I agree with the majority here that Steve B is better served by not following Bill. I’m probably putting too much into that quote from 1-2 years back where BB stated he wants to work with players and coaches he likes. I sense it may be more important Bill that his sons follow him than it is to the sons. Of course, this is based on nothing but guessing at motivations.
Mayo: Season 1
- Thread starter DJnVa
- Start date
Mayo was able to get the succession clause added to his contract when he got the promotion this past offseason. There was probably no real reason to do it for Steve Belichick, assuming coordinator positions are eligible for such a clause.
Several moving parts here (Bill's landing spot, Steve's decision whether to follow his father, Mayo's and Kraft's decision on who is best qualified to be DC for the Pats), so probably will take a couple of more weeks to sort itself out. I tend to agree that Steve would be better served being DC for a team other than Bill's eventual team.
It's funny how smoothly Bedard has pivoted from bashing BB to bashing Kraft and Mayo.
https://www.bostonsportsjournal.com/2024/01/20/bedard-comparing-mayos-vision-to-other-player-turned-coaches-belichickworld-grumbling-about-mayo-pats-drama
https://www.bostonsportsjournal.com/2024/01/20/bedard-comparing-mayos-vision-to-other-player-turned-coaches-belichickworld-grumbling-about-mayo-pats-drama
No one has come out and said that the coaching staff from last year was let go but it’s starting to look like none have them have been retained and Mayo is starting fresh. Who cares if any of them are upset? Don’t go 4-13. I’m glad he’s viewing this as wide open. I mean, he should, it just seemed like most thought it was just a HC swap. It’s everything from the looks of it. Another point in his favor.
Sort of contradicts the reports from Reiss that Steve Belichick would serve as assistant HC.
My take is that Bedard is a self important idiot based on any podcast I’ve ever seen with him - even compared his coaching “experience” to being the head coach of the Patriots
View: https://twitter.com/tkyles39/status/1749066529277141146
My take is that Bedard is a self important idiot based on any podcast I’ve ever seen with him - even compared his coaching “experience” to being the head coach of the Patriots
View: https://twitter.com/tkyles39/status/1749066529277141146
I mean, if those quotes accurately reflect what went down, I do. (I know that is a big if, and it's more likely just sour grapes.)
I don't care what the texts were saying, pretending that an introductory presser is when ALL IS REVEALED is fucking stupid. And the little back-biting texts from BB loyalists is embarrassing. Fresh start. It may blow up in Mayo's face, but it's time to move on, and having whiny underlings whispering behind his back is not, as they say, "what we're looking for." GTFO.
Next?
This...times ten. The disingenuous "Don't they have a PLAAAAN?!" sports talk radio nonsense batted back and forth between people who know better is gross. Get out.
Do we know they are even underlings Bedard is quoting?
I don't pay for BSJ so I'm only reading what's quoted here, but if he's just quoting Belichick "loyalists", that could just mean guys that aren't here like Mike Lombardi(who will gladly talk to anybody and everybody about anything Belichick), Matt Patricia or Bill O'Brien and Berj Najarian on their way out the door.
Bingo. Some "BB guys" might stay. Others might not. Thats too much nuance these days.
The contrast between Mayo and BB (with public statements) like the above will take a bit to get used to
While I appreciate Mayo’s enthusiasm, let’s hope he doesn’t have a “full throttle” situation. He’s not the one signing guys and while I’m sure he will have input on free agents, I’m not sure how wise it is for him to set expectations high for a free agency spending spree
The sad part of this is the Pats have drafted so poorly that they haven’t had good players to resign to second contracts. Plus the fact that they didn’t resign Thuney when they had mountains of cap space has led to this shitty offensive line situation.
Of course, BB constantly spent up to the cap throughout his time in New England, he just built more for depth than going star-heavy, for better or worse. But, hey, there is that stigma of "Bill didn't pay players" out there, so if this gets some of the new young talent to take a look, let's do it.
