Field Yates @FieldYates 22s22 seconds ago
Source: the Patriots have placed LB Jerod Mayo (shoulder) on injured reserve.
Source: the Patriots have placed LB Jerod Mayo (shoulder) on injured reserve.
Jerod Mayo to IR
- Thread starter soxhop411
- Start date
That sucks but its not a huge loss IF Collins can play. Freeny may be better than Mayo anyway.
The real issue is what this does to our depth. I don't want to see Darius Fleming or Dakota Watson again.
The real issue is what this does to our depth. I don't want to see Darius Fleming or Dakota Watson again.
That's the conventional wisdom but I wouldn't be too sure. He's not worth his current contract but by app reports he loves the Pats, BB loves him and he seemed to get better as the year went on so I could imagine the team offering him a ridiculously team friendly restructured contract.
If he doesn't accept that, he gone.
EDIT: From the looks of it the Pats have an option (and have to pay him $4 on the first day of the league year if they exercise it). Is it possible for them to renegotiate and eliminate the option bonus/huge payment? If not then they almost certainly don't exercise the option, let him become a free agent, and I guess at that point they can re-sign him readily enough assuming there's mutual interest.
Really sad about this. Loved the guy when he was healthy. He's become a 'what if he was healthy his whole career?' kind of guy.
Bad news. Damnit. I really like Mayo, always have. He seems to have his head on straight, and is grown up beyond his years. I hope this is not the last of him in a Patriots uniform. I think his absence will be hard to replace on Sunday. Good luck to him.
Reiss on his usage and cost next season: The Patriots have placed veteran LB Jerod Mayo (shoulder) on season-ending injured reserve, ESPN's Field Yates reports. Mayo was No. 4 on the depth chart behind Jamie Collins, Dont'a Hightower and Jonathan Freeny, adding a veteran presence (8th year) to the team, even as his playing time dipped (he played 36.2 percent of the defensive snaps). If the team picks up his $4 million option at the start of the 2016 league year, Mayo would have a salary cap charge of $11.4 million next season. It is highly unlikely the team would keep him at those numbers.
I always thought he was overrated before the injuries by virtue of being the best player on an average to mediocre defense which had a bend but don't break philosophy (pre-drafting Hightower and Jones). Seemed to pile up tackles but they were always a few yards downfield and he'd do little else, but I suppose that was the role he was asked to play. It seemed crazy to look at his stats and see big lines, but when you'd think back on the game he didn't stand out.
He's definitely been lapped at this point by Hightower and Collins, and there were plenty of situations this year when Freeny was playing over him. Yes, he's a sure tackler, but can you think of any Patriots who aren't?
Seems like a good guy but I don't think this hurts much this year, or future years if they let him go.
He's definitely been lapped at this point by Hightower and Collins, and there were plenty of situations this year when Freeny was playing over him. Yes, he's a sure tackler, but can you think of any Patriots who aren't?
Seems like a good guy but I don't think this hurts much this year, or future years if they let him go.
Hurts depth, I guess, but I'm not really sure he's all that worse than random special teamer X at this point. His athleticism is completely shot. He won't be back for any price I'd guess, they'll want to move forward to someone with upside, even if it's a late draft pick who contributes on special teams. Glad he got at least one ring for his contributions, even if he was on IR.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Mayo catch on elsewhere as a veteran FA paid very little (but more than the Patriots offer) for a season or two, then eventually return to New England and start a coaching career. By all accounts he is a football junkie and seems like a good candidate to become an LB coach somewhere.
I was actually surprised to see Watson at all (only noticed him very late) but when I did, he seemed to be doing good things. What's the word on him?
I don't know much about him other than that he has bounced around the league for five years as a special teamer, so I assume if he had any real defensive talent he would have stuck somewhere.
After the AFCCG last year, BB was on the radio with Michael Holley, and spent maybe the first 5 minutes of the interview gushing about Mayo as a player and a person (this was before all the DFG bs started). He was talking about how once Mayo got clearance to return after the knee surgery, he went to all all of the practices, broke down film with everyone, was on the sideline at the games, worked just as hard as if he were playing. Wouldn't surprise me at all if he is done, if he comes back with the Pats as an assistant coach. BB clearly views him as a leader and a positive influence on the team.
Just for fun......
Just saying
Though each of those guys were in the league for just three years before coming to the pats and didn't bounce around like Watson. But we've seen the under used LBer/DE come to New England before.
