FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Fast-hit ideas and notes across the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Mayo and Mac: On Wednesday, after Jerod Mayo was launched because the fifteenth head coach in Patriots historical past, he walked into the load room and noticed a well-recognized face.
“Mac Jones was in there understanding,” Mayo advised ESPN. “That angle, that mentality of fixing the web page, is one thing that I maintain excessive.”
The web page is popping in New England in dramatic style, with Mayo rapidly tapped as Invoice Belichick’s successor after 24 seasons. That has initially sparked extra questions than solutions, together with this one: Might Jones’ once-promising profession be revived, maybe much like what unfolded with the Miami Dolphins two years in the past with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa when Mike McDaniel was employed to switch Brian Flores?
Jones was one in every of 5 lively gamers who attended Mayo’s introduction Wednesday, becoming a member of linebackers Ja’Whaun Bentley and Josh Uche, cornerback Jonathan Jones and long-snapper Joe Cardona.
Mac Jones among the many gamers current for Jerod Mayo’s introduction, together with snapper Joe Cardona and go rusher Josh Uche. pic.twitter.com/h8v8Xhvijf
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 17, 2024
Mayo is leaving all potentialities open, saying he’s within the analysis stage at each place, together with coaches. Mentioning Jones and Bailey Zappe, who changed Jones because the starter in mid-December, he mentioned: “These guys have issues that they will do and it is about enhancing and creating.”
Jones’ growth went sideways after a 2021 rookie season that landed him within the Professional Bowl as an alternate choice (352-of-521 for 3,801 yards, 22 TDs, 13 INTs).
How a lot of that downfall was a results of his personal doing or pushed by Belichick’s decision-making with teaching, personnel and system modifications over the previous two years, may rely upon whom you ask.
Belichick was clearly carried out with Jones primarily based on his bottom-line actions within the Jan. 7 regular-season finale, when he demoted Jones to the emergency/third quarterback position behind Nathan Rourke, who had simply joined the workforce 20 days prior.
Some puzzled if it was a option to defend Jones’ well being for future commerce potentialities, however a number of gamers did not purchase that rationalization as a result of it ran counter to what Belichick at all times advised them about how each determination is to assist the workforce win.
These gamers hypothesized that Belichick was making a press release that game-day roster spots are earned and Jones’ scout-team work, which at one level included too many interceptions, did not meet his commonplace.
It was an icy ending to the Belichick-Jones pairing, with some, resembling former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, having beforehand drawn a parallel to what unfolded with Flores (who got here up as an assistant below Belichick) and Tagovailoa in Miami.
Fitzpatrick opined on Amazon Prime’s pregame present main into the Dec. 7 Patriots-Steelers sport that Jones was “positively damaged” as a quarterback from Belichick’s teaching. He in contrast it to how his former Miami teammate Tagovailoa was “damaged by the best way [Flores] handled him and coached him” earlier than McDaniel “got here in and restored his confidence.”
Whether or not that very same dynamic may unfold in New England — with Mayo and a brand new offensive coordinator after Invoice O’Brien departed for Ohio State — is among the many lingering questions in per week of seismic change for the group.
Mayo, who turns 38 on Feb. 23, highlighted the significance of non-public connection to his teaching model.
“You need to develop the particular person earlier than they’re going to go on the market and run via a brick wall for you. Gamers must know that I care about you as a person, in the beginning,” he mentioned.
“We verify in on a regular basis. Psychological well being is an actual factor. If a man is available in and clearly has one thing off the sphere, we attempt to lay off somewhat bit. I believe having that flexibility, figuring out what your group goes via, how they really feel that day and actually adjusting your teaching model primarily based on that, I would like coaches who type of subscribe to that philosophy.”
2. Draft intel: Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft famous Wednesday that proudly owning the No. 3 general draft choose represents the best choice in his 31-year possession tenure, which highlights the significance of this 12 months’s draft.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., as a part of the “First Draft” podcast with Discipline Yates, shared his perception that New England is well-positioned no matter what occurs with the Chicago Bears (No. 1) and Washington Commanders (No. 2), primarily as a result of there is not a giant drop-off from his second quarterback (North Carolina’s Drake Maye) to his third (LSU’s Jayden Daniels), with USC’s Caleb Williams anticipated to go No. 1.
