‘Next man up’ for depleted LBers
Mayo can mold the kids this year
Jerod Mayo knew going into the season it was going to be tough for the Patriots defense to survive the losses of free agent linebackers Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts, not to mention defensive tackle Danny Shelton, who also signed with another team.
Add safety Duron Harmon via trade, and the void left on defense is significant.
So imagine the reaction when linebacker Dont’a Hightower and Patrick Chung decided to join the list, opting out on the 2020 season due to coronavirus concerns.
Mayo admitted he couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed. But like with everything, perspective is important, along with fully understanding the situation.
“Initially, I was shocked, disappointed. I can’t — a bunch of emotions went through my head,” Mayo, the Patriots inside linebacker’s coach, said Friday during a video conference with reporters. “And then I stopped and obviously looked at each situation. These are personal decisions. Obviously, Hightower kind of took a step back and just with family and his personal situation and so did Chung. I certainly respect it. I know coach (Bill Belichick) already talked about it. But from a football standpoint, we treat it like an injury.” Translation?
It’s next man up. The Patriots won’t make excuses, they’ll just plug in the next guy and move on.
“I know it’s cliche — but we’ve always had that nextman up mentality. And that’s how we’re approaching it going forward,” said Mayo. “With that said, even those guys who have opted out, those guys will still continue to mentor some of the younger guys, some guys that haven’t played as much ball. I can certainly appreciate it. (Dont’a) Hightower is one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around, and so is (Patrick) Chung. So those guys aren’t here with us this year, but they’re still around.”
Specifically, as it relates to the linebacker room, the next-man up is likely going to involve some first-year players.
Rookies Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings figure to be part of the solution at linebacker. Perhaps Caash Maluia and Scoota Harris, other rookies trying to make the roster from the linebacker room, will as well. Whoever it is, Mayo looks forward to the challenge of getting the kids prepared.
“One advantage of having a young group is that they’re very multiple. Right now, they come in and really don’t know much. I’ve liked that: to have those young guys that are willing to try just about anything,” said Mayo. “Sometimes, the older players kind of get stuck in their ways, especially the players that have done things a certain way at a high level. You kind of tweak that and it’s more difficult. I would say with these younger guys, they come in with a good attitude, very multiple. They haven’t really been coached at this level. So I look forward to that opportunity.”
Steve Belichick, who has moved from defensive backs coach to coaching the outside linebackers, is also keen on coaching the younger players.
“We’re doing our best to bring them along,” he said. “At this point, they’re young. We can mold them to how we want them to play here. But yeah, we’ll see how it goes and we’ll see how far it comes along.”
Mayo said it’s “crazy” to think Ja’Whaun Bentley, a third-year player, is one of the old guys. Even with that, he’s hoping Bentley will take more of a mentor role.
“You lose guys like Hightower and Kyle, all those guys, even Elandon. You lose guys like that, now Bentley is really the guy as far as mentoring the younger players,” said Mayo. “And I think he’s done a great job up until this point as far as his leadership ability, taking control of the huddle and all those things. I look forward to continue seeing that growth going forward.”
Mayo not only voiced confidence in Bentley’s ability to lead, but also to perform on the field. Last year, Mayo thought Bentley did well even in a limited capacity. He believes he’ll take it a step further this season.
“I don’t want to go back to ‘Patriotisms’ as far as managing expectations, but I will say if you were to look at last year and look at his production per play, he was very productive when he was out there,” said Mayo. “I look forward to giving him more opportunities, and hopefully he stays healthy and he’s able to keep that production up. … Physically, he’s bigger than some of those guys last year. He’s faster than some of those guys last year. It’s more now (about) making the game slow down for him, getting more reps in practice. That’s why this time right now is so important. But physically, this guy is gifted. He’s a big, fast, strong linebacker, and he’s a smart guy, as well. I’m excited. I’m excited to give him an opportunity to be out there for a while.”