Zappe takes away Maye and Milton’s representation

Patriots

“Bailey Zappe will no longer be on this team at the end of training camp.”

Third-year Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe played more than half of the Patriots’ offensive snaps at quarterback in Thursday night’s first NFL preseason game. Rookie quarterbacks Drake Maye and Joe Milton III played three and 20 snaps, respectively.

Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was blunt about head coach Jerod Mayo’s decision.

“It was a little weird to me that (Maye) only played six times. As the third overall pick, you have to see what he can do,” Gronkowski said Friday on FS1’s “First Things First.” “You have to be able to show that he’s good so that when his time is up in the season, he’s ready. But Mayo had a plan and if that was the plan, it’s totally understandable. He didn’t want him out there on the second offensive line.”

Maye completed 2 of 3 passes for 19 yards against the Panthers in his New England debut. He was the team’s quarterback on the second series, following Jacoby Brissett. Zappe came in on the next series.

Gronkowski further explained that Zappe’s tenure with the Patriots was coming to an end and that the team had to part ways with him for the sake of Maye and Milton.

“My opinion is that Bailey Zappe needs to be released,” he said. “They need to either let him go or trade him because he’s taking reps away from Drake Maye. He’s taking reps away from Joe Milton. Bailey Zappe will not be on this team at the end of training camp. Bailey Zappe needs to be released so he can go to another team and show what he can do.”

Milton’s 20 snaps at quarterback were spectacular – the rookie ran for 12 yards on a mesmerizing run in the third quarter and threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to JaQuae Jackson in the fourth quarter. Like many New England fans, Gronkowski wanted to see more of Milton’s magic and more of Maye in her first NFL appearance.

Since the team has four quarterbacks, Gronkowski is right that the Patriots have to trade at least one of them. Zappe would probably be the odd man out. The Patriots signed Brissett as their starting quarterback at least for the beginning of the season, picked up Maye as their third draft pick, and must be happy enough with Milton to make him their third quarterback.

Zappe has also been used as a third or fourth quarterback most of the time in training camp, so the way he was used on Thursday was a mystery to many.

Mayo said after the game that he expects Maye to get more playing time in New England’s next game, which is against the Eagles on August 15.