's slot receiver to his left a clear runway on a crossing route, and Maye's feet are in sync to hit the moving target with precise ball location.
To me, as someone who knows maybe 1% as much as Lazar about breaking down game film, I'll also add what I LOVE about this throw here is that Maye has to a) recognize where outside pressure is coming from and step up in the pocket to buy time (but DOESN'T get moved left, because he correctly recognizes his guys are holding up), b) has his own OL in his face, so he can't quite step into the throw, and c) still deliver a perfectly thrown ball to a WR 25ish yards downfield in a tight window. And boom -- nailed it.
View: https://twitter.com/NDraft202488294/status/1777708074708418707
And finally, re: footwork, a key thing to note is that Maye changed his footwork last year under the coaching at UNC. As Lazar says:
According to Lindsey, the North Carolina coaching staff that took over the offense for the 2023 season changed Maye's footwork. Before his arrival, Maye used a backpedal technique in his drops. Under Lindsey, they switched that to the more pro-style footwork....
The shift to traditional footwork in his drop-backs could explain why it's such a work in progress for Maye as he enters the league. In many instances, Maye's drop-back timing seemed out of sync with the route concept, throwing off the play's rhythm, leading to sprays....
Admittedly, these reps are ugly for Maye: his feet are all over the place. However, footwork is easier to fix than other potentially fatal flaws for quarterbacks. Plus, when you put it in context that Maye was learning new footwork, per Lindsey, on the fly, it's more excusable.
To be successful as a QB in the modern NFL, Lazar compellingly argues you now need the tools, athletic skills, and demonstrated ability to be able to play "one, two, make a play" football.
Mahomes, most famously, can do that. Josh Allen can do that. Lamar Jackson can do that. CJ Stroud can do that. Burrow, Lawrence, Herbert have shown the ability to do that.
The Patriots finally have a QB who has the skills to do that. Whether he does is another question -- at least he can. We'll just have to wait until 2025 & 2026 to see if he does it consistently at this level.
Edit:
And I can't help myself, but compare some of these Maye throws with Mac last year, in a breakdown by Kurt Warner. Sure, you can say "Oh, well Mac was broken by then," or whatever, but the fact remains: he just couldn't hit these throws. Even from a clean pocket, even when WRs were running good routes.
At ~1:55-2:15, watch Mac a) get a completely clean pocket, b) ignore not one but two better options at the bottom of the screen, c) fixate on his first read at the top of the screen, and d) sail a simple 10 yard throw over the guy's head. At 7:56, watch as Mac sails a pass from a clean pocket to a WR ~20 yards downfield.
I don't mean to kick Mac as he's out the door and not exactly a relevant comparison anymore, but I think it's important to recognize why many of us never thought Mac had the arm strength to be successful long-term at the NFL level, and why we're so excited about Maye's arm talent.
View: https://youtu.be/gp7PwhUpNCc
