Jerod Mayo's not-so-subtle jab at Bill Belichick isn't so controversial

Robert Kraft's decision to fire Bill Belichick and replace him with former linebacker turned Patriots coach Jerod Mayo was met with various responses that continue into the 2024 season. Because the team is now sitting with a 1-5 record and just decided to have rookie Drake Maye take over under center, debate continues regarding whether the team owner made the right decision this past offseason.

That had been a hot topic throughout the offseason, as the new regime didn't make the roster decisions fans were hoping for, especially with a rookie quarterback on deck. Most of their concerns have been proven right through the first six games of the season, which has Mayo having to answer many questions about their roster decisions.

Although the media can be rough on Boston sports, some of the questions about how Mayo and Co. handled free agency and the draft are certainly valid.

All of this came up during the head coach's weekly appearance on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show on Monday after the Patriots' latest loss. Mayo gave some fascinating insight about their perspective on the roster, but the most intriguing of all was his response to why the roster was in such bad shape coming into the offseason, which seemed to be a jab at Bill Belichick.

Jerod Mayo's lack of answer to a roster question said everything by saying nothing

It was clear from the start that Mayo didn't walk into a perfect situation when succeeding Bill Belichick earlier this year. The roster wasn't in great shape and had been a problem since Tom Brady left in 2020.

It made the beginning of his head coaching tenure much more difficult, especially with expectations high due to the Patriots' history of success. It prompted many to believe he could magically fix all the issues within one offseason. That was further assumed because of the amount of cap space they had to spend and their desirable draft positioning.

Although the new regime did address many of the biggest concerns with the team through free agency and the draft, they haven't reaped the rewards just yet, leading to Mayo being questioned about why the roster was in such bad shape when he took over.

He not so subtly made sure we understood what he said, and that it was the result of Belichick's poor decision-making before he was even hired to replace him.

His comments have received a lot of reactions over the past few days, with some believing he was out of line to say anything negative about the former head coach. However, any new hire coming into a team with no quarterback, questionable offensive weapons, a lackluster offensive line, and just one reliable pass rusher would say the same thing.

On top of that, fans and reporters have been saying that the Patriots roster hasn't been up to par for the past few years. So, how is it so controversial to hear Mayo say it without really saying it?

The main takeaway should be that he is very aware of where the roster stands right now and understands there is a lot of improvement left to be made. But at the same time, he also emphasized patience with those drafted this year, as rookies don't always come out hot as soon as they enter the league.

All of this bodes well for how the Patriots will handle the 2025 offseason, with a ton of cap space to spend (again) and projected high draft picks. The roster should be in a much better spot next year, which is exactly what fans have been begging for.

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