Patriots HC Jerod Mayo

PATRIOTS HEAD COACH JEROD MAYO

PRESS CONFERENCE

August 6, 2024

 

 

JM: Well, it’s a little rainy day. I think it’ll be good for the players to come out here and continue to work on their fundamentals. Now that the grass is slick, obviously, you’ll probably see some people on the ground, and there will be great teaching moments. I know what all of you guys want to know. One thing I did learn from Bill [Belichick] is I just – I don’t talk about players on other teams. So, just let me go ahead and say that now. But I remember as a player, I appreciated that. I appreciated that the only opinions that mattered were inside the walls. So, I’m still trying to apply that now going forward.

 

Q: Can you confirm at all that this talk is ongoing?

 

JM: Look, I’ll be honest with you, that’s more of an Eliot [Wolf] question. Right now, I’m just focused on the guys out here: The New England Patriots.

 

Q: How do you feel about the offense, the wide receiver group after a couple weeks? Do you feel like you still need an upgrade there?

 

JM: Oh, those guys are working hard. They’re getting better every day. Now, from Eliot and my perspective, we’re always trying to get better, no matter what position we’re talking about, no matter how those guys get here, whether it’s through cuts or through trades or whatever, we’re always looking to improve our team and win now.

 

Q: Jerod, there are multiple reports out there that the 49ers have negotiated a trade offer with you guys about Brandon Aiyuk and that they’ve allowed him to speak to you guys, so I don’t think it falls into tampering or anything, but can you confirm that? 

 

JM: I can’t. Like I said earlier, I’m just focused on the guys in the room.

 

Q: Did you hear what Matthew Judon had to say with us yesterday? Any comments on what he had to say?

 

JM: Look, Judon is doing what he has to do. He’s out here every day. He’s in pads; he’ll be in pads today as well. He’s doing everything in the meeting rooms. Look, it was a hiccup, and I feel like we’re on the same page, and we’re moving forward.

 

Q: When a player’s attitude is, ‘I’m just doing what I need to do so I don’t get fined,’ is that good for the team right now?

 

JM: Well, I mean, every day is its own day. Sometimes I come to work and I don’t feel like talking at all either, both as a player and also as a coach. So, it’s day-to-day. What I will say about Judon, he always brings great energy to the practice field, brings great energy in the locker room, and that is the expectation that he set early on. I don’t see it any different now.

 

Q: Jerod, with Judon, is it your understanding the team’s approach with his negotiations is at all affected by other negotiations you might be having through your conversations with Eliot?

 

JM: All of those conversations are independent of each other. I guess that answers your question. Hopefully, that helps.

 

Q: So, you’re not waiting on another move before you do anything with Judon?

 

JM: Everything is its own independent move, and that’s how we look at it.

 

Q: Jerod, what is your plan for his Drake in Thursday’s opener?

 

JM: Drake will play. Drake will play, and when he gets in the game, we’ll talk about that, but he will play in the game. Look, everyone who is healthy enough to play in the game will play in the game. That’s more than you’ve ever gotten before.

 

Q: That’s very true, and I appreciate it. How much?

 

JM: Not sure. Now you’re going too far.

 

Q: Do you envision all four quarterbacks playing?

 

JM: So, as of today, that’s the plan, to have all of those guys out there playing. Once again, it goes back to competing. So, yesterday, you guys saw the live tackling period and things like that, that I think is very important. You don’t want the first time these guys have to get hit or hit someone else to be in the preseason game. So, we’ve got to see what these guys can do with live action.

 

Q: Has a contract offer been made to Matthew Judon?

 

JM: I’m not going to discuss his contract situation.

 

Q: It seems like Eliot has been, I’d say, aggressive in trying to improve his team in throughout the offseason. Some things haven’t worked, but it seems like he’s doing everything. One, how much do you like his approach, and two, how much are you guys on the same page with what you’re trying to build?

 

JM: Yeah, I love Eliot’s approach to getting better. Once again, on the outside, we don’t have a chance, but we’re always trying to get the team better. Eliot and his staff, [Matt] Groh, these guys have been doing a good job identifying pieces that will help us win. We’ve been on the same page for a long time, even before I got this role and before he got his role. We’ve had a good relationship since then, and our philosophy is married.

 

Q: You used the word ‘collaborative’ a lot in the draft process. Does that apply as well to roster cut downs when you guys reach the final 53, the players you want on this roster?

 

JM: One-hundred percent. I would also say the assistant coaches, Eliot and the rest of his staff also have a say. Ultimately, Eliot and I have to make a final call, but we try to stay collaborative in that approach.

