Patriots, Jerod Mayo ‘able to burn some money’ to assist with rebuild

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots are ready to again up the Brinks truck below new head coach Jerod Mayo in hopes of returning the franchise to prominence.

“We’re bringing in expertise, 1,000 p.c,” Mayo mentioned Monday with a contact of humor on sports activities radio WEEI. “We’ve got a whole lot of cap house and money. We’re able to burn some money!”

The Patriots have a projected $65 million in wage cap house, in line with ESPN’s Roster Administration System. It’s a fluid whole that presently ranks fourth within the NFL.

The workforce is coming off a 4-13 season, which led to a parting of the way with coach Invoice Belichick after 24 seasons. Mayo was rapidly tapped as his successor, and proprietor Robert Kraft mentioned final week that the plan is to empower Mayo and the present personnel workers — headlined by director of participant personnel Matt Groh and director of scouting Eliot Wolf — to rebuild the workforce.

Spending has been a hot-button matter across the Patriots in recent times, with Kraft beforehand saying he did not set limits on Belichick, who had the ultimate phrase on all personnel and finances choices.

The Patriots ranked thirtieth of the NFL’s 32 groups in money spending final season at $188 million, in line with Roster Administration System, which analyzes each NFL contract. The Cleveland Browns had been No. 1 at $282 million.

The Patriots had been as excessive as third in 2021, when a then-record binge in unrestricted free company resulted in spending totaling $222 million. However they had been as little as thirty first twice over the previous decade — in 2020 and 2014.

Over the previous 10 years, the Patriots ranked final within the NFL in money spending at $1.62 billion, in line with Roster Administration System. The Philadelphia Eagles, at $1.92 billion, had been tops over that span.

Mayo’s remarks in Monday’s radio interview foreshadow vital personnel choices forward for the Patriots, with beginning security Kyle Dugger, beginning offensive guard/deal with Mike Onwenu, go rusher Josh Uche, tight finish Hunter Henry and receiver Kendrick Bourne amongst their prime gamers scheduled for unrestricted free company.

The Patriots additionally personal the third choose within the NFL draft — their highest choice in Kraft’s 30 years of possession.

“We will take one of the best out there participant for the largest want on the workforce; offensive line, receiver, quarterback — choose your [choice],” Mayo mentioned within the radio interview.

The draft stays the lifeblood of what Kraft views as one of the best ways to construct a championship workforce.

“In the long run, to be good on this league, you must draft properly,” Kraft mentioned final March on the NFL’s annual assembly. “As a result of given the wage cap and the worth of individuals you draft, versus hiring them as free brokers, that is the place your biggest return comes from.

“In case you look once we received the Tremendous Bowls, we all the time appeared to have 12 or 15 gamers who had been actually merchandise of the draft. Once you get them on their rookie contracts, whenever you’re coping with wage cap it permits you to compete higher.”