TRANSCRIPT: Patriots Head Coach Jerod Mayo Coach’s Breakfast 3/25
(PHOTO: via @Patriots/YouTube) 🕑 Read Time: 20 minutes
Posted Under: Patriots Transcripts
(PHOTO: via @Patriots/YouTube) 🕑 Read Time: 20 minutes
New England Patriots > Patriots Blog
(PHOTO: via @Patriots/YouTube) OPENING STATEMENT:
“Well, good morning, happy to be here. First time, it’s a lot. It’s a lot. But I’m excited for the opportunity to speak with you guys, and hopefully, you guys come out of here with some clarity as far as our strategy is concerned and as far as our team goes.”
“Fire away.”
On that clarity, and what he would begin with:
“The clarity I would begin with is free agency. Obviously, the media, the fans, everyone wants that big signing. But at the same time, as we continue to put this team together, I think there has to be a process. It has to be a methodical process. And look, when there is a guy that we want to get, the Kraft’s have already told us, they’ll spend the money. And I would say offensively this year, we were very picky as far as the players that we were getting, and at the same time, that wasn’t really a deep offensive free agent class to even make that kind of splash.”
“Now, with 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.”
On if it’s frustrating to have the conversation of “weaponizing the offense” and then the shelves weren’t stocked with what they needed:
“Yeah, it is frustrating. But at the same time, I think one of the number one priorities we had was to sign our players back. I think, it’s not a popular pick to sign an offensive lineman to a big deal, but at the same time, he’s a critical piece to our team.”
“Look, we want to take care of our own. I think that was the really the strategy going into it. We did have targets that we wanted, it just didn’t work out. But when it’s all said and done, we wanted guys that want to be a part of this process, want to be a part of the next chapter in New England history.”
On if he regrets the ‘burn some cash’ quote:
“No, I don’t regret it. Look, I’m a first-year head coach. I didn’t mean, like, ‘burn some cash.’ 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’s done a good job just letting Eliot and I know that we have the cash to spend. Just try to spend it smart.”
On when he looks at his team, if he looks at it as a four-win team, or if he looks at it like Bill Parcells ‘you are what your record says you are.’
“Honestly, this team is going to look different than last year’s team. Even if you were to look at last year, I would say there were opportunities to win more than four games, and we just fell short. Look, we’ll see as the team continues to come together, how many wins, I can’t give you a prediction on how many wins we’ll have. But what I will say is that we’ll put a competitive team out there on the field, and look, not only on the field, but also off the field, and that’s what we’re trying to do here in New England.”
On the fact they have needs at quarterback, offensive tackle, receiver, and if he’s confident they can fill those needs before the season:
“I’m confident that we can absolutely fill those roles. In saying that, though, it’s going to take time. It’s going to take time. Look, our philosophy as far as putting this roster together, you want to draft and develop. When it’s all said and done, you want to draft and develop, and I have 100% confidence in Eliot and his staff weaponizing the offense and really getting us better as an overall team. I know everyone wants to talk about the offense, but one thing that you guys have heard from BB [Bill Belichick] and that I’ve learned from Bill is just that all three phases are very important. And playing that complimentary football is definitely something that Eliot understands, I understand, and the rest of the staff.”
On the fact they need to fill left tackle, receiver, quarterback, and the fact those are tough to fill and the pressure there is on this 2024 draft class in filling those needs:
“Honestly, those three positions that you just spoke of, I would say this draft has quite a few guys that can fill those roles. Look, we sit at a very enviable spot at #3 where we could take someone at #3, or if someone offers a bag, as we would say, a lot of first-round picks, we definitely 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 to fill those holes.”
On them being willing to trade the #3 pick and if Eliot Wolf not being there complicates things:
“We’re open to trading the pick, we’re open to taking a guy there. Look, the crazy thing is, we have telephones at this point. Eliot didn’t come because he’s doing a lot of work back home. And I don’t say that to be disrespectful, but what I would say is, he’s doing a lot. He’s working, and his staff is working through the weekends, and honestly, I would rather him be doing that than be sitting here right now.”
