Pats’ Mayo explains free agency moves
ORLANDO, FLA. >> Perhaps expectations were set too high for the Patriots as they entered free agency for the first time in a post-Bill Belichick era.
De facto general manager Eliot Wolf spoke of “weaponizing” the offense at the NFL Scouting Combine, and head coach Jerod Mayo said the team had cash to burn shortly after being hired with the league’s most salary cap space.
Mayo laughed about that comment Monday at the NFL Annual Meeting, saying it was “terrible” but that he didn’t regret it.
“Look, I’m a first-year head coach. I didn’t mean, like, burn some cash,” Mayo said. “I know we have a lot of cash to utilize, but we are going to utilize it the right way. We have to be very convicted when we do spend that cash. But ownership has done a good job of just letting Eliot and I know that we have the cash to spend — just try to spend it smart.”
The Patriots were busy in free agency but didn’t make any splash additions.
They still enter April without a future starting quarterback or obvious starters at “X” receiver and left tackle.
“The media, the fans, everyone wants that big signing. But at the same time, as we continued to put this team together, I think there has to be a process,” Mayo said. “It has to be a methodical process. Look, when there is a guy we want to get, the Krafts have already told us they’ll spend the money. I would say offensively this year, we were very picky as far as the players we were getting. At the same time, that wasn’t really a really deep offensive free-agent class to even make that type of splash. Now in saying that, the draft is coming up. There will still be conversations as far as trades and things like that. And guys will be released. So this is a process that’s going to go on all the way until after the draft.”
Mayo said he’s confident that the Patriots can still fill needs at quarterback, wide receiver and offensive tackle before the season begins. He also said the team had targets that they wanted in free agency that didn’t work out.
One of those was freeagent wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who accepted a fouryear, $92 million offer from the Titans instead. The Patriots obviously wanted to sign Ridley, but the feeling has to be mutual in free agency. And beyond cash, there’s not much the Patriots can currently offer to draw players to New England.
Mayo is aware of that and knows the organization has to rebuild to become a destination.
“One thing I would say is you go through the draft, you want to get guys that are magnets,” Mayo said. “I played the ultimate magnet in Tom Brady, where guys wanted to play for Tom, with Tom, and with the team. So it kinda gets skewed. It’s kind of now at the other end of the spectrum. What pieces do we have to attract those outside guys? Once again, if we draft a guy, you come here. So that has to be our philosophy as we continue to put things together.”
The Patriots currently own the Nos. 3, 34 and 68 overall picks in the first three rounds of the draft. In an ideal world, they would hit on a quarterback at No. 3, and then fill those needs at wide receiver and offensive tackle with their next two picks. But there’s no guarantee that the right players will be available in those spots.
Mayo believes a trade is still on the table to land a wide receiver after missing on Ridley.
“One hundred percent. We’re still open on the trade market,” Mayo said. “But I would also say this is a pretty deep class as far as receivers are concerned.”
Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has requested a trade after receiving the franchise tag. 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has also been a subject of trade rumors.
NFL rule changes
New rule changes were approved at the NFL Annual Meeting on Monday, with one placing an apparent emphasis on player safety.
The NFL approved a rule banning hip-drop tackles. Here’s the official wording from the league:
“It is a foul if a player uses the following technique to bring a runner to the ground:
“(a) grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; and“(b) unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.”
A penalty will result in a loss of 15 yards and an automatic first down.
The NFL Players Association released a statement opposing the ban two weeks ago, calling it “unfair to players and unrealistic to implement.”
Patriots linebacker and defensive captain Ja’Whaun Bentley was not pleased with the change, taking to X to say, “Eliminate the CHOP BLOCK too if we care so much about Player Safety.”
The NFL also granted a third challenge to coaches if they are successful on at least one of its previous two challenges.
Pats add Brazil
The Patriots added Brazil to Germany, Austria and Switzerland as part of their NFL’s Global Markets Program territories.
The Patriots submitted a proposal and were awarded Brazil as their newest global territory, the team announced Monday.
This allows the Patriots to participate in “inperson and digital marketing, corporate sponsorship sales, fan events, activations, merchandise sales and co-marketing relationships with other sports and entertainment properties in Brazil,” per the team’s announcement.
Pats lose Bryant
Former Patriots defensive back Myles Bryant is leaving to sign a freeagent deal with the Texans, a source confirmed to the Herald.
Bryant, 26, is coming off a career year, when he posted 77 tackles, an interception, one sack, six pass deflections and two forced fumbles. He played 75% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps, bouncing between nickelback and safety drive to drive and play to play. He originally entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Washington in 2020, when current Texans GM Nick Caserio spent his final year as an executive in New England.