True/False after Mayo Spoke at NFL Meeting | Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast

Greg Bedard and Nick Cattles take a closer look at Jerod Mayo’s statements on the team, and draw some inferences on what some of his quotes could mean for the immediate future of the Patriots, a peek behind the curtain into the organization’s opinions on the top QB’s in the draft, Mayo’s early standing with the fans, and much more!

EPISODE TIMELINE:

00:44 – Jerod Mayo True or False

08:27 – Trading the #3 Pick

09:51 – Mayo Quotes on Drake maye

15:30 – PrizePicks

16:28 – Trading Down / Michael Penix

20:30 – JJ McCarthy

22:48 – Mike Onwenu at LT

26:05 – Marte Mapu in Safety Room

29:13 – Delayed offseason

30:37 – Taking a shot at Bill?

33:47 – Mayo’s relationship with fans

40:42 – Myles Bryant signs with Texans

Check Greg’s Coverage out over at www.bostonsportsjournal.com, for $50 on BSJ’s annual plan. Not only do you get top-notch analysis of all the Boston pro sports, but if you’re a Patriots junkie — and if you’re listening to this podcast, you are — then a membership at BSJ gives you access to a ton of video analysis Bedard does on the coaches film, and direct access to him in weekly chats.

This episode of the Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast w/ Nick Cattles is brought to you by:

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This is the Greg Bard Patriots podcast with Nick Cav for watching this podcast Bard looks like he’s in the middle of video gaming I’m trying to get him away from the video game screen to talk some patriots as he’s down in Orlando hanging out with

The rest of the peeps in the local media uh before we get into this bad boy I want to remind you this episode brought you by prize pick the largest daily fantasy sports platform in North America download the app today use code C LNS for a first deposit match up to $100 and

Do us a favor if you like the Pod want to support it go over to prize pick and and sign up using that code CNS and it will help us tremendously all right Greg you got up uh bright and early this morning to meet up with

Gerard mayo and Gerard Mayo had a lot to say to you guys let let’s play a little true or false game okay let’s let’s start with this because Mayo began with free agency talk Big Ticket free agency right big ticket free agency for the Patriots this offseason was Calvin Ridley or

Bust sure sounded that way to me um you know I know there’s been some talk about other people and I know there’s talk about lerus sne that the Patriots made a call on lerus sne I expect the Patriots to to call on everybody you know we people have heard us talk about this

Before it’s called due diligence and and you know if you are any sort of front office you call about everybody because you never know and you need to know the market for different positions and what have you but yeah it sure sounded like from what gerro said about how like this

Really wasn’t a good uh free agency class for offense they went after Ridley sounds like they thought they made a very competitive offer Titans got a little bit crazy with 50 million doll guaranteed which is second only all time to Tyreek Hill uh yes I would say that’s

True that it was Calvin Ridley or bust as far as free agency we’ll see on the trade front ah you lead me into my next true or false the Patriots Greg will do everything they can to trade for a wide receiver one by June everything they

Can um I don’t think everything they can I think that they I think they would like to do it I don’t think that well it it’s let me say it’s possible it depends on what happens in the draft what kind of guy I mean who may maybe

They trade down and they think um you know one of the like romad dun is there or you know Malik neighbors happens to be there you know something crazy happens and they they decide this guy’s the best guy on our draft board then maybe they don’t do anything but but

Besides that if they don’t do that and they they only come out of the uh the draft with say a second level wide receiver then I’d say the odds are pretty good that they they trade but they’re not going to go over the top for it it’s it’s going to be something

That’s prudent for them all right let’s get back to the free agency thing for a minute you know Mayo discussed not having magnet players and he mentioned Tom Brady and it’s something that you and I have talked about Greg and a lot of people have talked about that when

You’re trying to sell this situation it ain’t a sexy sell to free agents true or false recruiting was tougher than Gerard Mayo Andor Elliot wolf anticipated I would say that is at least somewhat true um you know again it comes down to if if you really want a player

You offer him the bag you’re going to get the player I don’t care who your quarterback is I don’t care what your NFL pa uh great is I don’t care who your head coach is I don’t care what your record was last year if you you know if

You’re the Titans in look I would like to live in Nashville I would like to have no state income tax um but they’re not a sexy team um you know coming off of last year and they got Ridley why because they offered him $50 million guaranteed um so uh yeah I would say

