Jerod Mayo has been busy interviewing candidates to build his coaching staff. This has been one of his top priorities since taking over as head coach of the New England Patriots. Additionally, personnel issues must be resolved, such as which FA to secure internally and which FA to seek on the open market.
Mayo said the Patriots have enough money to burn talent. Then the draft and how the no. 3 offensive play etc.
It’s hard to believe that Mayo has no say in what happens, even though the staff has become increasingly focused on collaborative processes since Bill Belichick left. So what does the current Patriots roster look like? What are the biggest gaps and areas that need to be filled? Analysis by position is as follows.
Mac Jones, Nathan Luke, Bailey Jaffe Pending Free Agent: Luke Prediction: None of that trio will be here in September. Most of the attention is on Jones. The team’s former first-round pick is having a promising first season. He was benched four times last season and lost his starting spot. Will they bring Jones back to see if he can learn a new head coach, a fourth offensive coordinator and a fourth different offense?
Mayo must decide whether the Patriots will take a quarterback with the third overall pick in the 2024 draft or sign a veteran in free agency Maybe both. In that case, Jones could be sold. Zappe can be saved, but at best it’s a backup. run againEzekiel Elliott, Kevin Harris, Michael Hastie, Lamond Stevenson Pending Free Agent:
ElliottOutlook: After a slow start, Stevenson played until an ankle injury ended his season prematurely late in the year. Stevenson, who announced he was healthy at the end of the season, will soon enter his contract season and will be primed to have a good season.And Elliott proved to be a valuable free agent last year. He worked well with Stevenson and encouraged him to renew his contract. Harris saw his first consistent action when Stevenson went down.
If Stevenson moves on after next season, he hasn’t shown enough to be the next top quarterback.The Patriots could enter the draft looking for a third quarterback as well as bolstering the position. There is no replacement for James White, who retired last year. At these critical times, there was a shortage of reliable engines. broadband receiver Kendrick Bourne, Keyshawn Booth, Demario Douglas, DeVante Parker, Jalen Rieger, Juju Smith-Schuster, Matthew Slater, Tykan Thornton.Pending Free Agents:
Bourne, Reagor, SlaterOutlook: The records seem to be broken, but this group is in desperate need of an injection of top talent. These days, it’s difficult to run an offense without at least one elite pass rusher. Bourne started well before suffering a torn ACL. In addition to Bourne, rookie Douglas has emerged as a playmaker and could fill that role for years to come. After these two there was nothing left to enjoy. Smith-Schuster, who signed as a free agent this off season, has been disappointing. He has taken a long time to get his offense going and seems to have been hampered by chronic knee problems.
Parker made a few plays here and there, but nothing special. Thornton didn’t fare much better as a sophomore and Boothe never really got a chance after the season-opening touchdown. Rhaegar flashes from time to time. It will be interesting to see what the Patriots do with free agent Bourne and, to a lesser extent, Reagor. Known for his special teams and being one of the best of all time, Slater is expected to retire. His leadership will be missed. Prediction: The Patriots will likely lose their tight end in free agency.
Mayo have recently mentioned Henry as one of the team’s leaders, but he appears to be a good candidate for a new contract.It was not what Gesicki expected. Brown was a good pickup, but that’s mainly because he played alongside Bill O’Brien in several of his previous stops.The Patriots had Matt Sokol on their practice squad. Either way, the Patriots will need to revamp and reload the position, either through the draft or by returning to free agency.
