Many knew this was going to be a busy off-season in Foxboro, but no one had any idea it would all happen so fast. The Patriots now have some clarity at head coach after they officially parted ways with Bill Belichick last Thursday and promoted Jerod Mayo 24 hours later.
So, with that being said, welcome to the first MEGA Patriots beat mailbag. Ben Belford-Peltzman and Andrew Guindon share their answers to several questions sent in via X (Twitter).
This week’s mailbag will focus on the front office, the 2024 coaching staff, and the upcoming NFL Draft.
If you want to be featured in the next Patriots Beat mailbag, send your questions to @Thepatriotsbeat or @pgsnest on X.
Without further ado:
Any updates on DC/OC/QB coach? @Ronyag_
When Jerod Mayo was hired as head coach last week, the most significant question mark was what would happen to all the assistant coaches. A source told The Patriots Beat two weeks ago that all assistant coaches were out of the building and would return at the end of January.
As of January 16th, there haven’t been any reports indicating what will happen to the Patriots coaching staff. Regardless, it was reported by Sports Illustrated that Jerod Mayo had offered Steve Belichick and Brain Belichick jobs on the coaching staff for next season. I believe it’s highly likely the Patriots will continue to request interviews with coaches outside the building. Bill Belichick tended to hire in-house candidates for opening coaching positions.
I would assume former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels follows Bill Belichick to his next team, but if he doesn’t, I would not be surprised if McDaniels gets a third stint with the Patriots. With Mayo as head coach, my guess is he will call plays for the defense, but the Patriots will still hire a defensive coordinator. Over the weekend, NFL Network reported the Patriots were bringing in Panthers OLB coach Tem Lukabu to interview for the defensive coordinator position. Lukabu spent time at Boston College as their defensive coordinator and was hired as the Panthers OLBs coach in 2023.
That said, I think Bill O’Brien will lead the offense, and DeMarcus Covington will become the defensive coordinator.
Is this a setback or the right move. (moving on from Belichick and hiring Mayo) Explain your answer @Noah_Rodgers32
Moving on from the greatest head coach in NFL history is certainly a large risk, given that Belichick still has some more years of coaching under his belt and his successor, Jerod Mayo, has never officially coordinated an offense or defense. However, given the current trajectory of the Patriots’ players and coaching personnel, the organization could be entering a full-on rebuild, where a new and younger face as head coach could help build a future foundation.
Mayo has already built relationships with current players during his time as an assistant coach. Many players and former teammates of Mayo’s have already voiced their admiration for the young coach through his coaching philosophies and attitude.
According to Mark Daniels of MassLive.com, one anonymous player who is set to be a free agent this off-season is prioritizing a return to New England after Mayo was announced as the organization’s new head coach. As much as they stood up for Belichick, the current New England locker room appears ready to go to war for their new head coach, Jerod Mayo.
Arguing that Mayo should not have been selected for New England’s vacant head coaching position due to his inexperience is a valid argument. However, the positive reaction of the locker room thus far seems to contradict that argument in the early stages of the off-season.
Additionally, Belichick has been linked to several incidents within the Patriots’ drafting woes over the last few years. Most notably, the decision to draft WR N’Keal Harry in the 2019 draft over current prominent names in A.J. Brown, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk. No Belichick would allow for New England’s scouting department to have some free will compared to prior years.
With a recent 4-13 record officially in the books, how much of a setback could the organization still endure? A fresh beginning for a team whose record has substantially regressed since 2021 could be very suitable.
Are you worried about mayo being inexperienced at the HC position? Would a Mike Vrabel be a better option given his experience. 2nd part: What would be their offensive philosophy would they hand that over to O’Brien or hire someone new? @XfiinX
It’s a fair question, and I’m glad you asked. Many Patriots fans were surprised to see the team promote Jerod Mayo’s takeover so quickly. That tells me the Krafts have all the trust in Mayo to get the Patriots back on track. However, as you said, Mayo has limited coaching experience and it’s a valid point. Mayo started coaching in 2019 when he was hired as an OLB coach. I wouldn’t be too worried as I know Mayo is very well-liked in the building. For example, new Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans did not have a lot of experience but was a players-first coach, and look at how successful he has been. To me, Mike Vrabel and Jerod Mayo were two good options, neither being a home run choice. Given who was available, there weren’t many options to choose from.