That’s you know it’s a tough sell at this point but all it takes is one year and this is very similar to um you know the Packers and not to keep going back to the Packers but I do think it’s apropo here people don’t understand they they they

Especially the younger fans they see the Packers now and they think Brett Favre Aaron roders Lambo field The Atrium it’s packed it’s you know it’s all this stuff and the Packers are cool even though it’s the frozen tundra when Ron wolf got there it was not like that it was like

TW they had been to the playoff one time in 20 years the stadium was half full they were still playing three games three two regular season games and a preseason game in Milwaukee the the lambo field was not cool it was like Foxboro Stadium and you know Ron

Wolf went from 4 and 12 to 9 and seven and they went 9 and seven and guess what they got Reggie White to come to sort of change everything uh in their second off season so um I I do think a lot of that stuff is is limited and I don’t think

It’s really you know reality it’s nice to talk about for Sports Talk radio hosts but I don’t think it’s reality it’s just the best offer is going to win all right so the current roster right now this is something that made me irritated I was annoyed by

This from Gerard Mayo today okay I I thought it was his biggest swing and Miss he was asked about the roster and whether or not this current roster is 100% ready to support a rookie quarterback the the roster and the coaching staff and Mayo said yes 100%

Greg true or false is this roster as it currently stands on March 25th ready to support a rookie quarterback not no I would say that’s I would say that’s false um I think my inclination being there and talking to him I think it was more about the

Coaches I think he feels really good about Alex vanel about Ben McAdoo TC McCartney Scott Peters and talking you know Mike giardi went around to some of the other coaches including Ste Kevin stefansky who um was really complimentary towards Alex Van Pelt and it sounded like that thing was not

Stans’s decision it was ownership’s decision to separate from Alex Van Pelt but I think I think he got more caught up in in the coach aspect of it and I do think he thinks that they’re really good and I think he uh maybe willfully ignored the Personnel part of it but

There’s no question like this is not a this is not the same situation that like say Calvin uh Caleb Williams is going in uh in Chicago yeah not even close really when you look at receiver when you look at what they’ve done with that offensive line it’s interesting though because you

Know the the one thing that you’ve said recently Greg is you’re a little sketchy on the on the coaching side you feel okay about the Personnel side but you don’t feel as good about the coaching side is this Gerard Mayo just uh smoking his own good stuff and looking around

And going you know what we put a staff together that’s going to be awesome uh yeah it could be Nick I I I do think you know talking to some people here I I do think there’s a very high opinion of Alex Van Pelt and they just think for

Whatever reason he hasn’t gotten his chance to be the play caller uh to be the offensive coordinator to to to run his own shop um and I do think there’s there I I do think there’s a lot of Truth in what you said Nick about like him basically like hoping against hope

That yeah you know I I got the 12th guy that I interviewed in like yeah he’s going to work but uh yeah I I I really don’t know and and it was good to hear gerro today at least even admit like do I am I gonna be a good head coach I

Don’t know I think I’m going to be and same you know with Alex Van Pelt so at least they’re being honest I just think the Personnel guys are more of a known commodity in the background that they come from I think that mayo and Van Pelt

And the offensive guys are more of an unknown let’s jump to the draft Patriots Gerard Mayo talked a lot about that third pick talked about keeping it talked about trading out the Patriots true or false likely likely to trade out of three false and I’m not saying they’re

Going to definitely stick at three but I just think a lot of the talk today from gerro about trading down and and the the best way to you know have a successful team is to get more draft picks so you you know and that’s that’s a Ron wolf

Thing uh Ron wolf very much believes in that um if people listen to um my podcast our podcast the other day when I talked to Tom Silverstein he brought that up and that he said that he would not be surprised if Elliott um didn’t trade back a bunch of times in this

Draft now maybe not in number three but maybe in the second round you know what have you but um I didn’t take what he said today as any indication of anything I think he went in with clear talking points from Elliot wolf um from Alonzo heith maybe from the crafts to say look

There’s no upside to us being like we’re definitely taking a quarterback at three or we’re definitely sticking at three let’s see maybe somebody gets crazy at the last minute and and offers us a bunch of picks so let’s leave that option open because it could be ve very

Tantalizing for where we are right now all right before I ask it is true or false I want to give the exact quote the context of this because Mayo was asked about Drake May and he said a lot about Drake may he said two things that stood