On when he looks at how Mac Jones’ tenure ended, what things he learned from that, and what are some things he’ll apply when they draft the next quarterback:
“Mac Jones came in, had a lot of success early on. We always talk about that jump from year one to year two and how significant that year is, or that bridge is to year two. And I would say it was a combination of things that really kind of hindered that growth in the second year. One thing I did learn about that process was as you continue to develop a quarterback, it’s not only the players you put around him, but also the coaches that you put around this guy. And not only the coaches, but it can go all the way to the ops teams and things like that to support a guy who plays the most important position in sports. And to ask him as a rookie to come in … it’s always going to be tough. And then you get to year two, you want to see that jump, you get to year three, you would want to see success like this straight line [gestures up], but realistically, that’s not what it is. It’s like a bunch of ups and downs, and I think just supporting a quarterback is one of the biggest things. And I would also say this, bringing a guy like Jacoby [Brissett] in, Look, he’s definitely a starter in this league, and I would also say is a good mentor to quarterbacks across from him.”
On if he feels that the roster and the staff, as it’s currently constructed, is ready to support a rookie quarterback:
“100%. I feel very good about the staff that we have. We have guys, T.C. [McCartney], and AVP [Alex Van Pelt], and even [Ben] McAdoo, all guys that bring a certain skill set to the quarterback position. Now the balance is, look, he needs to hear that one voice and what happens with younger quarterbacks, they have their quarterback guru, they have their quarterback coach, most offensive coordinators are quarterback coaches. So look, those guys have worked together in the past, and they’re on the same page to support any quarterback that we bring in.”
On what he likes about Drake Maye in the time he spent with him:
“Yeah, look, Drake Maye had a fantastic interview at the combine. He brings a lot of energy. You can tell he has that leadership ability. And also, the exciting part about a guy like Drake Maye is, the ceiling, there is really no ceiling with a guy like that. Now, in saying that, when we’re trying to put together this roster, I know a lot of people look at the ceiling, but you’ve also got to kind of see how low is the floor? How low is the floor? I would say a guy like Drake Maye, he has a lot of room to grow. He’s a young guy. Honestly, he hasn’t played football nearly as much as these other guys. That’s definitely something that we’ve looked at, but he definitely is going to develop.”
On the fact that when they’re at #3 overall, and it’s a draft like it is this year, instead of taking a guy who needs work, he could still move down and potentially hit on other players who can help them at other positions:
“That’s right, 100%. I know everyone likes to think they have the special formula to picking players, but honestly, the guaranteed way to win is to accumulate more picks. And so if we don’t feel convicted at #3, to your point, we are willing to do that as well.”
On his thoughts on Jayden Daniels:
“So Jayden Daniels, I was on the Zoom with him, I met him before. Look, those guys have Pro Days coming up here soon. So when you think about the process, when I leave here, I’m going to LSU. And then when I leave LSU, I’m going to Carolina before I get back home. But you have to do your due diligence. And once again, it’s not all about me, it’s not all about Eliot, what you guys have heard me say a lot, it’s about collaboration. And one thing that Alonzo Highsmith, one of our scouts, told me, and I truly believe it, he’s been doing it for a long time, and he said all the bad picks that he’s seen, it’s really been where everyone wasn’t on the same page. And you would hope that you can get everyone on the same page, coaches, and also scouts. If you have one person drafting, that’s kind of tough.”
On if he views the quarterback position as a three-man race, or if J.J. McCarthy is part of that conversation as well:
“Look, let me tell you, when I first started watching these guys, it was that three-man race. And now, as you continue to go to these Pro Days, and bringing guys in on the 30 visits, and having time to spend with those guys to really get to know what makes them tick. I mean, it’s about five guys, honestly, that could come in and be a solid quarterback in the future.”