Yes, quite different. But I think that might matter for the positive in this case. I'm just grumbling about an undeserved and inaccurate label BB got.
they had cap space but no TE, no WR, no pass rusher, no LT, very thinnd two interior linemen getting paid above average (Andrews) and near top of market (Mason)
in retrospect, Jonnu Smith was a waste of money and Agoholor gave them about what was expected (#3 production for mid tier #2 price) but Judon and Henry were solid signings and Karras filled in adequately at LG
The logic of distributing money from interior line elsewhere was sound. The mistake in all of that was committing to Mason instead of Thuney. Spending “Thuney’s money” on WR, TE, T, NT and pass rush made sense at the time. Looks awful years later but they’re kind of in that same boat now. They’re going to have to reallocate money from defense (let some combo of Jennings, Uche, Wilson, Dugger go) to pay for tackles, TE, WR. Hopefully they find the right combo of players.
to be clear, they should have paid Thuney. But the amount of cap space in March 2021 is a bit deceptive given the number of major holes the team had that off-season and the amount of money they had tied up in interior line. And to be fair, the drop off from Thuney to Karras was not as significant as the increase in production Judon offered or the difference between Trent Brown and an alternative replacement. There’s not a lot of teams who can afford 3 highly paid interior linemen when they have giant holes elsewhere.
Pretty sure he said that due to Wiggins recent stint as Brockton HS head coach.
They were ribbing on it earlier in the interview.
Priority number 1 is re-signing Mike Onwenu to shore up one tackle spot. Then Barmore is after that.
Distribution. Pats typically paid more at what might called middle-class tier salaries for depth of roster quality while other teams spent on premium/star players at the expense of depth.
The oft-cited stat on cash spending is misleading when presented without context. Some teams are willing to endure 1 or 2 "cap reset" seasons every 4 years or so, where they have to cut a number of players or let some promising players walk because they are going to be $40M+ over the cap otherwise. The Pats only had to do that once, in 2020, as a result of going all in in 2018 and 2019 (the latter being the parting gift of one Antonio Brown).
Their 2021 free agent spree was spread among a number of players, and because it did cap them out in 2022 and 2023, the cash spending was by necessity limited in those years. Also "helped" that the team had cheap QB's since 2020.
Their 2021 free agent spree was spread among a number of players, and because it did cap them out in 2022 and 2023, the cash spending was by necessity limited in those years. Also "helped" that the team had cheap QB's since 2020.
So 3 OC candidates interviewed (or going to be), and at least 1 more to come (Rooney rule).
DC interviews seem like maybe they are done? Wonder if they are waiting on that one to see what Steve does?
DC interviews seem like maybe they are done? Wonder if they are waiting on that one to see what Steve does?
If you let players go, are you able to then spend above the cap? So, for example, let's say you have $200 million in salary obligations for the 2024 season (just for the sake of argument, it's all guaranteed/bonus money so there is a cost for cutting those players). If you cut every player, are you able to go out and spend another $200 million on new players?
So, do the Patriots spend less money on players than other teams (in a meaningful way)?
The “real cash spending” is a fairly useless but often repeated idea
for 2024 the teams with the lowest “Real cash spend” - Bucs, Vikings, Washington, Titans, Lions, Texans
highest spend - Browns, eagles, Dolphins, chargers, saints, broncos, 49ers
both groups have playoff teams and awful teams. Great rosters and bad rosters
Judging a team’s spending habits or decisions based on real cash vs cap is like looking at someone’s credit card balance and determining whether or not they’re spending wisely or not
seems to me that unless you have a young proven franchise QB on a rookie contract, borrowing huge money from future years seems like a terrible way to run a team’s budget. One or two targeted acquisitions as “final pieces”? Sure but the Saints run their cap like someone living paycheck to paycheck and putting all their utility bills on their credit card, hoping every year they get a credit line increase to offset the fact the interest keeps increasing their balance due.
