In a puzzling but not surprising move, the Patriots replaced Bill Belichick with Jerod Mayo, and his tenure thus far might already be setting the team back within the AFC East. I'm not sure what the Patriots were thinking here when they replaced Belichick with Mayo, but it seems like that was the plan all along.
The "Patriot Way" turned quite stale over the last few years of Belichick's tenure, and the true party responsible for the "Patriot Way" seemed to be Tom Brady. So to me, replacing Belichick with someone who has been a Patriot as a player and coach for year didn't make much sense to me. However, the Patriots did enter the offseason with a load of cap space and do have the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
It's no secret that the Pats don't have a franchise QB on the roster and are largely one of the least-talented rosters in the NFL, especially on offense. In a division with Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, and Tua Tagovailoa, the Patriots simply need to get the QB right if they want to become relevant again. Well, addressing the media earlier this week, new head coach Jerod Mayo had this to say:
Jerod Mayo: "The guaranteed way to win is to accumulate more picks."
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) March 25, 2024
Yeah, uh, that isn't correct. Is this Mayo giving legs to the idea that New England could actually trade down from their third overall pick? Do they prefer trading down for more capital or staying at three? Well, if this is Mayo speaking truthfully, perhaps that's what New England plans on doing. To me, it'd be a huge mistake, as that third overall pick is surely going to guarantee them one or more of Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, or JJ McCarthy, three QB prospects with franchise potential.
Trading down would greatly lessen the team's chances at getting the QB position fixed. While the Pats do have the need for more capital, the right way to build a winning team is to hit on the draft picks, not just by accumulating them. If this is the way that the New England Patriots plan on operating, they might already be even further behind in the AFC East.