On what he’s looking for in a quarterback as he goes to the pro days and meets with those guys:
“That’s a great question. Look, we have the quarterback guys that are going to be there to talk about mechanics and things like that. That’s not my expertise. One thing you want from a quarterback, my one thing, is a good decision-maker. That’s first and foremost. And I would say one of the things that often gets lost is just competitive and toughness. And so you see some of the top quarterbacks in the league, like, those guys get smacked and get right back up, you know, their offensive linemen help them up. I think that is very important when you’re kind of scouting this position. The competitor, like Tom [Brady], the toughness like, you see guys like Joe Burrow, he gets smacked and gets right back up, it’s pretty impressive. But it also sends that subliminal message to the rest of the team like, ‘I’m here with you, I’m going to get hit, and I’m going to get back up, and we’ve just got to continue to go as we go forward.”
On what led them to Jacoby Brissett:
“First of all, he’s a known entity. He’s a guy that’s been here before. Secondly, I would say, he’s worked with a lot of guys on our staff currently. So anytime you can get a player that is also a coach, it’s beneficial. He’s going to help as far as the installs and things like that. And look, he has the tools to be a good quarterback. So, look forward to working with him.”
On the fact he mentioned five quarterbacks and who that fifth guy is:
“Look, there are guys, I don’t want to sit here and give you names. I don’t want to give you names, but there are, I would say, five or six guys that are just very impressive. They all bring a certain skill set to the table. All skill sets that you would want to see out of a quarterback.”
On what’s surprised him personally, after taking over as head coach:
“Honestly, the lack of just the X’s and O’s, like the scheme stuff. Right now, you put your coaching staff together. You get your scouting staff together. You figure out how things work behind the scenes. It’s been very interesting but one of the things that really surprised me, is just the lack of, talk about scheme with the coaches. Look, once again, I have tremendous, tremendous confidence in our coordinators and the staff. Those guys have been doing that stuff and I’ve been working more with Eliot and his staff to try to put this team together.”
On if he just hasn’t had the time:
“Yeah, as far as scheme. When we’re watching film now, it’s really with a scout hat on. So when you have that scout hat on, you’re not really thinking, ‘Alright, it’s a 4.25,’ or any of that stuff, as far as X’s and O’s, it’s more about just the individual player.”
On how he feels about Christian Barmore and if they’ve approached him about an extension:
“Look, one thing with Barmore, he’s one of those players that, he’s developed here. There were some questions coming out of college, obviously, his potential, he’s done a fantastic job, really growing up. I think Demarcus, and Joe Kim, have done a good job really helping develop him. And once again it goes back to, we want to keep our own. We want to keep our own players and we have had talks with Barmore, and hopefully, it works out.”
On if he’s had talks with Matthew Judon about either extending or ‘enticing’ his contract:
“There’s no question that we want a guy like Judon. And look, going back to keeping our own, Judon was in Baltimore, he just happened to be just a great guy and a great fit, a culture add for us. And we want to keep Judon, we want to keep him, but that’s more of a question for Eliot. But those conversations have started. We know that he’s still a premier rusher in this league but as we continue to go forward, we want him to be a piece of the puzzle.”
On the trend of there being more offensive coaches and if he wonders if that trend was going to swing back the other way and what he feels has caused it:
“I never really thought about that. One thing I will say about defensive coaches – well, let me talk about the head coaching role in itself. A position coach is a lot different than a defensive coordinator, or a coordinator, that role is different than a head coach. And one thing I would say is, I’ve been around a lot of good leaders in my life, obviously Bill being one of those guys, defensive guy, special teams guy. You look at Mike Tomlin, you look at Rahim [Morris], you look at all these guys, that are really just great leaders. And we can sit here and say, ‘are they going to call the plays,’ or ‘are they not going to call the plays?’ I think the more important thing is, how do we get everyone in the organization really going the right way. So I wanted to be here in New England. This is the place I’ve always wanted to be. I played here, my family is here and I was just waiting for my opportunity. I didn’t know when that opportunity would come, but it came and I’m excited to have it.”
