Jerod Mayo Hints at Big Move for Starter to Help QB Situation
By Cem Yolbulan
With the preseason officially wrapped up, Patriots fans have their eyes on their quarterback situation. Amidst confusing statements by head coach Jerod Mayo, whether Drake Maye or Jacoby Brissett will be the starter in Week 1 is still uncertain.
One of the biggest concerns about Maye starting is the Patriots' offensive line. The o-line hasn't looked ready in preseason at all and putting a rookie quarterback behind shaky protection can be a huge risk. Cole Strange will miss the start of the season and Sidy Sow is dealing with an ankle injury, further jeopardizing the competence of the offensive line.
Fortunately for the Patriots, however, the roster cutdown deadline is Tuesday, meaning that there will be plenty of offensive linemen on the waiver wire. Jerod Mayo said that they will be looking for a starting guard or a tackle using their No. 3 place on the waiver claim order.
Jerod Mayo Reveals the Patriots Plan to Acquire A Starting Offensive Lineman
Jerod Mayo, speaking about having the No. 3 waiver claim on @WEEI:
— Chris Mason (@ByChrisMason) August 26, 2024
"The starting guard or the starting tackle may not be on the team today."
It is obviously a positive sign that the Patriots are attempting to address a major weakness. However, doing so with less than two weeks left until Week 1 is a problem.
At this point in the offseason, there are usually not too many starter-caliber players left on the market. Most teams carry eight or nine offensive linemen on their final rosters. If an offensive lineman isn't good enough to make it among that group elsewhere, him being a starter on the Patriots certainly doesn't make one feel good about the state of the Patriots roster.
It's possible that Patriots GM Eliot Wolf finds a diamond in the rough on the waiver wire. Whether that will be enough to feel confident about having Maye out there in Week 1 remains to be seen.
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