In the midst of his first New England Patriots training camp as head coach, Jerod Mayo is looking to carve his own path. One that mostly blazes a new trail forward for the only team he has ever worked for in his professional career, but also pays a bit of tribute to the only coach he's ever worked for in that career too.
The now-former coach? A now legendary Bill Belichick, who still doesn't quite know what his future may hold. As Mayo transitions into his new role, tight end Hunter Henry already sees the head coach's vision, via ESPN Mike Reiss.
“I think Mayo is doing a great job,” Henry said. “His leadership style and how he's morphing everything from the past and then also into the future,”
Jerod Mayo, Patriots begin path forward to regular season
At Saturday's practice session, Mayo had already shown a number of differences on how his camp practices will be conducted. Some of these changes included music throughout the almost two-hour session, and a later start time for the players. These changes, along with improvements with the player lounge and varying practices, show that the former first rounder is still very much in touch with his foundation as a former Patriot player.
“If you watch us practice, we're a reflection of his energy,” said quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
Even though these Patriots are mirrored after their coach, a lot of the values Mayo has instilled to his team came from his time learning under Belichick. Yes, the energy and the process through Mayo is very different, but the actual ethos of his message? It sounds a lot like his mentor, the coach who won eight Lombardi Trophies overall.
Can Patriots get back to postseason this year?
With a slew of new additions, including third overall pick Drake Maye and Brissett at quarterback, running back Antonio Gibson and receiver K.J Osborn, New England is look to do exactly that.
Yes, they are in arguably the toughest division in football. The Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets are all potential playoff teams. On paper, it looks as if the Pats have the division's weakest roster.
However, there are some bright spots.
Maye was the third overall pick for a reason, showcasing incredible athletic ability and strong mental fortitude during his time with North Carolina. He was a projected first round pick for over a year, and even though he couldn't help the Tar Heels' football program hit the highest peaks in college football, many things suggest he will be a solid, if not upper tier, starting quarterback in time. If Maye and the rest of the signings hit their potential as a collective, then a playoff trip could very well happen once again in Foxborough.
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