On the fact they pursued Calvin Ridley and how difficult he feels it will be to weaponize the offense:
“No, that’s right. And I would say is one thing, when you go through the draft, you want to get guys that are magnets. I played with the ultimate magnet in Tom Brady where guys wanted to play for Tom, with Tom, and with the team. Right? And so it kind of gets skewed, and now it’s the other end of the spectrum where, what pieces do we have to attract those outside guys? Once again, if we draft a guy, you’re coming here. So that has to be our philosophy as we continue to put this thing together.”
On if there were any commonalities during free agents about them struggling to bring players in:
“I would say there were various reasons why guys didn’t sign with us. Once again, the unknown is scary for a lot of people and I would say, even in our building right now, it’s still unknown. Like, will I be a good head coach? I don’t know, hopefully. I think I can be. Will Eliot be a good GM or whatever he is in his role? I don’t know, we’ll see what happens with that. But look, it’s going to be a process, and once again, you guys, even sitting around this table, there will be times that you have to ask me hard questions. Like right now, we’re 0-0. We’re still in the honeymoon phase. You guys are throwing up these softballs, but I understand what I’m getting myself into as we continue to go down this trail.”
On if feels like he has to rebuild the organization where it will once again be a destination for free agents:
“100%. The goal is always to have players want to come to your organization and that is absolutely our process. We’re thinking about those things. And once again, the Krafts are giving us the ability to really, I don’t want to say modernize but to really do the things that we want to do going forward to bring people in, which I think is important.”
On if he’s met with many players:
“Well, so the combine we had … are you talking draft, or…?”
Current players on the roster, veterans …
“Well, some of them, they walked through the building. And honestly, as the head coach, I’m always hesitant to even have any type of conversation. Like, are we in the tamper zone or not? I just need those rules right here, I’m not doing anything. But in passing, just saying, ‘Hi.'”
On what he’s seen from Eliot Wolf that gives him confidence that he’s the right person to do this?
“I would say overall, his steadiness. Eliot has a great attitude and a great mentality when it comes to not only picking players, but also the staff. He was very influential in even putting the coaching staff as well. I’ve been watching him from afar for a couple of years now and it’s really gelled nicely. I would also say his dad’s a Hall of Fame scout, so it’s not all like just here in New England. I think he brings a fresh perspective as we continue to build.”
On if he’s met his dad [Ron Wolf]:
“I have. He’s come in quite a few – not quite a few – maybe once or twice. So last year – this was two years ago – and I think last year he came as well.”
On if he hasn’t been around:
“Well, right now … Look, we want to have, not open-door policy, but at the same time, we’re in a room all-day just really going through players. I don’t think that’s something he would want to do right now. But going forward, that is someone that you would hope to bring in to help develop people. And so I think just continue to have that growth mindset going forward is huge.”
On the fact they showed they were willing to invest in receiver and if they could still be open on the trade market, or if the draft is more likely:
“100%. We’re still open on the trade market. But I would also say this is a pretty deep class as far as receivers are concerned. So it’s all on the table right now and hopefully, as we continue to get closer to the draft, Eliot’s fielding calls, the scouts are fielding calls, but as we get closer to the draft, it starts to be a clearer picture as far on the way to go.”
On if he thinks it’s wise to take a quarterback if they don’t have the support system, and if he sees the merit in perhaps building around the position:
“Absolutely. Look, once again, if we take a quarterback at three, that means that we are convicted that this player is really the future of this organization. And going back to your point that we kind of said earlier, there are multiple pieces on this team as a whole, we want to fill those holes. So if you can gather more picks, that definitely helps you out. I can put more chips on the table – probably shouldn’t have done a gambling reference right there – but the more picks that you really have, the more likelihood you have to really hit them.”
On if they did trade back, if they could ignore quarterback and trust Jacoby:
“Those conversations are still ongoing. When it’s all said and done, it’ll be between ownership, Eliot, and myself, and we’ll see where we get.”
On the fact they could pass on three, and he turns into a franchise quarterback, that’s a question he’ll be asked:
“Honestly, look, hindsight is always going to be 20/20. I wish I had that crystal ball. You never really know. You’re going to find gems throughout the draft. Once again, as we continue to go through the process and look at these players, really it’s about trying to find those gems later in the draft. Now, sitting at #3 is very unique because, whatever happens at #1 or #2, if you’re convicted on three or four quarterbacks, then I feel like we’re in a good position.”