 

Q: Knowing you guys are always trying to get better as you’ve said, is there additional urgency to try to improve your roster because you have a young quarterback? I know we’re not sure when he’s actually going to play, but is there urgency on the team’s end to make sure you’re giving him the best environment possible?

 

JM: There’s always a sense of urgency to get good players. Everyone talks about young quarterbacks and surrounding him with good players. Look, we have an older quarterback, and we want to send him in with good players as well. We’re going to put the best product or the best team out there.

 

Q; Yesterday, we saw Keion White and I want to say it was Jeremiah Pharms [Jr.] taking snaps at fullback. Is that a plan for the season going in, or is that just kind of a trial and error thing right now?

 

JM: It’s kind of an experiment at this point in time. Remember, Keion did play tight end in college as well, so it’s an experiment.

 

Q: Jerod, I just want to go back to what Mike [Reiss] was saying before. You gave us a lot of information about who’s going potentially play here at quarterback and when. Do the players know that as well? Have you informed them sort of what they’re going to be doing in?

 

JM: Not at this time, so they’ll read it probably in one of your articles or something like that. But once again though, the expectation is that everyone’s always going to play. We don’t want to just sit people out and kind of lose an opportunity to go out there with live bullets flying. That’s probably not a good analogy, but that’s how I think about it.

 

Q: Do you want Jacoby [Brissett] to start on Thursday night?

 

JM: That’s the plan. Once again, look, I’m telling you guys this today. I mean, it could change as the week continues to progress, but that is the plan.

 

Q: What were your theories on the live tackling portion that we saw at the end of practice?

 

JM: Yeah, that we need it. Those goes into fundamentals. We can do all the scalloping and thudding up that you want to. It’s a lot different trying to get a man to the ground. So, as far as our evaluation in competing, we wanted to see who could actually do that. Sometimes you have those guys in shorts that kind of look great, and then once it’s time to kind of put the shoulder pads on and tackle, they just kind of disappear. We’re trying to kind of weed that out.

 

Q: Jerod, as far as roster competitions go, not just the quarterback, but all positions, how do you personally weigh practice vs. preseason action?

 

JM: Yeah, there’s nothing more important that we do than practice. It’s about the day after day after day trending in the right direction. Look, the preseason game, whether to play a series, a quarter, a half, those are important as well. But remember, that’s just straight – it’s not really scheme. When we’re out here on the practice field, it’s a little bit more scheme, a little bit more thinking. So, I think practice is the most important thing at this time.

 

Q: Jerod, a player you do have on your roster, Kendrick Bourne, was primarily featured in some of these reports. When players are involved in trade talks or rumors, have you spoken to him, or do you feel compelled to speak to him about it?

 

JM: Honestly, I did talk to him this morning, and it was a good conversation. Once again, I feel like the story is so much further along than anything else. I just wanted to make sure we cleared the air. I do believe in being transparent with the players and really just setting those guys at ease.

 

Q: Jerod, you know the outside prognosticating of what they say or whatever. As far as you guys are concerned, players all the way through, whether you acquire better players or what have you, how good do you think this team can be right from the get-go, especially if you acquire more talent?

 

JM: I mean, look, I don’t have a crystal ball. We’ll wait and see, but what I will say is, we’ll be better as the season goes on. I don’t know if the first game, we go out there and get beat or beat whoever we’re playing. I think team’s are still trying to figure out their identity because now, we only have three preseason games as well. So, we’ll see what happens.

 

Q: Jerod, when you guys would have the season-ticket holder practice inside the stadium before the first preseason game, Bill [Belichick] would always use that, he said, as kind of a practice run for not only the players, but the coaching staff. You guys won’t get in there for the season-ticket holder practice before Thursday, but have you had ample time in the stadium to go through that? How do you feel about just the logistics?

 

JM: That’s a great question. We have gone through that, and tomorrow we’ll go through it as well. We’ll get the coaches up in the box, and we’ll just have a mock game, substitutions, all those things so we’re clean. It’s a test for us, but also it’s something that we can probably improve, and we’ll see how it plays out tomorrow.

 

Q: Jerod, what about for you personally? You’ve been the head coach for six months now. Thursday night, you get to see your team in their full uniform. You get to put on the headset. What’s it like for you?

 

JM: I’m excited. I’m excited to be on the sideline, and honestly, I’m excited for the players to go out there and perform well. So, that’s the main thing. Alright, thanks guys. I appreciate it.

 

 

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