Thought Watson's biggest problem seems to be that #50 is still currently in use.
I wouldn't be surprised if hes back, wouldn't be surprised if hes gone.
He's good enough to be a starter on some teams - just not a team with Hightower and Collins. He's not worth the $7.xM hes due (4M roster, 3M salary), but at just the salary, he'd probably be worth keeping.
He's good enough to be a starter on some teams - just not a team with Hightower and Collins. He's not worth the $7.xM hes due (4M roster, 3M salary), but at just the salary, he'd probably be worth keeping.
I would guess somebody will want him as a vet leader, and he will get a bit more $ before retiring.
I too noticed Watson making a couple positive plays last week. I think the main concern is if we have more injuries.
I too noticed Watson making a couple positive plays last week. I think the main concern is if we have more injuries.
Bummer. I really like Mayo.
Are we sure this is not a bigger loss than we are making it out to be? I feel like Denver is going to try to run the ball, and wasn't Mayo still somewhat effective in that area? Also, being in this defense for awhile and knowing all the calls and checks and whatnot.
People seem to be hanging a lot of hopes on Jonathan Freeny, Darius Fleming, and Dakota Watson. Seriously? Anybody remember the Eric Alexander experience from 2006-07? Scrub linebackers are gonna scrub.
It's become a SoSH meme to trash Mayo, but this loss makes me a bit nervous. However, if the game film hawks around here think he really has slipped that much, I'll take their word for it.
Edit: Glad he got a ring.
Are we sure this is not a bigger loss than we are making it out to be? I feel like Denver is going to try to run the ball, and wasn't Mayo still somewhat effective in that area? Also, being in this defense for awhile and knowing all the calls and checks and whatnot.
People seem to be hanging a lot of hopes on Jonathan Freeny, Darius Fleming, and Dakota Watson. Seriously? Anybody remember the Eric Alexander experience from 2006-07? Scrub linebackers are gonna scrub.
It's become a SoSH meme to trash Mayo, but this loss makes me a bit nervous. However, if the game film hawks around here think he really has slipped that much, I'll take their word for it.
Edit: Glad he got a ring.
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Exactly. I'm captain of the Mayo fan club--I think he was a fantastic player for the first five years or so of his career who made great play after great play, but didn't get recognized for doing so because making a tough tackle to keep a run at 3 yards instead of 7 yards isn't recognized as a making a play--but he sucked this year. Mayo wasn't getting a lot of time early on, wasn't being used in passing situations, and was losing time to Freeney. And unlike the old Mayo there were a lot of times where after shedding a blocker and reading a play right (like the old player) he simply wasn't explosive enough to nail a runner, permitting some of those 3 yard runs to become 7 yard runs. To my eyes it looked like Mayo was getting better as the season went on--perhaps he was still recovering from last season's injury--so there's some hope if this injury isn't that bad.
If Vrabel becomes the SF DC that would probably be a good fit.
I thought Mayo played ok later in the season when called on to fill in but granted I haven't watched any film or gone back over the games too much.
If the rest of the LB group stay healthy, missing Mayo shouldn't affect them but another injury and I think they'll miss him.
If the rest of the LB group stay healthy, missing Mayo shouldn't affect them but another injury and I think they'll miss him.
I agree with this. The images of Mayo's struggles early in the season seem to be burned into everyone's retinas, to the exclusion of what developed later. The Broncos' plan will be to run, run, and run on Sunday, so Mayo's absence likely will be felt given the dinged-up personnel and altitude.
Its more people are hanging their hopes on Jamie Collins and Donta Hightower. Mayo didn't get hurt until the third quarter and only saw 7 snaps against KC.
They might want to run but Denver is almost exclusively in three WR or 12 personnel with Green and Daniels as the TEs so I think you'll probably see almost all nickel--and if Collins and Hightower are able to play most of the game even a healthy Mayo would rarely be on the field. Of course if Collins and Hightower are out I suspect in a playoff game against Manning you'd see a fair amount of Mayo rather than less experienced LBs.
Who are both banged up and won't be 100%. Don't get me wrong, I get your point, but I liked having Mayo as the grizzled veteran presence in the LB rotation.
I think losing Bolden is much, much worse. He was a core special teamer who also played more than Mayo on D.
I think the equivalent of losing Bolden for the Pats would actually be losing... I dunno, maybe our Bolden. Someone else compared it to losing Slater in another thread.