To answer your second question, Albert Breer has reported that he expects the Patriots to conduct a full search for the OC title next season. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo followed up on that report, confirming Bill O’Brien is still under contract. Garafolo also stated that Josh McDaniels would be at the top of the list for Jerod Mayo’s next OC.
I would expect the offense to stay the same chemically; however, with a new quarterback under center, the offensive personnel will look different.
Price to move up to #1? @Barlescharkle18
The Chicago Bears are entering the 2024 NFL off-season with a substantial dilemma of whether or not to keep Justin Fields or draft one of the greatest quarterback prospects in recent memory, Caleb Williams. Assuming Chicago were to retain Fields, a trade-down out of the #1 overall draft selection may be a viable option to surround their young quarterback with more talent.
Despite having possession of the third overall draft selection this off-season, the Patriots are in a very difficult position when it comes to quarterback. New England’s likely top option at third overall would be LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who, despite winning the Heisman Award in 2023, has shown questionable traits that may give him some difficulty transferring into the NFL.
That being said, one of the safest bets New England could make at quarterback is agreeing to a deal with Chicago to trade up to the first-overall pick to select Caleb Williams.
A former deal to analyze as a solid base deal for New England would be Chicago’s trade-down from #1 last off-season with the Carolina Panthers. In this deal, Carolina sent Chicago the ninth-overall draft selection, a 2023 second-round pick, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick, and WR DJ Moore.
By utilizing drafttek.com’s NFL Trade Value Chart, which attaches quantitative values to every pick, a value estimate of what Carolina sent in the trade can be derived. Assuming DJ Moore is worth a back-end first-round draft selection, that estimate comes out to be around a value of 4,000.
Assuming Chicago values the 2024 first-overall pick at a similar value based off of the past transaction, a deal New England could offer to match that value could look similar to their third-overall draft selection this year, a 2025 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2025/2026 third-round pick.
Remember that this estimate is based on assumptions, and a true value cannot be placed on a specific draft pick. Only the Chicago front office knows how much they personally value the first-overall selection. This estimate is strictly meant to provide a general understanding of what a potential deal could look like.
Who Should the Patriots hire as GM? @MountEloy
Hiring a head coach before you hire a general manager is undoubtedly a risk. It’s important to note the Patriots haven’t had a general manager since 1993, before Robert Kraft even owned the team. There have been several reports over the last week that the Patriots won’t rush the process of finding a GM. Although that’s a good thing, on the other hand, who will be leading the draft process, free agency, etc? It’s putting a lot of trust into the youngest head coach of the NFL, Jerod Mayo. My choice would be Director of Scouting, Eliot Wolf.
Wolf, 41, joined the front office in 2020 as a draft consultant and eventually was promoted to director of scouting in 2022. Wolf has spent time with other teams during his NFL career. He was a part of the Packers’ front-office staff for 14 seasons, including the Director of Football Operations and Player Personnel. Then, in 2018, he left Green Bay and joined the Cleveland Browns front office, where he was an assistant general manager for two years. Wolf’s father, Ron Wolf, is a Hall of Fame general manager.
If the Patriots want to look externally for a candidate, there wouldn’t be many elite options. At the top of my board was 49ers executive Adam Peters, who the Washington Commanders recently hired as their general manager.
The Patriots Beat will have an article later in the week examining some external candidates. One person I would look out for is Trey Brown. Brown, 38, was a former scout for the Patriots from 2010 to 2012 and has since joined the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s been reported that he and Mayo have an established relationship.
How does the draft plan change after Belichick leaving? Possible trade down/up? @bamafishsticks
That’s another good draft question. We all know Belichick was conservative regarding the draft and often found himself trading down. Another thing to remember is that the Patriots don’t have a general manager. So, who exactly is the decision maker this off-season?
We don’t know.
It’s too hard of a question to dive into at the moment, but I would like to think the Patriots are targeting a quarterback with their selection. At No.3, you are guaranteed to have either Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels. In addition, Marvin Harrison may be the first overall pick.
You could trade down and take Jayden Daniels or select a tackle and pick Notre Dame’s Joe Alt. If you go that route, you can draft a second-tier quarterback at the end of the first round or the beginning of the second. Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. would be a name to consider.