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And if the Patriots aren’t pondering quarterback, he has a “nifty 9” group of offensive gamers on the prime of the draft — together with Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. — who qualify as difference-makers. And that is the facet of the ball the Patriots want essentially the most assist.
3. Intrigue with OC: How Mayo fills out his offensive teaching employees stays a giant query. O’Brien’s departure was anticipated and primarily wipes the slate clear, so there may be intrigue in what path Mayo needs to take the offense. Large receivers coach Troy Brown, whose contract is ready to run out and has been tapped to function offensive coordinator for the Senior Bowl, might be one of many few holdovers, given his historical past with the franchise (much like assistant coach/Patriots Corridor of Famer Dante Scarnecchia prior to now).
4. Coach interviews: Mayo’s preliminary assistant teaching interviews have been extra on protection and particular groups. As of Friday evening, sources confirmed he had video-conferenced with Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker, Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodges, Panthers outdoors linebackers coach Tem Lukabu, Falcons particular groups coordinator Marquice Williams and former Giants particular groups coordinator Thomas McGaughey, and there are plans to interview Rams assistant particular groups coach Jeremy Springer and Patriots line of defense coach DeMarcus Covington (doubtless in particular person).
Some near the scenario say Covington, who attended Mayo’s introduction as coach Wednesday, is well-positioned to raise to a defensive coordinator position. The interview with Hodges, who was co-defensive coordinator with Covington at Japanese Illinois in 2016, might be a tipoff that it is likely to be headed in that path.
5. Patriots-Falcons in 2025: Belichick had his second interview with the Atlanta Falcons Friday. In the event that they rent him as head coach, it units up a Gillette Stadium homecoming in 2025 as Atlanta is on New England’s residence schedule that 12 months. It might be proper within the NFL’s wheelhouse to undertaking when Belichick may break Don Shula’s all-time wins report and schedule the sport so Belichick would have an opportunity to take action at Gillette.
6. Belichick sons: Steve Belichick and Brian Belichick, Invoice’s sons, have been advised they’ve earned the chance to stay with the Patriots in the event that they select to take action. Mayo and Steve have a detailed friendship, so the projected match on employees could be as an assistant head coach/senior adviser kind. Brian, who got here up via scouting and most just lately served as safeties coach from 2020 to 2023, was nonetheless exhibiting up at Gillette Stadium late this previous week.
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7. ‘Thundercat’ defined: Mayo referred to the 82-year-old Kraft a number of instances as “Younger Thundercat” throughout his introduction as coach. He defined the origin of the nickname this manner: “That was most likely 10 years in the past, I simply thought Mr. Kraft had a approach of connecting with folks; it would not matter what coloration you’re or age. When he began sporting sneakers along with his swimsuit — he wasn’t doing that simply as a style assertion. That is yet another factor for a younger child to return as much as Mr. Kraft and discuss. I believe these small gestures actually carry us nearer as a neighborhood.”
8. Andrews’ deal: Patriots middle and longtime captain David Andrews enters the ultimate 12 months of his contract in 2024, which requires him to earn a base wage of $4.5 million whereas counting $8.425 million in opposition to the wage cap. There isn’t a assured cash left within the contract, which could have been on his thoughts when he mentioned the day after the season ended: “I like enjoying right here. I like being a New England Patriot. Hopefully that is the place I get to complete my profession.
9. They mentioned it: “It means quite a bit. My grandfather, rising up, would at all times inform me tales about how typically the very best particular person would not get the job. I am very grateful to be right here. I am very grateful to be coach. And I simply occur to be Black. I believe that is how we must always function. We need to get the very best folks right here, equal alternative, and actually, on the finish of the day, we get judged on wins and losses.” — Mayo, to ESPN, on what it means to be the primary Black coach in Patriots historical past
10. Do you know? Of the 37 former gamers to make their head-coaching debut over the previous 30 years, soon-to-be-38-year-old Jerod Mayo would be the third youngest — behind the Titans’ Jeff Fisher (36, 1994) and the Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell (37, 2022).