Out to me about May here’s what he said quote May had a fantastic interview at the combine brings a lot of energy you tell he has that leadership ability also the exciting part about a guy like may there’s really no ceiling with a guy like that in saying that when we’re

Trying to put together this roster I know a lot of people look at the ceiling but you also have to look at how low is the floor I would say a guy like may he has a lot of room to grow he’s a young guy honestly he hasn’t played football

Nearly as much as these other guys so that’s definitely something we’ve looked at but he’s definitely going to develop unquote all right Greg before I ask you the true or false I want to ask you if I’m reading too much into something actually two things the first thing is

Why do you bring up the floor the there’s got to be a reason why you bring up the floor he didn’t have to he didn’t have to mention how low is the floor when he’s asked about Drake may he could have just said you know oh look how high

The ceiling is am I reading too much into it believing that there’s a reason why Gerard Mayo brought up the floor and it’s because he doesn’t think May is ready okay but that’s interesting because Nick I thought you were going to go in a different direction I thought

You you were going to go in the direction of mayo purposely did this to sandbag May a little bit so if they trade back he might be available um so I my opinion of listening to him at that point um I would say that I took it as him just being honest

I think gerro has a problem and we’ve already heard him stick his foot in his mouth more than a few times in the few times that we’ve heard from him um starting with his opening press conference I think he was just being really honest that I don’t know who he

Heard it from or you know maybe it was Elliot wolf some discussion after the combine or you know they probably went back after the combine and said all right here’s our initial read on the quarterbacks and there was a give and take I think he was being truthful I

Think that and this goes along with the lines of my initial evaluation of Drake May is man he is a tantalizing Prospect he has all the tools that you that you want in a franchise quarterback but man there is a boom or bust factor to him where other guys in the draft maybe

Don’t have that as much and so I thought he was being honest that there’s a lot to like about Drake may but man it’s tough to know whether he’s going to uh fully grow into that and here’s what I want to ask you off of

That this has got to be like a consensus right I mean you’re sitting there at three if you’re going to draft a quarterback that quarterback is going to be the future of your franchise there has to be a consensus between mayo and wolf and high Smith and

Madoo and Van Pelt he even said that today is it possible to get to that consensus if you’re looking at at Drake May in the back of your head you’re going man but that’s a lot of risk all it takes is one or two guys in that room

Greg right to say I love the potential but this kid might puke on himself yeah I um yeah I really agree with that Nick I I think it’s um after hearing him today and again you know we we have to we have to get used to hearing from gerro and and sort of

Learning the way he uh de uh sort of gives out information but my initial read was there’s some apprehension about Drake May in the Patriots building as of right now now could that change during the course of evaluation top 30 visits zooms uh pro day uh certainly but I

Would say as of today there’s at least some people in that building that are very apprehensive about Drake May at 3 yeah so my true or false was going to be other the Patriots weary of Drake May and that is absolutely true given what you just said I also want to point

People to something Bucky Brooks wrote something recently at Fox Sports you should check it out everybody uh he went through quarterbacks that were picked in the top 10 and he split them in like two different eras it’s like 98 to 2011 and then 2011 to present I believe and the main

Takeaway again there’s a lot of good information in there but the main takeaway from Bucky was there’s one common denominator between quarterback that are picked in the top 10 that hit star status and that is experience at the Collegiate level and that just kept coming back to me Greg when the second

Part of what Mayo said he’s a young guy talking about may he hasn’t played football nearly as much as these other guys and I just wonder if that’s another piece of the puzzle that would make them a little bit apprehensive selecting May 3rd yeah I I I would say that’s true

Nick and and it sure sounds to me that the Patriots might be interested in May but in a trade down scenario that if they stick and pick um it could be somebody like JJ McCarthy in in instead of may you know and I’m sure we’re going

To get into that but uh yeah I I think that there’s um that would be sounds like May would have to be a guy that is still available in a trade down scenario for them at this point and look that change it’s not even April yet football

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First deposit match up to $100 pick more pick less it’s that easy the trade down scenario is an interesting one Greg because uh you know I know Alex Bart did a lot of work on this going back a month or two ago the history of teams trading down to draft a

Quarterback is not a very good history so yeah we have to keep that one in mind uh but let’s stick with the idea of college quarterbacks in this draft coming up Mayo mentioned five quarterbacks that he believed could have solid Futures let me let me get the