for 2024 the teams with the lowest “Real cash spend” - Bucs, Vikings, Washington, Titans, Lions, Texans
highest spend - Browns, eagles, Dolphins, chargers, saints, broncos, 49ers
both groups have playoff teams and awful teams. Great rosters and bad rosters
Judging a team’s spending habits or decisions based on real cash vs cap is like looking at someone’s credit card balance and determining whether or not they’re spending wisely or not
seems to me that unless you have a young proven franchise QB on a rookie contract, borrowing huge money from future years seems like a terrible way to run a team’s budget. One or two targeted acquisitions as “final pieces”? Sure but the Saints run their cap like someone living paycheck to paycheck and putting all their utility bills on their credit card, hoping every year they get a credit line increase to offset the fact the interest keeps increasing their balance due.
imagine you have two people each with 100K in credit card debt, and one person with 50k in debt. Which of the 3 spent their money in the most meaningful way? No way to know.
the most meaningful way to spend money IMO is to maximize your ability to keep a deep, competitive roster.
Borrowing money can be good in the NFL as it can be in real life (a mortgage is often a great investment and worth the huge future debt, akin to locking up a young franchise QB to a massive contract). Sometimes it’s necessary because you don’t want to tighten your belt (letting quality starters go in a championship window). Sometimes it’s just a bad idea (locking up risky or depreciating assets like a QB with off-field issues, overpriced good-not great WR, a guy on the wrong side of 30).
The point is to win super bowls and there’s never really been a correlation between “real cash spend” and overall success.
Albert Breer suggests Covington is the favorite for defensive coordinator. Speculates that the Patriots hire a “riser” OC candidate like Caley/Robinson along with a senior offensive assistant.
View: https://twitter.com/tkyles39/status/1749879240261087337?s=46
View: https://twitter.com/tkyles39/status/1749879240261087337?s=46
Jay Gruden was an offensive consultant with the Rams in 2022 so he would have that overlap with Zac Robinson.
Maybe Greg Olson (SEA QBs coach who is in limbo). No HC experience, but a half dozen stints as an OC. Also overlapped with Zac Robinson in LA.
Nick Caley overlapped with at least one available ex-HC with offensive experience... Matt Patricia.
Maybe Greg Olson (SEA QBs coach who is in limbo). No HC experience, but a half dozen stints as an OC. Also overlapped with Zac Robinson in LA.
Nick Caley overlapped with at least one available ex-HC with offensive experience... Matt Patricia.
I really like this round of rumors - the idea of Steve as AC, Covington DC, Robinson as OC, and any of the above names as senior offensive consultant feels like the right way to start the Mayo era off with a good mix of new blood without blowing up the stuff that's been working well.
As far as some of those names, I don't see why Smith would take that job. Gruden is intriguing for sure, or that'd be a really appealing way to bring back McDaniels, who I think might be a serious asset in that kind of role and might actually not have better options.
As far as some of those names, I don't see why Smith would take that job. Gruden is intriguing for sure, or that'd be a really appealing way to bring back McDaniels, who I think might be a serious asset in that kind of role and might actually not have better options.
I'd agree with the first two. Dugger has some unusual skills, and can impact a game, but I saw him appear to jog and give less than full effort on a number of plays during the last few weeks of this season. I'm somewhat on the fence about him ...
Where did you see Steve as AC? I poked back into the linked tweets and don't see that.
Thanks. Makes sense if Mayo is good with it and he doesn't plan to go with Bill somewhere.
For what they make I would love to tack on some time to both Dugger and Pepper's contracts. Can't see Phillips playing too much longer and that group has been solid.
He brought this up at the end of his weekly segment on Felger and Mazz. I didn’t listen to the whole segment but I guess they were talking about J. Krafts involvement at some point earlier in the show.
He said this exact thing and Felger joked “ooohh, someone got a text”
Bedard essentially confirmed that he did.