Mayo: Season 1
- Thread starter DJnVa
- Start date
What did he say? My boss wouldn't let me cancel a meeting for this (I only partially kid).
To me, it just seemed intentionally vague because there’s too many unknowns right now. I don’t think he’s committed to one system or another because he doesn’t have a coaching staff yet. If O’Brien is the guy, it’s hard to imagine scrapping the whole thing.
He knows the defense is way ahead of the offense in terms of talent and leadership. O’Brien didn’t help Mac or Zappe’s cause at all last year, so I would think he’s going to be replaced. The offense was dreadful right up until the final snap.
Corrected a typo for you.
More seriously, it's going to be important for Mayo to establish himself as his own person. We have heard of ex-Belichick assistants that have tried to "be Bill" elsewhere and failed. Much better for Mayo to adopt BB's best practices but do it in a way that works for him.
Boy I couldn't have been more right about this, listening to WEEI since 2:00. LOLOL
Yep, binary thinking rules. If Mayo is good, Belichick must have been lucky to get those Super Bowl wins.
Why do people slow down and look at a car crash on the other side of the highway?
Kraft: “The only time I didn’t (trust my gut) was Bill Belichick in ‘96 after I saw what went on, I didn’t hire him. I made another hire. I didn’t hire him. My instinct was to do it, but because of his loyalty to a man we had such difficulty with who did a great job, but he took another job when we were going to the Super Bowl, and I just couldn’t bring someone in — because trust is so important,” Kraft said. “But as I watched what happened when he was with his next team, I realized I made a mistake. I should have gone with my instincts in ‘96.”
I’m guessing he’s said that 20-30 times since joining the coaching staff, including in front of Bill. It’s a joke (looking at you, Felger).
100%
Mayo is clearly comfortable enough to be himself from Day 1. I think some of it was a little cringey, but he gets points from me for being authentic. Obviously a dramatically different leadership profile from BB.
I liked that he took ‘hard work’ as a key learning from BB, and that he’ll look for that from his players.
I was concerned that he had no answer for what he wants his offense to look like. He definitely doesn’t want it to look like 2023’s, but you’d think he’d be able to articulate something.
The 'Thunder' thing was incredibly weird and hilarious, especially as Mayo kept going back to it and Kraft never seemed to have any reaction whatsoever.
I hope he keeps it up.
I hope he keeps it up.
I doubt it'll ever come to light, but I'd love to read an article about some of the internal conflicts in player evaluations. What coulda been.
After finally getting a chance to listen to most of the press conference I will say that overall Mayo seems like a very smart guy who knows what he wants and expects. Leaders who want to know what they don't know and be challenged are often good leaders. My only concern is he kept referencing that he views himself as a teacher and developer and it just struck me as more something a college coach would say. If you have a completely young team I get it, but I hope it plays with long-term vets too.
I wonder if part of that is because O'Brien is still there. If he describes an offense that's *different* from (not just better than) '23, there will be dot-connecting speculation that O'Brien's a goner. If he describes something that sort of fits whatever O'Brien's "style" is, the prognosticators will say, "ahh, O'Brien's staying." He *may* have made up his mind on O'B, but doesn't want to start the guessing game. And he may not want to fuel draft speculation/tip his hand.
I dont think we should get too hung up on that sort of thing. BB was regularly seen "teaching" during training camp. Players seemed to describe him as often being hands-on with certain techniques and other things.
The BOB situation is complicated because, while he isn’t a long timer, he has ties back to the team as far as Mayo (2007). Between the staff situation and Belichick’s souring relationship with Mac it also doesn’t sound like BOB really had free rein this season to do what he wanted with the offense. So I don't think they just dismiss him based on performance but it also may be one area where they want a fresh start.
BTW I was reading up on Mayo’s retirement as a player since it’s been awhile and I’d forgotten a little:
1) He only missed 5 games his entire career before had season ending injuries in three straight seasons 2013-2015 and called it a day. I seem to recall in either ‘13 or ‘14 he was having a great season until the injury.
