The new head man at the helm, Jerod Mayo, outlined his ambitious plans for filling the gaps ahead of the regular season at the AFC Coaches Breakfast during the annual NFL owners’ meeting. The New England Patriots ended their run with Bill Belichick after yet another disastrous season that was filled with blunders on the offensive front — the passing game was weaker than anything else, there was inadequate roster construction, and the injury-laden O-line didn’t help at all. Mayo, while addressing the media, made it very clear that they have been quite ‘picky‘ about signing players on the offensive side, and the 2024 free agents class didn’t impress the management. Hence, no significant moves were seen in the past two weeks.
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Despite not being able to sign some of the targets they had from the free agent market, Jerod Mayo still believes that the club can assemble a roster that will not only look different from last year but also be ‘competitive‘. A reporter then asked if Mayo and his Patriots were confident about bolstering the receiver room and appointing a shot caller now that the top talents from the free agent market have found new homes. Mayo asserted that they can “absolutely fill those roles,” but it would take a bit of time to materialize.
He showed confidence in the process of “draft and develop,” which can help the team become better as a whole. He acknowledged that the offense has been in the question for a while, but he stressed that it’s not the club’s sole focus, as he learned from Belichick to concentrate on all three phases — offense, defense, and the special team. Another reporter then asked what the management plans to do about the offensive tackles situation since rookie tackles aren’t necessarily assigned the positions that protect the quarterback.
Mayo, however, is very confident that the upcoming draft class has plenty of weapons that he and the Patriots plan to bring in. They are sitting comfortably with eight picks, including a Round 1, Pick 3, which could help bolster their roster. Interestingly, he also stated that the team may trade for picks instead of selecting someone at three.
“Those three positions you spoke of, I would say this draft has quite a few guys that can fill those holes,” Mayo Said. “We sit at a very enviable spot at number three, where we can take someone at three or you know, if someone offers a bag as we’d say — lot of first round picks — we defiantly have to talk about those things as we continue to put together this team. You said it there are holes on this team, but I would also say there will be people available going forward… We are open to trading the pick, we’re open to taking a guy there.“
Mayo backed GM Elliot Wolf, who wasn’t present at the event, by noting that he and his staff have been working overtime to address the team’s weaknesses and plan what they can do in the upcoming draft.
Jerod Mayo Talks About Drake Maye’s Interview and Mac Jones Drawbacks
When asked about what the new head coach learned from Mac Jones in the past few years and what the former would apply to the future QB, Jerod Mayo acknowledged that when Jones first came in, he had tremendous success. But in his second year, the former Alabama star couldn’t maintain his footing, which became one of the few reasons that hindered his growth.
Mayo, however, said that he learned immensely from this journey and now he plans to not only focus on the quarterback but also on the coaches and staff around him who can guide him. He feels confident that the staff he has can “100%” guide a rookie QB, which they are highly likely to select in Drake Maye in the upcoming draft.
The former linebacker also revealed that Drake Maye, in his interview with the team—left a strong impression on him. Just from the combine, Mayo understood that the former Tar Heels star brings “a lot of energy,” and has “leadership abilities.” The Patriots head coach also feels that Mayo doesn’t have any ‘ceiling’, and he would go a long way with the team if they decide to pick him.
