It is officially a new era in New England. The Patriots will be coached by a man not named Bill Belichick for the first time in 23 years.
The Patriots announced the hiring of Jerod Mayo as the team's next head coach, promoting him from his previous position as the team's inside linebackers coach.
Typically, new head coaches can be a bit of a risk. There is a lot of unknown involved. Yet, there are reasons to believe that Mayo will pan out much sooner rather than later.
1. Mayo is already respected within the building and has rapport with the locker room
For players who end up sticking around, this is a huge factor that played into hiring Mayo. There are positives to hiring an external candidate, for sure. But, hiring an internal candidate who is already established within the organization takes away a lot of the initial "to-do's" for a new head coach.
Knowing the building, the staff and the players is a huge advantage. Do not take that fact lightly. This move speaks to continuity that Robert Kraft has seen and wants to continue, rather than bringing in an outside personality who will have to re-establish much of what's already in place, only in his own fashion.
Promoting Mayo takes away a heck of a lot of extra work that would normally be done in a head coach's first season. That can't be overlooked.
2. Mayo is a young, former player, following a recent trend
Because of his youth, Mayo brings several advantages. As a young, former player, Mayo can relate to the players of today's league. He understands how the game has evolved over recent years and he's seen it firsthand through experience.
With that comes an understanding that the quarterback position is more important than it's ever been. I don't believe a team can any longer go to a Super Bowl with a Trent Dilfer or Rex Grossman under center. You have to have a legitimately talented player at quarterback. That doesn't mean they have to be an All Pro, necessarily. But, you absolutely have to have a talented guy under center, and that Patriots' short list following Tom Brady has not cut it.
Having been around for the entirety of the post-Brady era, Mayo has had a front row seat to watching the Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe experiment.
The way this league has evolved, we see many more offensive minds take head coaching gigs and are witnessing less and less defensive minds get those opportunities. However, Mayo might be a special case because of his experience playing and coaching within the last eight years. Knowing the defensive trends, first and foremost, has allowed Mayo to continue assisting in the Patriots' long tradition of having stout defenses.
But at the same time, he will ensure the quarterback position is secured.
3. Defense will continue to be a priority for Mayo
While Mayo being young will certainly impact how the team goes about finding their quarterback and figuring out an offensive identity, it's the defense that will continue being a priority for the new head coach. And, contrary to how it may have felt over the last few seasons, defense still matters.
Look at arguably the top two teams in football right now, the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. These are both top-8 defenses in most major categories, with many believing the Ravens have the most feared unit overall.
While most fans are keyed in on what the Patriots will do at quarterback, you can rest assured that Mayo will not allow the defense to be forgotten. That's his baby. It's his top area of expertise, after all.
It's almost as if the Patriots made this move because of the fact that they won't even have to think twice about defense, and the rest of the coaching staff and front office can zero-in on the offense, and primarily the quarterback position. It's actually a genius move, if you think about it.
Here's one simple, yet profound fact that some fans may not realize: each of the past three seasons, New England has had a top-10 defense. Yet, we forget about it because of the offense's lack of production.
Being able to walk into the offseason and next regular season without any doubts about the defense is an advantage. We know what Mayo brings, and we know that the consistency there has already been established and will only carry on.
Now, it's on to focusing in on the most important part of today's game, and I'm certain Mayo already has a plan mapped out, and he will have plenty of help in that regard.