Scott Zolak explains why he’s confident Josh McDaniels will be great for Drake Maye’s development
Josh McDaniels is great at developing quarterbacks, including those not named Tom Brady.
In two previous stints as New England Patriots offensive coordinator -- 2006 through 2008, and then again from 2012 through 2021 -- McDaniels enjoyed tremendous success with quarterbacks including Brady, Matt Cassel and Mac Jones.
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McDaniels is now back with the Patriots for his third stint as offensive coordinator, and the team is banking on him building a great relationship with franchise quarterback Drake Maye and setting up the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for the most success possible.
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One person who is confident in McDaniels' ability to maximize Maye's potential is former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak.
"He's not gonna force him. I know this for a fact -- he will not force (Maye) to run the Brady offense," Zolak said Wednesday on 98.5 The Sports Hub show Zolak & Bertrand, as seen in the video player above.
"That was Tom's offense. They took that thing to another level. Josh is smart. He understands the league. I remember last year during the interview process -- he talks to all these guys getting interviewed, like offensive coordinators and play callers in the league talk as much as head coaches talk within the league. That's how you study tape.
"If Josh feels that Drake is better off terminology-wise running a West Coast-style offense, Josh will morph to that. That's how good he is. He's gonna be able to advance things with Drake once Drake gets certain concepts down. 'What are you gonna do next? What are we gonna anticipate? What are we seeing as a defense?'
"I just wonder -- last year, I know (Alex Van Pelt) did a good job with Drake getting him week to week -- how much did he sit down? How much did he talk coverage? How much did he talk about, 'What do you anticipate in the second quarter, the third quarter? If we do this, they're gonna do this.' And it's just that multitude of everything Josh has been through."
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McDaniels has been a head coach twice over the last 15 years -- the Broncos for 28 games and the Raiders for 25 games -- and neither opportunity ended well. But those failures aren't a concern for Zolak because, in his mind, offensive coordinator is the perfect role for McDaniels and his talents.
"I know he had some rough spots," Zolak admitted. "I know he wasn't great in St. Louis. It didn't work out with the Raiders. Denver was great at the beginning, then it hit a flat tire.
"He's a play caller. He's not a head coach. He's a really, really freaking good offensive coordinator. He's the most qualified guy that was out there and they got him."
McDaniels' expertise and coaching will be a huge boost for Maye, but for the Patriots to get the most production out of their quarterback, they'll also need to surround him with a much better offensive line and more elite talent at the skill positions.
It won't be an easy task, but with the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and around $120 million in salary cap space, the Patriots have the assets needed to make major roster upgrades in the coming months.