Getty Jerod Mayo addressed fans' concerns over free agency.
New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo didn’t match fans’ expectations when it came to his “burn some cash” comment, but he has an explanation for it.
“For Patriots fans, look, I understand the frustration,” Mayo told reporters on Monday at the NFL annual league meeting in Orlando via Patriots.com. “I understand the expectation has been really built over the last 20 years.”
“But at the same time, hopefully, the fans understand that we’re trying to build this the right way. And we’re trying to bring in pieces that we think are for the long term. I think there’s a combination of bringing people in for the short-term, but also you have to think long-term,” Mayo added. “That’s always the hard thing to do.”
Once a six-time Super Bowl-winning dynasty for 20 seasons, the Patriots slumped to 4-13 in 2023. The Patriots retained key players but didn’t make any real splash in free agency despite $37.7 million in available salary cap space.
“I would just ask Patriots fans for patience. Look, once again, there will be players that hit the wire, free agents, guys that are exposed, whatever you want to say,” Mayo said. “There will be guys in the draft, there will be guys after the draft. So just sit back and kind of let us do our job going forward.”
Patriots Still Eying Moves for Quarterback, Wide Receiver
Patriots Jacoby Brissett could end up being the starting quarterback next year, per HC Jerod Mayo
“We’re not dead set on taking a quarterback at 3, but we do feel good having a guy like Jacoby ready to go.”
New England owns the No. 3 pick in the draft, and the Patriots could go for a quarterback, which Mayo called a “priority” position. The Patriots traded former starting quarterback Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth round pick, and New England brought back quarterback Jacoby Brissett in free agency.
Though top NFL quarterback prospects Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels look promising, Mayo expressed openness to trading the No. 3 pick for more draft capital. If the Patriots did that, the team could still take a quality quarterback such as Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy later in the draft.
“When I first started watching these guys, it was that three-man race,” Mayo said about the top quarterback prospects. “And now as you continue to go to these pro days and bringing guys in on the 30 visits and having time to spend with those guys, to really get to know what makes them tick, it’s about five guys, honestly, that could come in and be a solid quarterback in the future.”
New England could also still go for an upgrade at wide receiver in the trade market. Mayo said as much on Monday though he didn’t name any specific players.
“One-hundred percent, we’re still open on the trade market,” Mayo said.
Jerod Mayo Shows No Regret Over ‘Burn Some Cash’ Comments
As for the “burn some cash” comments, made it clear he doesn’t regret amid Brissett and wide receiver K.J. Osborne being the most notable signings. The Patriots fell short of landing wide receiver Calvin Ridley in free agency, which added to the angst of Patriots fans.
“No, I don’t regret it. Look, I’m a first-year head coach. I didn’t mean, like, burn some cash. I know we have a lot of cash to utilize, but we are going to utilize it the right way,” Mayo said. “We have to be very convicted when we do spend that cash. But ownership has done a good job of just letting Eliot and I know that we have the cash to spend — just try to spend it smart.”