2) His retirement led directly to them being able to retain Hightower (back when we also had Collins and Jones and were trying to figure out how to keep at least two of them).
3) He thanked Thunder in his IG post announcing his retirement.
BTW I was reading up on Mayo’s retirement as a player since it’s been awhile and I’d forgotten a little:
1) He only missed 5 games his entire career before had season ending injuries in three straight seasons 2013-2015 and called it a day. I seem to recall in either ‘13 or ‘14 he was having a great season until the injury.
2) His retirement led directly to them being able to retain Hightower (back when we also had Collins and Jones and were trying to figure out how to keep at least two of them).
3) He thanked Thunder in his IG post announcing his retirement.
It could just be, and Kraft also alluded to eventually starting interviews for people in the outside, that they won’t make changes until after the draft. That wouldn’t be wholly uncommon.
View: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1748335768903241941
View: https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1748330417839559092
Couple more DC interviews ... Michael Hodgins (Saints LB Coach), Christian Parker (DEN DB coach)
View: https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1748330417839559092
Couple more DC interviews ... Michael Hodgins (Saints LB Coach), Christian Parker (DEN DB coach)
Two young guys. Hodges is 37 and Parker is just 32. No Pats connections that I can see. It's interesting that we heard talk about Mayo never being out of the building, so his circle is small. Folks, people want to advance--he'll find plenty of folks to interview.
Parker was in the NFL's Coach Accelerator Program: Defensive Backs Coach Christian Parker reflects on participation in NFL’s Coach Accelerator program (denverbroncos.com)
This interview could be a way to get him in the building for other roles as well.
I'm getting positive vibes from these guys being candidates. Tells me Mayo is really willing to walk the walk over being his own man. The Pats need new perspectives and a willingness from management to concede they don't currently have all the answers. I'm expecting a similar movement to happen on offense. Come back to check with me once they're 1-4 and the rookie QB is struggling, but as of now I'm excited over the future of this franchise, and I wasn't in the immediate aftermath of the Mayo hire.
Hodges has a connection to the current staff, he and Covington were co-coordinators somewhere in college, I forget where but heard in mentioned.
I also wonder... are both these guys getting looks also as potential backfill. We have 2 LB coaches who likely won't be there next year (MAyo now HC, Steve either leaving or getting DC), and if both Belichick's leave that opens up a DB coach spot. So may be candidates for DC, but also getting a guy in (like Klemm last year) then offerring him a non-coordinator position down the line.
Thanks. Found it. Eastern Illinois
Hodges was there 2014-16 and Covington 2016. The were co-coordinators in 2016.
That to me gives credence that Hodges is more being looked at to work with Covington maybe.
View: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1748377802800341470
Springer from the Rams getting a ST coach interview
Springer from the Rams getting a ST coach interview
There are so many changes that it's going to have to be a multi-year process before they contend again. I guess that was probably very likely anyway due to the lack of talent on offense. If they think the best approach is to trade back to load up on picks for this year or perhaps add another 1st rounder next year, I'll be on board. Same for trading any veterans that have value but might not be around on the next contending team. (Do we have any?)
Most builds in the NFL are only a couple years max. If they hit on a QB at 3, they can probably be a good team next year, being in a good division probably means not quite a WC contender, but they can make a significant overhaul this year, and then by year 2 of the QB contract be in position to really push for playoff spots.
Looks to be about 35, so there's a pattern coalescing here.
Played linebacker at UTEP
UTEP grad asst 2013-14
Texas A&M Special Teams Quality Control 2015-17
Arizona Special Teams 2018-2020
Marshall Special Teams coordinator 2021
Moved to Ole Miss with Lane Kiffin, but ended up getting job with LA Rams instead.
The Rams were dead last in ST DVOA this season. Is the goal to make Achord look better by comparison?
There is no timetable on a build in the NFL. To state that so confidently seems wrong.