Exact quote so when he started watching the quarterbacks in this draft Greg he thought it was a three-man race obviously I would imagine he’s talking about Williams Daniels and may now after going to Pro days he says there are five quarterbacks they think that they could have uh solid

Futures so if it is five that leaves out one of the guys let me first ask you this and the and the six guys we’re talking about would be the at four mentioned three then you add McCarthy bonick and Michael pennx if it is only five do we

Do we take from the thought that they did not meet with pennx at the combine they met at the Senior Bowl but they did not meet at the combine apparently they’re not sending anybody of great consequence to Washington’s pro day because Washington has the same pro day

As UNCC and the big contingent is going to check out Drake may I believe that’s Thursday the 28th and then Mayo mentions that there’s five guys and he said he brought up visits as well and that he did not mention Bo Knicks or Michael penck visiting Gillette Stadium are they out on

Penic uh I don’t know it’s hard to to say at this point um I understand the stuff about the prod day but you know you everybody has to understand and it’s not just like a meeting at the Senior Bowl I mean they’ve they’ve seen penx

Penx and nicks they both saw them on the field at the Senior Bowl practices I don’t think either of them played in the game certainly I think bonck played very short period of time not that the game really matters they both took part in the practices so they’ve seen them Live

Throwing and they also changed the process this year at the Senior Bowl about interviews it’s not like the combine and like the speed dating like 15 minutes um Jim Nei who directs the Senior Bowl did a great job this year of changing up with the quarterbacks um how teams meet with the

Quarterback so at the Senior Bowl they he would get a pod together of like four teams and they would be closely aligned team say you know Shanahan people um you know you could do with the Patriots if the P it would be the Patriots maybe the Packers uh type people that you know

That type of thing or perhaps like Nick cerio but anyways these four teams that are somewhat closely aligned and looking for similar things they would meet each quarterback for 45 minutes and quiz the the quarterbacks and get them on the Whiteboard so it was much more intensive

So at this time they probably think they have enough data on pennx and if they need to come back to them later with a top 30 in like zooms I’m sure they’ll do that so I’m not ready to say they’re out on penck and nicks but I understand why

People might say that I think they’re out on them Greg I know you don’t care I think they’re out on them how about that or they’re running a great okey dooke which you could never I’ve been saying this on my podcast I thought about that

Today yeah I mean you can you never know what’s going on this year and what’s going on this part of the season and offseason Greg mentioned earlier you you could be trying to tank the value of Drake May so he falls to you at three there were Whispers today I think it was

Sam we on the NFL Network saying that he’s hearing a lot a lot of Buzz about JJ McCarthy to the commander at two like this is the kind of stuff that we’re getting now so they could be running the oky do and making you believe they’re not interested in pennic at all when

They’re eyeing him in the second round or at the end of the first round we just we don’t know with that said Greg quarterback attributes Mayo mentioned decision-making competitiveness toughness again he also mentioned thinking that this was a three quarterback class until he went to Pro

Days now the Patriots did go to Bone Nick’s pro day and Mayo went to JJ McCarthy’s pro day on Friday of last week are the Patriots falling for JJ McCarthy I think personally I think that’s true when Gerard Mayo said that quote today about what and and I asked him the

Question about what he’s looking for and he said those things the fir the player that flashed in my mind was JJ McCarthy um so that could be it I mean it really sounds like gerod Mayo probably after the M Jones experience the past couple years is like I just want a quarterback

That’s going to take care of the ball like that’s all I want and I think that’s part of the the reason why jacobe brassette um is here over some you know maybe flashier guys like Justin Fields you know who get sacked and fumbles and throws interceptions all the time um

When Mayo said that today what he’s looking for I just saw JJ McCarthy in my mind we should also bring up that in experience McCarthy did not play a ton at Michigan so uh you know Jaden Daniels is the guy that leads the clubhouse in the experience factor it’s very

Interesting to see how all and we know this is going to happen Greg it happens every freaking year that we we go into the draft and it’s like February and everybody starts talking about it and paying attention to it and at the beginning of February late January it’s

These guys are at the top and then inevitably over the next month and a half two months we have the jockeying and it’s agents talking it’s teams talking it’s it’s all of this stuff so let me just ask you kind of an outside the box question looking at the