On the fact he’s one month away from the draft today and what he needs to learn over the next month about these guys to complete the scouting process:
“You’re exactly right, there is no new film. Sometimes when people do all their reviews of players, I’m saying in the media, there’s really no new information. But we continue to move guys all over the mock drafts and things like that. Now from a coaches perspective, there is new information. We have spent hours and hours with these guys by the time we get to the draft. So ,I don’t want to say that the hay is in the barn, I think we still have a lot of work to do on all the quarterbacks in the draft and really, Eliot will lead that effort.”
On what some of that work is specifically:
“That work is, how does this guy learn? How does he deal with adversity? And once again, you can go back to the film and you can kind of gauge retention. What does he remember about this game here? And as they continue to talk and it continues to come together, that’s always the information that is added to what we’re talking about.”
On as of today, who would compete at left tackle?
“Once again, you look at our roster, obviously we brought in Chuks [Chukwuma Okorafor] in … look, we’ll see when we put the pads on, it’s going to be tough. We have options. You would hope that those young guys that we have on the team also kind of take that year one to year two jump. Scotty Peters and his staff, they’re charged with developing players. And look, our roster will change before we even get to the draft, so that’s kind of a hard question to really answer.”
On if Mike Onwenu will begin at right tackle:
“That’s where he’ll start. But look, once again, big Mike can play multiple positions. He can play guard. He can play right tackle. He can play left tackle. But that’s one of those things that we’ve got to have those conversations going forward with the coaching staff.”
On what position we should expect to see from Marte Mapu:
“Marte Mapu, he’s one of those guys that we talk about versatility. He’s one of those guys, that he can play big star. He can play safety, and he can also can play linebacker. Now, he’ll start in the safety room, and we’ll work our way down from there.”
On if they have a sense of what Washington will do at #2:
“Honestly, we have no clue and I don’t think anyone in here really knows what Washington’s going to do. I think everyone knows what Chicago is going to do at #1. But the rest of it, honestly, is just up in the air. And when you see these other teams making moves acquiring pieces to move, I mean, we can sit here and say Washington today, that could be someone else on draft day. So I don’t want to speculate on that.”
On the role Troy Brown will have with the team:
“Troy’s still on the staff. He has a skills development role with our staff going forward. He’ll work with the players. He’ll work with the skill players and also work with the scheme on the offensive side of the ball. So he’s still with us.”
On if he’s aligned with Eliot as far as how they view the top quarterbacks:
“Yeah, I would say just, as a whole, it’s not just Eliot and myself. Once again, going to collaboration, we have great scouts across the board that everyone has their different opinions. And so you want to start with hearing those opinions, but at some time, you kind of have to shrink the group and come to some common ground. So we’re close.”
On the ownership’s role in picking the quarterback:
“Honestly, once just how, we hired Eliot, it’s the same thing. They don’t want to be involved in football decisions. But they have given us the tools to go out there and get the guys that we want. They’ve given us the backing, or the confidence to go out there and be aggressive if we’re convicted on a player. But at the end of the day, they don’t want to be involved with football decisions.”
On if they were to say, ‘if you pass on this guy, than x,y,z’ …
“Honestly, I’m not sure, this is my first draft as a head coach. Seriously, I’m really not sure. But one thing I will say, is that the Kraft family, ownership, they have given us the ability to go out there and offer a big contract. To go out there and take a quarterback at #3, to go out there and move down. Right? So all those things are up in the air. Once again, it’s their team but they have entrusted myself and Eliot to really kind of put this thing back together.”
On the fact he’s starting the offseason program on April 8th …
“That’s correct.”