The Jets have been on a rebuild for 13 years. The Giants 10 years. The Chargers over a decade too. The Texans turned it around in 1 year. Cincinnati turned it around in 2 years. It took Miami quite a long time to make the playoffs. The Lions, too, took over a decade. Took the Eagles 4 years. I could go on but I don't think I need to. There is no rebuild blueprint and definitely no exact time frame.
Almost half the NFL is in a constant state of rebuilding and failing. If the Pats hit on a QB and add even one good offensive player, with their schedule, they could make the playoffs in the 2024 season. The team needed a full revamp and it seems that is what is happening.
Springer wasn't the ST coordinator, it was someone new they brought in.
Springer's rep apparently comes from college, where he was in charge of some of the best units in the country. Big thing honestly with the Rams is they just put nothing into ST, no money, they have almost no vets, it's basically just all rookies on coverage teams.
Skowronek, Reeder, Shelley and Hummel were their best coverage guys and none of them were rookies (Hummel in his 2nd year)
you’re right in that they didn’t put money into the unit (which is what Pats fans seem to want with all the complaints about the Chris Boards of the world) but they had a number of experienced ST guys on their units and they were still horrendous
Roster issues are usually not the fault of assistants. Fine with Mayo looking at people who may otherwise be overlooked due to the fact that Denver had no pass rush to speak of this past season.
I mean... why would he get blamed for the pass defense as a whole instead of credited with Surtain?
Edit- he's been there Surtain's whole career. He got a very nice season out of Ronald Darby in 2022 (Darby then signed with BAL), he got 2 good years of rotation work out of undrafted FA Ja'Quan McMillan so far (PFF has him at a 68 both years), Fabian Moreau isn't very good, but this was still his 2nd best year of the 7 PFF graded (1st year in DEN).
Broncos have invested basically nothing in CB outside Surtain and gotten pretty good performance. The problems in their pass defense are more about LB, S and a crap pass rush than the corners.
Last edited:
Isn't S part of the DB coaches responsibility?
The pass rush statistically was a bit better than the pass defense stats though not by a lot. They did have 42 sacks which was bottom 3rd but they were bottom 5 in Rec TDs allowed and bottom 8 in Y/A and 6th worst in completion % allowed.
What is interesting is in the pre-season most prognosticators had them as a top 5 secondary so safe to say the underperformed, whether that was personnel or coaching related is certainly debatable.
True, I forgot they have a DB vs CB and S coaches. I can't imagine how anyone looked at that roster and thought they had a top 5 secondary. It was Surtain, a bad journeyman opposite him, a slot corner coming off a promising year but still he was an undrafted rookie, Simmons is pretty good, Locke is not, and they had no depth at all
Very true. And they also probably don't feel an urgent need as the Mayo is obviously very aware of SB's abilities and overall thoughts on the D.
The fact that they are interviewing their DL coach makes me wonder if Steve has decided to go to Atlanta with Dad.
I wonder if coordinator positions can also be identified for succession plans and bypass the Rooney Rule? If yes, it would be hard to believe that Steve Belichick wasn't identified for DC at the same time Mayo was identified for HC as part of moving on from Bill under the original plan.
I was not previously aware of how vast a net Arthur Blank casts for coaching searches. The relevance for us is lack of clarity for BB’s future which in turn leads to unknown 2024 plans for Steve B and Brian B. Mayo and the Pats need to plan as if they are not returning, yet consider their options if Steve wants to stay. As we understand Mayo and Steve B are both close and strategically aligned, Jerod may value the continuity of having Steve remain.
It would be much better for Steve's career to stay rather than follow his father wherever he winds up. Whether or not it's better for the Pats, we'll see.
It would be a terrible career move for SB to follow his dad anywhere if the DC job here is his. I think he knows this and will take the opportunity to move out of dad’s shadow. (Edit: beaten by @Remagellan on this.)
I don’t know if Blank normally casts wide searches. In this case, he can’t assume BB or Harbaugh will accept the job if offered, so he kinda needs to do a full search in addition to courting those two.