Quarterback right now and this is only your gut only your gut the top four guys how do you think the Patriots rank the top four guys out of Williams Daniels May and McCarthy take your shot after today after today Williams Daniels McCarthy May interesting all right let’s talk

Offensive line Michael wenu he’s gonna play tackle Mayo said he’s going to play tackle I thought hey right tackle makes Sense on the right side could there be a surprise waiting for us could Mike actually play on the left side jod Mayo I think um if I was

Sitting I was I was standing during this but um when he when he mentioned Michel wnu and that he can play left tackle my jaw just about hit the floor not saying that Big Mike can’t do that um I’ve just never really thought of it but I do

Think that’s possible Nick um it again it’s much like the receiver discussion it depends on what they do in the draft and who they get where but I could definitely see a scenario after today where they start Michael wnu at left tackle and they have rookie second let’s

Say second round pick dour starting at right tackle you see this a lot with with draft tackles where they start them at right tackle at least the first year and then they move them to left and I’m not opposed to that the more I thought

About it like and we know that Mike is training to play tackle that means he’s probably trying to get a little bit lighter he’s probably trying to Quicken his feet a little bit and you know he’s at least going to be solid he’s not

Going to be an all pro or a pro bowler at left tackle but he’s not going to get anybody killed and so yeah I think that is very possible uh going forward that Michel wenu could be the opening day starter at left tackle for the New England Patriots my goodness um

Um you’re certainly feeling better about that option than I am I I look you’re already and I know he’s played some tackle he played tackle last year I get it but it’s already going to be an adjustment for a wenu to be a full-time tackle he’s already as

You said he’s got to train you know full bore for that thing then to switch him to the left side when he’s been mostly a right side guy did he ever play left guard I’m trying to remember did he play left guard at all for the Pats early on

Not for the Pats I think in college okay so I mean he’s been a right right side guy so you’re not only asking him to move to full-time tackle but then you’re swinging him to the left side I just I guess in the big picture I I know Mayo

Tried to sell Chuck okaf for also as a possible left tackle today uh I guess in the in the grand scheme of things okaf for’s played two snaps at left tackle in his NFL career but he he played left tackle in college I just I don’t know

Greg I I hate this idea of just kind of juggling these two guys and saying well we’ll figure it out like like give me a left tackle sign a vet left tackle who’s played there draft a young guy who you can develop underneath that dude keep a

Wenu on the right side keep a COR for as your swing tackle and let’s go don’t don’t give me this a wenu on the left okaf or okor for maybe on the right maybe on the left maybe it’s it’s a little too messy for me yeah I I I don’t

Disagree with you I just I think it’s because I’m I’m I’m so I have PTSD from watching vidan low play left tackle I’m like oh big Michael wi left guard left tackle hell yeah let’s go all right let’s uh let’s jump to some other things here uh Marte mappu this

Stood out to me uh so jod said mapo is in the safety room this year yeah and when you combine that where he said like you know obviously mapo has versatility which you know I think that they love he can play Star cornerback which is the you know Patrick Chung

Did it not exactly a free safety type but um that that Gerard said he can do that it leads me to believe that he could also play free safety and I think they will give him a look there but a big thing is going to be um and this is

What I always do as soon as they start offseason workouts the first thing I do is I just look at all the guys to see are they bigger are they stronger are they heavier you know if mapu doesn’t gain any weight uh or gain much weight

Then I think uh free safety he has a shot at that want to ask you a philosophical question here so belich would would really cross train guys different spots we all know he loved versatility we’ll talk about miles Bryant a little bit later who went to Houston today uh he

Was really kind of the poster child for that versatility in the secondary some would say that’s that’s kind of spreading guys thin right like you’re you’re put you’re going back and forth with a wenu Right Guard right tackle Right Guard right tackle mapo was kind

Of studying both and and you got a lot of quote unquote hybrid guys in that secondary Greg do you like the idea of trying to pull out the most versatility of everybody or do you like the idea of hey man we think this guy can fit in

This spot he’s best at this spot let’s just keep him at that damn spot mostly the latter I mean I understand the former and I understand the benefits of it and game planning and stuff like that but especially with young players and Bill was really good about this you know

For a while now you know guys like miles Bryant and Marte mapu Bryan as an undrafted free agent mapu as a rookie um those guys were sort of the exceptions that bill didn’t used to do that like I think I think that was more of a compliment to those guys that Miles

