FOXBOROUGH – Jerod Mayo presents himself as someone who’s open to new ideas, and is willing to make changes if the need arises.
As the saying goes, no time like the present.
There’s uncertainty over the coaching staff. It’s possible some coaches might opt to leave when Bill Belichick lands his next gig. Notably, offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who has time remaining on his contract, might be one of those coaches who follows Belichick.
Of course, Josh McDaniels is lurking should O’Brien leave. Or he might gravitate toward Belichick, too.
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With a new quarterback likely in the Patriots future, whether he arrives via the No. 3 overall pick, later in the draft, or via free agency, it’s important for Mayo and the Patriots to seize the moment.
The Patriots offense is screaming for change. The playbook needs a facelift.
Belichick actually had the right idea in 2022 after McDaniels left. Changing to the Shanahan offense, employed by the San Francisco 49ers, as well as others, was a good call.
Belichick just made the fatal mistake of having Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, two coaches who had little to no experience coaching offense, much less teaching a new scheme they’d never been around, trying to get players up to speed.
Needless to say, the execution was poor, and completely flawed. Bad enough Mac Jones lost McDaniels, he also lost an offense he felt comfortable in.
The timing is much better now, especially if the team moves on from Jones, and drafts its future franchise quarterback in April.
It makes sense for Mayo to interview coordinators who have new and creative ideas. It’s a no brainer to move off what’s old and stale, and get up to speed with all the new wave, modern offenses.
The Patriots need an offense that’s more relatable to the times, much like they decided it was time to bring on a coach who was more relatable to the players. Ultimately, the offense has to match the skillset of the quarterback.
If the Patriots draft a mobile quarterback, they’ll need an offense that better suits him.
During his introductory press conference Wednesday, Mayo was asked specifically about his plans for offensive coordinator, and if he plans to search for a new playcaller. To no surprise, he didn’t offer much information.
“Everything is still under consideration,” Mayo said. “Obviously, the staff that I’ve been working with isn’t the staff that I have chosen, but everything is under evaluation.”
There’s no shortage of people he can bring in to help him with that evaluation. At the very least, he should listen to how it works offensively for some successful teams.
Zac Robinson, who is the LA Rams pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, should be one of the first brought in. He’s been on Sean McVay’s staff.
Old friend Nick Caley, who left the Patriots after last season to become the Rams tight end coach, is well-versed in the old Pats offense, but now has a pretty good handle on McVay’s offense.
Shane Waldren, the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, also has experience in the McVay system.
“They need to have somebody that’s been in a successful program in a system with good offensive minds that are kind of next-level thinking, and bring them in,” former Patriot Ted Johnson said on the “Eye on Foxborough” podcast Tuesday. “I think that would be an easy sell for people, and I think that would be the right decision. I like that Jerod is willing to look outside for coaching to help him bring in new ideas.
“That was a huge part of the problem here,” Johnson went on. “The ideas were so stale, and with the same type of thinking. They were stuck in their ways.”
It’s time to get unstuck. Of course, there’s a ton on Mayo’s plate as he navigates his first head coaching job. Between revamping the staff, figuring which players he wants to keep around, offering his two cents on the No. 3 pick, as well as what to do with all the money they have to spend, his head is already spinning.
Getting the offense right, however, should be one of the top priorities.
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