If Eliot Wolf is to be believed, it might be some time before Drake Maye becomes the New England Patriots' starting quarterback after signing his rookie contract on Tuesday.

Wolf, who was recently named the Patriots' executive vice president of player personnel, shared that Maye isn't New England's QB1 at the moment, remarking that he's a talented rookie but is still learning the ropes of the team's offensive system.

“I think those will be some important conversations for us to have,” Wolf said when asked how they'll decide if Maye is ready to be a starting quarterback on the “Up & Adams” show. “Right now, it's Jacoby Brissett. He's taking the first reps, and we're excited about what he's shown not only off the field, but on the field with his throwing ability. Drake Maye, let's be honest, we've had him for three weeks now. There's a long way to go to for all of our rookies and all of our players as we adapt to this new scheme that coach (Alex) Van Pelt is implementing offensively.

“So we'll have those conversations as they arise. I'm sure it's gonna be a collaborative approach as it's been so far with really all the big decisions that we've made. All four of the quarterbacks that we have on the roster right now are working hard and ready to go.”

Wolf's comments on Tuesday matched what's taken place in Foxborough since the Patriots selected Maye with the third overall pick in April's draft. The team said there would be a quarterback competition, but head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters earlier in May that Maye has “a lot to work on,” though he has confidence he'll work well through the developmental phase.

In the one organized team activities (OTAs) practice open to the media, Brissett appeared to be receiving first-team reps. He received the majority of the snaps with players who will likely be on the top unit.

What Eliot Wolf said about the Patriots' free agency spending

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) works out at at the New England Patriots rookie camp
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One of the most commonly cited arguments for the Patriots not to start Drake Maye right away has been focused on the offensive talent around him. The Patriots were 30th in total offense and tied for last in scoring last year. In addition to poor quarterback play, the Pats might have had even worse play at wide receiver to go along with inconsistent performances along the offensive line.

Even though the Patriots entered free agency with over $100 million in cap space, they didn't really make any major additions to their offense other than Brissett. They signed wide receiver KJ Osborn, offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, tight end Austin Hooper and running back Antonio Gibso. But, they also re-signed wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, tight end Hunter Henry and offensive tackle Michael Onwenu, too.

Wolf focused on the players the Patriots re-signed when asked about the criticisms over the team's perceived lack of spending in free agency.

“I would argue that we did spend money,” Wolf said. “We signed what we felt was the best offensive tackle in free agency and the best tight end in free agency. They just so happened to be guys that we retained. We gave Kyle Dugger a contract extension. We added pieces at almost every level of the team”

The lack of splashy moves in free agency has led many to believe that the 2024 season will be similar to the 2023 season in New England. The Patriots' win total is set at 4.5 at most sportsbooks. They're also listed as an early underdog in all 17 regular-season games.

As the Patriots appear to still be far away from being a playoff team, Wolf doesn't seem to be too concerned about that.

“Are the Patriots a playoff team? Listen, we're not really playoffs or bust,” Wolf added. “I would say we're just looking for progress.”