Bryant could play safety and quarterback as an undrafted rookie was unheard of um in this program and that mapu could do both um was really a feather in his cap but I think I think you’re right I do I do agree with you I think that it

Considering how many guys they have back and and the depth of this defense and the guys they resign and everything like start mapu off where you think it’s his best position and let him go with it let them fly and then if you have to make adjustments from there go ahead all

Right we’ve got more coming up first I’ll tell you this episode is brought to you by prize picks largest daily fantasy sports platform in North America download the app today use code clns for first deposit match match up to 100 bucks also check out Greg and Mike

Giardi and others there at bsj 50 bucks for the year they do uh tremendous Patriots work but also obviously we’re getting ready for the Bruins Celtics their playoff push so you want to check them out as well with Hagerty and Coralis all right Mayo delayed the start

Of the offseason by a week Greg with his coaching staff is that the right move no hate it um I understand his his reasoning that he gave out today where he talked about like before the players even come in building he wants to make sure he’s on the same page with his

Coaches okay I understand that and I understand they’ve been busy and it took a while to fill out the staff but and now they’re on you know doing the draft evaluations and I’m sure a lot of time was spent just evaluating their own roster and then it was free

Agents and now they’re in the draft so I understand maybe time has been limited but what the hell have they been doing and it’s not like gerro is bringing in like a new defensive coordinator and a new scheme and a new offense and a new it’s

Just the offense and Alex Van Pelt and back Ben madoo have been together they know what scheme they’re going to run why are you why are you just whiffing on a week of of development of getting these guys in and getting them into the Playbook especially the off I

Don’t worry about the you want to give the defensive guys the first week off I don’t care you know really but the offensive guys like you know get them in get them going because this isn’t entirely new scheme so I I I don’t think there’s any time to waste on that side

Of the ball and I just think this is a waste and I I I didn’t love the reasoning all right let’s get more from Mayo here Mayo mentioned building it the right way did you take that as a shot at anyone I did not um I I know that some

People are taking that as as a shot at belich um I think that to me the way that I took it was um and people have to remember and I and I get a lot of chirping on Twitter about this about you know you get chirping on Twitter no way

Yeah the Packer way the Patriot Way which one w six Super Bowls like you know that sort of thing like but really at a basis the the Patriot Way and the Packer way are pretty similar the way Bill bich built this franchise and now look you know there were a lot of good

Players left over here we’ve talked about this before but he basically came in and he kept the the the really good players he brought in sort of midlevel free agents developed draft picks drafted really well um early on for a very long time and that was the basis

The Patriots didn’t really do a whole lot in free agency over the course of the Dynasty and uh I think that’s a that’s a credit to Bill and what the way I took it was you know Bill I took it as Bill did it the right way um he sort of got off

Course and that can happen when you make mistakes especially Drafting and it sort of tumbles on you and they’re basically doing a hard reset and getting back to um you know what really started the the great days for this franchise so no I did not take it as a slight to Bill bich

People got to get over this stuff like you know every every time they say something it’s like oh that’s a hit it bill you know the dynasty HIIT piece and this and that I’m just like can can we get over it at some point yeah where once the uh statute of limitations here

Like what what is it at the point when Mayo can just be talking about what they’re doing as an organization with himself and Elliot wolf and not have to have it constantly compared or or seen as taking a shot at bich I agree with you Greg I’ve said this from the very

Beginning you know these guys have a job they’re asked about what they’re going to do and how they’re going to run things and sometimes they’re asked how they’re going to run things differently than the prior regime when you take over you’re trying to establish your program and and that’s what you’re selling

You’re selling it to the media you’re selling it to the fans you’re selling it to the players this is what we’re doing this is what we’re about and sometimes you do have to you know sit back and and and draw up some of the differences between you in the last regime and I

Would also say this like I hate the game that some are playing which is before Mayo was officially made the guy and before Elliot wolf was made the deao GM there were a lot of people that were concerned ered and complaining about oh this is just going to be the Patriot Way

This is just going to be bill bich this just a bunch of bich disciples so then when these guys come out and they try to draw some differences between themselves and and belich che’s regime they get killed for that too now they’re taking shots at the prior regime like you can’t

Win and and that that bugs me all right Gerard Mayo asked for patience from fans was that the right thing to do I think so I think he had to at least send some message because you know really up until he spoke today it was

