Football fans around New England might not have any idea who Phil Longo is, but Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye sure does.
Longo, the recently fired offensive coordinator of the Wisconsin Badgers, served as Maye’s offensive coordinator during his sophomore season with the North Carolina Tar Heels. Maye’s breakout campaign earned him a school record in passing yards and saw him finish first in the ACC in passing touchdowns.
Longo is now without a job after a struggle-filled stretch in Wisconsin.
How does that impact the Patriots? If New England wants want to cater to Maye, it has an opportunity to do so.
The Patriots could bring Longo in as an advisor or consultant as they continue to develop their biggest asset.
This isn’t to say Longo should replace Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, senior offensive assistant Ben McAdoo or even quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney. It’s midway through the season and the best thing that group has done this season is develop Maye. Longo simply would serve as an addition to that group.
Van Pelt and company deserve credit for developing Maye thus far, as expressed by Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo and Maye himself. The third overall pick has made noticeable strides with his footwork, ability to read defenses, handle pressure, etc.
Maye put together arguably his best performance in a Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, his sixth start of the season. His on-field traits and overall makeup make him look like a franchise signal-caller, perhaps even a top (insert number here) quarterback down the road.
But learning more about concepts and designs which worked well for Maye during his breakout college season couldn’t hurt, right? And it’s certainly not uncommon for teams to go above and beyond to cater to their most prized possession.
