Pigskin Succession Plans

Now it's a party.

Jerod Mayo is the new Head Coach of your (and my) New England Patriots.

I wasn't crazy about anyone within six degrees of Bill Belichick becoming the next HC of the NEP but a contract is a contract. I'll be rooting for Mayo, regardless. He's always been a class act and he's put in the work. 

Of course, this is just one piece of the puzzle as New England needs to find a General Manager, and Mayo needs to fill out his coaching staff. 

I have to assume the Krafts, along with Mayo, have a plan. After all, this seems to have been in the works for quite some time, given the succession clause was written into Mayo's last contract. 

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out, but for now…

Congratulations to Jerod Mayo and…

Go Pats!

Postscript: My Wishful Thinking Plan for the Patriots

• Fill out the front office with people from the Lions and 49ers organizations.

• Use the #3 pick to select LSU dual-threat QB Jayden Daniels; do not trade down! Yes, the Patriots have a significant talent deficit at multiple positions and could certainly use the extra picks but if you could draft the next Lamar Jackson, wouldn't you do that?

• If Jayden Daniels is not available at #3, then trade down for additional picks. I'm assuming Caleb Williams is gone at #1 or #2 and I'd rather have 3-5 additional picks than take Drake Maye at #3. I think the comparisons of Maye to Josh Allen are more cautionary tale than complement.

• Draft speed, not size.

• Find a true WR1 either in the second round or through free agency to pair with Demario Douglas.

• Rebuild the offensive line in rounds 2-5. Some recency bias here but I don't think free agency is the way to go for O-Line. Most of those guys are out of warranty and one play away from a complete and total breakdown.

• Hire former players to fill out the offensive and defensive coordinator spots. Time to deal with Gen-Z in the locker room. (They don't want to be told; they want to be told why.)

• Talk Matthew Slater into coaching special teams.

• Optional: Trade Mac Jones to Denver for Russell Wilson. (Given Wilson's contract and Jones' depressed property value, I think this could be a straight up 1:1 deal but I would only do this if Wilson was agreeable to some changes to his contract.) I have no idea if Wilson has the desire or ability to mentor a rookie QB of the Future but he could at least mean the Pats wouldn't need to throw Daniels into the fire on Day 1… Did Brian Hoyer retire?