Proactive Patriots: New England Reveals Plan For Keeping Jerod Mayo, Repairing Offense
Robert Kraft isn't messing around. And now, when it comes to his team's glaring problems, Bill Belichick isn't merely tap-dancing around.
After a meeting of the New England Patriots head honchos this week, an actionable plan has commenced.
*The Patriots are in contract negotiations to keep defensive coach Jerod Mayo in Foxboro.
*Interviews for a new offensive coordinator will begin next week.
In the wake of a disappointing 8-9 season in which the defense continually propped an anemic offense besieged by questionable play-calling, the Patriots made the proactive - rare - move of announcing their intentions Thursday afternoon via press release.
Mayo, a key member of the defensive staff the last four years, earlier this week got invitations to speak with the Cleveland Browns about their defensive coordinator position and with the Carolina Panthers about their head coaching job. New England's defense led the NFL with seven touchdowns and was second behind only the Dallas Cowboys with 30 takeaways.
While the defense was good enough to win a Super Bowl, the Pats' offense couldn't even get it to the postseason.
Belichick's decision to have no official title and instead co-op the play-calling duties between defensive-minded assistants Matt Patricia and Joe Judge was harpooned by critics even before the season started. And, for once, the "experts" were right.
Quarterback Mac Jones visibly regressed from his Pro Bowl rookie season. Receiver Kendrick Bourne was inexplicably kept in moth balls until the final weeks of the season. Rookie speedster Tyquan Thornton got three hand-offs - producing 19 yards and a touchdown - in an October victory at Cleveland, but none the rest of the season.
Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury seems a logical candidate to help repair the Pats' broken offense.
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