Personally, I believe Mayo is the closest thing on this team to the DC. Steve might be calling the plays, but he ain't the only one wearing a headset. A lot of folks talk about how Steve calls the plays, but that's not really how the Pats have ever described it. Steve "calls in" the plays, but Mayo and others are giving him input throughout.
A couple years back, people were saying Steve was calling the plays, but the NFL rulebook only allows coaches to be connected to the QB and defensive captain from the sideline. You can't communicate directly with a player from the booth. Steve was in the booth a lot at that time.
I told the story again last week in the other thread. BB loves Jerod Mayo. Loves him. I think keeping him here is a massive priority for BB, and this public announcement reiterates that. Mayo admitted last season to having DC opportunities that he turned down (the Browns I think specifically), and not even 3-4 days ago, Mayo was talking about pursuing interviews. BB does not want him going anywhere.
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