The New England Patriots have a rare opportunity to start fresh with a new head coach and general manager. Jerod Mayo will lead the team in their transition into a new era, which will begin this offseason.
Mayo has a fresh start to work with, from his staff to the players who will be on the field in the next season. Although it is likely that Mayo will promote DeMarcus Covington from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator, he is taking his time in selecting an offensive coordinator.
While the delay in hiring an OC is causing a pause in the team’s plans to build the roster around a specific strategy, it may not be entirely negative. According to Tom E. Curran on NBC Sports Boston’s Quick Slants, Mayo has interviewed 11 candidates to find the best person to handle an offense that is currently non-existent. Both the plan and personnel are starting from scratch.
Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley is rumored to be in a good position to lead New England’s offense next season, although no official decision has been made. The new team of coaches, once chosen by Mayo, will need to determine the team’s future direction. Given the uncertainty surrounding many offensive positions, Mayo will need to make strategic moves in the upcoming NFL Draft and free agency, where they are projected to select a quarterback and have a variety of talented offensive players to consider, including Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman Jr., Mike Evans, Marquise Brown, Calvin Ridley, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Dalton Schultz, and several starting-caliber offensive linemen.
When it comes to New England’s expiring contracts, Mayo and the Patriots will have to decide on the futures of 26 players, including four who were mentioned in ESPN’s top 50 ranking (Kyle Duggar, Mike Onwenu, Trent Brown, and Josh Uche). Additionally, Curran points out the Patriots’ history of poor personnel decisions, such as failing to re-sign their own talented players, acquiring the wrong individuals, and making questionable draft picks. Examples of these missteps include letting Jakobi Meyers go in favor of JuJu Smith-Schuster, signing DeVante Parker, and making mistakes with first- and third-round picks. Most notably, they recently made a major blunder by wasting a first-round pick on Mac Jones.
“Removing Bill [Belichick] was a significant undertaking,” Curran explained. “Given the complex loyalties of the remaining staff, they couldn’t just start the process without first giving him the respect of a postseason discussion. I understand that it’s more important to do it correctly rather than quickly. These decisions, such as hiring a coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and quarterback, will have long-term implications for the team’s direction, likely spanning three or four seasons.”
The Patriots face a crucial offseason, with free agency starting on March 13 and the NFL Draft commencing on April 25.
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