On why he could start on April 1st and is leaving a week on the table:
“Look, there’s still going to be time to put this team together. I think as the staff continues to gel, not only on the coaching side, but also on the scouting side, as the team continues to gel, I just want to make sure that we as coaches are all on the same page before we go to the players. We’ve been a part of situations where, you know, you bring these different coaches in, this guy one philosophy, this guy has another philosophy, I just wanted to make sure that the coaches, the staff, we’re all on the same page going forward. Once again, you don’t win games in the spring but you can lose them and I don’t want to fall into that trap. I want to make sure that we’re all pulling in the same direction.”
On if he knows how many spots he wants to allocate to rookies:
“Honestly, that’s an Eliot question. I don’t want to even go down that road. I’ll leave it to the expert.”
On the legal situation with Kayshon Boutte:
“We’re continuing to gather information on that. He’s still on the team. He’s still on the team, and hopefully we can continue to develop this player but really develop him as a man as well going forward. I think it’s important to remember, like some of these guys are very young. They’ve made mistakes in the past. It’s easy to just throw them away, but there are certain instances where you’re like, ‘Alright, I can help this guy out.’ And I feel like we have a good player development group there that will definitely help us going forward.”
On if they have any plans to bring in Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and J.J. McCarthy for 30 visits:
“I’m pretty sure all three of them will be in.”
On if he’s gotten any calls where he was like, ‘I can’t believe that guy called me.’
“You know the crazy thing? Someone told me that Andy Reid wanted my phone number, and I was like, ‘That’s pretty cool.’ And then his wife caught me on the elevator. She’s like, ‘You’re so hard to get in contact with.’ She had her rings on and stuff, and I was like, ‘Man…I have to get back to that point.’ Honestly, I respect the position of head coach. I respect the position of coaches, NFL, college, high school. There’s some good high school coaches where if they called, I’d be like, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool.’ First and foremost, I’m a fan of football. I’m a fan of players, I’m a fan of coaches. I just love being around the game.”
On in the early 90s with Bill Parcells and the fact the team changed its logo for a new identity and if he’s thought of doing anything for a new beginning:
“I do believe in having captain’s patches. That’s one thing. Another thing is, just like we did the happy hour with the media, with our local media members. I think it’s important that you guys get an opportunity to see what we’ve changed inside the building, going back to the investment that the Kraft family has given us to change things in the building. Look, I’ll coordinate with Stacey [James], but I do think it would be beneficial to have that happy hour, to be able to walk through the building and see the changes that we made.”
And thinking of the NFLPA – it sounded like the weight room needed to be upgraded:
“Look, the report card, I think it’s very important. I think it just reminds staffs, and owners of things we needed to improve on. Going forward, the Kraft family, once again, when you see a grade that’s not favorable, it does bring attention to it in saying that we put together a group that’s really going try to attack some of the things that we’ve seen on the report card. But once again, it’s going to take time. It’s going to take time to improve those things.”
On if there’s anything specific, the daycare thing:
“Those are definitely things that are on the table and I think the better we take care of families, the more likely it is for our players to go out there and play free. Same thing with the coaches. So it’s definitely important, but I also think when you look at the report card, when those guys did the report card, it was pretty early in the season. So I mean, it’s easy to overreact to some of those types of grades depending on really how the season is going. To me, the better way would be, alright, early in the season, middle of the season, end of the season, to really put those scores together. But in saying that, look, it does bring attention to things that we’re trying to improve.”
On the “knocking down silos” comment and if he can give them any examples:
“Really, that’s for us internally. But I would like to believe that when you talk to the scouts, or talk to the coaches, they will articulate the goal that I had going forward.”
On what he’d say to Patriots fans, 4 wins, not bringing in game-changes with the cap space:
“For Patriots fans, I understand the frustration. I understand the expectation that has been really built over the last 20-years. But at the same time, hopefully, the fans understand that we’re trying to build this the right way. And we’re trying to bring in pieces that we think are for the long-term. I think there’s a combination between bringing people in for the short-term, but also you have to think long-term, that’s always the hard thing to do. I would just ask Patriots fans for patience. Once again, there will be players that hit the wire, free agents, guys that are explosive, whatever you want to say. There will be guys in the draft. There will be guys after the draft. So just sit back and kind of let us do our job going forward.”
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