Sort of you know what the hell are the Patriots doing why aren’t they spending money why aren’t they doing what the Tennessee Titans are doing and I think gerro said basically in so many words we have a plan it’s going to be methodical there’s no quick fix to this we’re going

To get it right um so that we can keep building on this year in and year out and and like you know look just have patience now I I understood what he said I didn’t love The Parting comment where he basically said like uh let us do our

Jobs like back the hell off and let us do our jobs um I I didn’t he he it he would probably want to have that back and say it a different way a nicer way uh but trust me as somebody who often um speaks on different platforms uh very rarely do I

Say what I really want to say that’s why I’m a writer so I get to look at my words and make sure I make sure I I place everything the way I want it um but I think it was the right thing to just say you know I understand your

Frustration but just have patience because we’re going to do this the right way and get the Patriots back I didn’t mind that at all this has already been a thing today and it’s going to be a thing I I think for as long as Gerard Mayo New England

Patriots head coach exists around here there has been some push back on Mayo from from what he had to say this morning there are some people that believe he he just says too much he talks too much he says too much he reveals too much what is your response to that

Um I think that um you know do look do I think that that that Mayo’s tripping over himself a little bit um in the early going yes he’s he has stuck his foot in his mouth um but I’ll take that every day all day over the latter years’s Bill basically since

Spygate bill and I think that I think that fans deserve to know especially season ticket holders and and people that buy the uniforms they deserve to have some information about their team and so um you know criticize again it’s these people that that you know what do they want they keep changing the

Goalposts on everything I just think that Gerard’s trying to be himself he’s going to learn how to do it in in short order and this is sort of what we talked about after his opening press conference and and other interactions where I said like he’s got to learn he’s not no

Longer gerod Mayo the franchise linebacker who can just say what he wants he has to he has to communicate with people and I think he’s it’s a process for him it’s not perfect at this time but you got to start somewhere couple things uh I I was one

Of those people along with you I think for the last few years saying fans deserve accountability they deserve to know who’s making the decisions why some of those decisions were made because they’re paying their hard-earned money for this product they’re spending their time watching this product and I thought

There was across the board just a lack of accountability for the last several years by what was going on in the program I am not I am now not going to be a giant hypocrite and say oh well Dad Mayo’s saying too much like if you’re going to about belich

Treating the media the way he did and not saying anything you can’t have it both ways and come back and say oh well now Mayo’s just saying a little bit too much that’s ridiculous it’s disingenuous enough of that here’s my other thought about it though Greg you know who didn’t

Prepare Gerard Mayo for this bill bich th this is this is what happens when the guy who ran the program and look we’ve talked about it I’ll throw my disclaimer out there so people aren’t adding me later I appreciate belich for what he did I respect the hell out of the guy he

Brought six Super Bowls to New England he is one of the greatest coaches of all time however if you’re gonna teach young coaches how to handle the media bill bellich would not be the professor he would not be walking into that classroom giving the guys bullet

Points cherro Mayo has been taught to be a walking talking robot to a point and so now he has to shed that and be his own man and have his own voice so I think there’s some of it Greg I don’t know if you agree with this but I think

There’s some of gerro when he’s talking to the media when he’s talking to you guys he almost feels like he has to go a little bit overboard and give you a lot because he knows the frustration from the prior years and again it’s one of those differences that you’re trying to draw

Draw between yourself and the prior regime and you’re trying to be accountable you’re trying to talk to the fans but you’re almost trying so hard that you’re going to overextend at times yeah I would agree with that and and I think that you know like for example he

Was asked about Troy Brown today and you know his his title and basically gerro said that he’s going to be in charge of like Specialists or you know something along those lines and like if we would have asked bill this last year he’d have been like

Now we’ll see how it goes we’ll see and like we wouldn’t know any of the titles until like the media guide came out which is just utterly ridiculous so I think Gerard’s just trying not to be ridiculous about things and just you know he I think I think gerro at his

Base really wants to be you know a good guy and just um upfront about a lot of things when he can be and sometimes he’s going to step in it um but I think I think over the long run um he’ll be fine at that part of the job to high WIA man

You know you and I talked about it and it’s not to excuse any mistakes that they’re going to make you and I will keep their feet to the fire if we’re talking about a team by the time we get to mini camp that doesn’t have some of

