Antonio Gibson points out significant difference in Patriots locker room

A lot has been said about the atmosphere in New England and how unenjoyable it was to play for the Patriots, particularly under Bill Belichick, over the last 20+ years. It became the go-to label for the team, even when Tom Brady was around, but even more so in the last four years since he left.

It was no secret that it was a hard team to play for because of the high expectations and need to win, but that's also what made them great. There's a reason they were able to sustain success for an unprecedented amount of time and why they won six Super Bowls in 20 years.

But as all good things do, the "Patriot Way" needed to end, or at the very least, be amended, with or without Belichick. Now that Jerod Mayo is steering the ship, the changes are coming, and we're already seeing its benefits during the offseason.

We've heard from several players who were on the roster prior to this offseason who have spoken highly of the efforts Mayo has made to change the vibe at Gillette, hammering home the need for the changes even before this offseason.

But what makes Mayo's work even more noteworthy is the reaction from players who just signed with the team in free agency and are already raving about the positive changes.

Antonio Gibson points out significant difference in Patriots locker room

While speaking to ESPN's Mike Reiss last week, running back Antonio Gibson gushed about his first impressions of joining the team this year. He talked about the closeness of the locker room and how supportive the players are of each other, which he has not felt before in the NFL.

"The locker room is very accepting. I feel like it’s more of a bond here, they do a lot of things together. Nothing against my brothers on the other side, but everybody communicates with each other — from offense to defense. That’s a good feeling coming over here and them being accepting."

Given how tumultuous things reportedly were behind the scenes the last two years in Foxboro, it's great to hear the insight of a newly added player's impression being so positive.

Although it doesn't mean they'll be a top-performing team, a unified locker room with players who genuinely care and respect for one another can take teams a long way, and the Patriots are a team that needs that amidst significant changes being made to the team.

Hopefully, this will be a permanent new vibe in New England for the well-being of the team and their future, but also to help entice free agents to sign there over the next several years. As a team aiming to become competitive again, they'll need all the help they can get to increase the chances of signing good players to the roster.

This is a great start for that.

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