These holes on the roster figured out and if if they don’t play well they don’t get coached well we’re going to be all over them like we have been in the past when that was the case but I do think people need to take a deep breath

Like Mayo’s had the job for a couple of months he is replaced reping Bill bellich guy was here for a quarter of a century okay lot of success and uh I just maybe we should give him a little bit more than a couple of months to figure things out that’s that’s all I

Would say give him a little bit more of a fair shake before we start land basting him about everything he does all right let’s end with this miles Bryant he signs with the Texans how will that impact the defense good question I see you know maybe it’s Marte mapu who sort of fills

That role um I do think they have a lot of you know options in the secondary I mean look not at like starting caliber cornerback or stuff like that I don’t know have my depth chart in front of me but you know I’m I’m sad to see miles go

Um I think he was an underrated player here certainly people love to beat on him but I I just thought um what he did as an undrafted free agent his ability to play different positions um his versatility I I think will be missed on this team but you know we’ll have to see

Who fills that role does this tell us I know Mike Reese wrote it over the weekend that uh for all intents and purposes miles was a bill guy oh did he did he write that um possibly I mean that they didn’t jump at signing him I don’t think it was that

Expensive to sign him I think to me that that is the Personnel Department going this guy’s really not that good and the only reason he was here because Bill loved him and he was his pet and undrafted free agent Bill loves those typ guys I want to be fair to Mike Reese

He wrote this at ESPN yesterday my reed talking about miles Bryant he said my reed he lost a top advocate in bellich the Patriots would be open to bringing the Patriots would be open to bringing him back on a salary that reflects him more as a depth player than

Keog so I think that’s fair I think that’s totally fair yeah so that was Mike’s Reed on it and uh we should mention miles got a one-year deal with Houston so it’s not as if he got the bag in any kind of way right so it it it

Does seem like the Patriots were hey man if you want to be a piece to the puzzle and maybe we can mix you in a little bit then we’re here for you but if if you think you’re playing 75% of the snaps in 2024 uh that ain’t going to happen on

Our watch so it’ll be interesting you know part of it Greg too before we wrap it up is the younger guys in this secondary right I mean I was thinking about this today I kind of have a developing opinion about signing a veteran for a cornerback to like I I

Would be okay with bringing Gilmore in I I’ve said that before but I also understand this idea of we need to see what we got in the young guys and you got Marcus Jones this is a prove it or lose it year yep you’ve got Isaiah Balden who had a pretty good preseason

Last year before he got injured was out yep you got Alex Austin who showed some flashes late last year if you sign somebody like Gilmore or you trade for somebody like sne those guys are useless other than just being super depth pieces so you

Know do you give it a shot and say let’s see what we’ve got in Austin let’s see what we’ve got in Balden let’s see what we’ve got in Marcus Jones let’s see what we have in you know what’s his name Jaylen Hawkins or whatever who just

Signed as a safety slash kind of uh special teams guy so maybe that’s just what they’re going to do let’s just see what we have back there and maybe one of Austin or Balden will pop for us yeah yeah I I I totally agree with that and

That’s really the way you know the Packers do things and and that’s why like the Sneed thing it was nice in theory but they look they have a number one receiver in Christian Gonzalez like I a cornerback um you know it’s not that much of a projection and so he’s really

Good Jonathan Jones is really good Marcus Jones we’ll see you know let let him prove it and along with these other guys and I’m sure they’ll they’ll add other guys in the draft and undrafted free agency so um let the kids play the secondary was one area where Bill did

Not really let the kids play I mean you looked at Marte mapu what we saw of him in training camp we thought he was going to play all the time he barely played all season because Bill just doesn’t trust those guys I think they’re going

To they’re going to trust the guys or at least give them a shot and then go from there I mean Gilmore could be on the street he could be a free agent forever so they’ll at least look in OTA see what they got and then go from there all

Right that’ll do it for today uh tomorrow rkk right scheduled to talk to you guys or at least expected mhm 8:30 uh tomorrow after the NFC coaches bre these guys talk after 9:00 a.m. my God what’s what’s everything before 9:00 a.m. they got people got to play golf

And stuff I don’t know I was gonna say you guys do get the great weather so I’m sure you’re not bitching about it all right so we’re done for today we’re back tomorrow though Greg and I will do this again uh tomorrow to talk about what

Craft has to say uh until then he’s Greg i’m Nick we’ll talk to you Later Yeah