Thank you for the weekly answers you provide here; they really go a long way in helping me understand the various aspects of this Patriots team. I would like to ask that should the Patriots end up with the No. 1 draft pick (or even 2 or 3, if the teams selecting ahead of the Pats are only looking for a QB selection) would you draft: a) Travis Hunter, b) Will Campbell / Kelvin Banks, c) Trade down to pick up more draft picks? – Nader Valdez
Given those options my preference would probably be to trade down and try to acquire additional picks. But that requires a willing partner, and that by no means is a given. In that case, I would take Hunter and figure out which side of the ball he fits best. My guess is he’s going to be a cornerback who will dabble a bit on offense. I feel he would be too talented to pass up if the Patriots have that option.
It’s safe to say that Jerod Mayo hasn’t performed the way the Patriots had hoped. I believe it’s clear that Mayo, while he could be a good coach one day, clearly wasn’t ready for this. So, do you move on quickly to limit the potential harm to our star quarterback in the making, or stick with Mayo and hope it works out? If the decision is to replace him, who do you see as potential candidates for the job? – Todd Pickering
My question is simple – should the coaching staff stay? I understand the need for stability, yet the coaching staff has not shown the growth they are demanding from the players. That could be seen as hypocritical. The defense which was expected to keep the Patriots in games has been a major liability. Barring one player in the secondary in a team of 11. Concerned. – Dave Mah
This is the only rebuilding team that I know of that neither of the coordinators or head coach have called plays before. This team has been going backward, they are undisciplined and unprepared, that falls mostly on coaching. I think we need to bring in a new head coach, bring in a new offensive coordinator and new defensive coordinator. – Stacy Hanson
How much are you guys buying into the fact that we may have a different coaching staff next year? I originally thought there was no way we would see a change, but the media seems to flip flop every week on whether or not Jerod Mayo and Alex Van Pelt will stay. I do like AVP. He was under the scope in against Arizona for his playcalling, but when you factor in the offensive line being completely abysmal, he didn’t have a choice but to call quick screens. Jerod Mayo was a lock to return as of Sunday morning, but by Sunday night the media once again clamored for his job. What do you guys think? – Anthony Pedota
I would stick with Mayo and have faith in the leadership qualities they saw in him in the first place and believe that he will learn from a tough first season and become a better coach next season and beyond. Mayo has the ear of the players, and they continue to show belief in him, and that goes a long way toward formulating my opinion. It has not been a great year, and I’m not blind to that, but many successful coaches did not enjoy a great start to their career and hopefully Mayo can become part of that list.
Looking at Tee Higgins and what we might project for the offense in 2025. 1) 4.59 combine 40, 2) less than 32-inch vertical, 3) No. 2 wide receiver in Cincinnati opposite Ja’Marr Chase. Assuming Alex Van Pelt comes back, can you really project Higgins as a true 1 that will achieve production worthy of a $25 million-plus contract? Van Pelt’s offense hasn’t shown the ability to use a featured receiver (I know they don’t have one), but there’s nothing in the scheme I’ve seen so far that leads me to believe that a talented receiver can thrive. Talented guy, but better as a 2 and finally, why would he come here vs. considering someplace like Arizona or Washington which are borderline contenders that also have significant cap space and seem to have more of a functional structure than the Patriots? – NC Morrill
You make a lot of good points, and nothing you said is factually wrong. But I would counter that you speak in many absolutes that I believe are more subjective. Let’s start with Higgins is a No. 2 receiver. As a rookie, with a rookie quarterback (Joe Burrow) and an abysmal offensive line in Cincinnati, Higgins had 67 catches for 908 yards and six touchdowns while playing all 16 games. For the record, this was one season before Chase arrived, so Higgins was the top option at wideout along with slot receiver Tyler Boyd. And Burrow was injured and missed the latter part of the season. So, Higgins has shown the ability to produce even without Chase, although I would admit that he has benefitted greatly from Chase’s presence. Next, Van Pelt’s inability to feature a top wideout. Amari Cooper was a pretty solid No. 1 option in Cleveland the last couple of seasons, so I don’t see that as a stumbling block either. I get that Higgins isn’t perfect … if he were he wouldn’t likely be available. He will cost a lot of money, probably more than the $25 million you suggest. But the Patriots offense needs playmakers, and Higgins would immediately give Drake Maye an option he simply doesn’t have. He would also make the other receivers better because he would attract more attention than anyone on the roster does at the moment. The biggest problem is likely the last thing you mentioned … the competition to sign him. Higgins will be the top target on the market, and will require winning a bidding war to get him.
With our quarterback in tow, how much do you see Drake Maye being an attraction to potential free agents? I suspect Foxborough was a rather unattractive destination the last few years given our situation under center. – Scott Kavanagh
I think Maye’s development will help, but not that much. For example, last offseason the Niners Brandon Aiyuk reportedly wouldn’t even talk to the Patriots about a possible trade to New England. Given Maye’s solid rookie season, it’s possible that Aiyuk would at least take the phone call and discuss his options if that were to happen now. But I don’t think that alone would be enough to make you more attractive than another team with playoff aspirations. As is usually the case when it comes to free agency, money talks. And as a team that will be coming off three straight losing seasons, it’s likely that the Patriots will need to spend more than most in order to lure talented players to Foxborough. But Maye should help, especially for wide receivers looking to catch passes.
Before the season began, there was a lot of talk about Eliot Wolf and the Green Bay connection. With Robert Saleh there now as a consultant, any chance the Patriots would consider bringing him in for defensive coordinator? I don’t see the Patriots firing Jerod Mayo yet. What I do see is going the Nick Sirianni route and giving him another chance with a new set of coordinators. – Elfi M.
I love the idea of bringing in an experienced defensive mind to help out, even if it’s as a consultant to aid DeMarcus Covington going forward. It certainly appears to be working in Green Bay as the Packers defense has improved throughout the year while the Jets once-vaunted defense has fallen apart since Saleh left. Bringing in experienced coaches, like Philadelphia did with Vic Fangio and Kellen Moore, makes a lot of sense.
Would the Patriots bring in Mike Borgonzi from Kansas City to help out Eliot Wolf? He has proven to be very capable of sustaining excellence and is from the area and has stated he would come back. This offseason is huge and restocking the team with talent is vital. A voice from outside the team to bring in could help. – Mike Gil
This is another idea I love, and not just because Borgonzi grew up in my hometown of Everett. He has done a great job with the Chiefs and seems to be knocking on the door of getting a chance to run his own organization. If he isn’t able to land that opportunity elsewhere, perhaps he’d be interested in coming home to work alongside Wolf. I agree the team could use some outside voices to help with some of the major decisions that are coming this offseason, and Borgonzi would be a great option.
My understanding was Sidy Sow, by the end of last season was playing well at right guard. This year the Patriots started him out at left guard (the position he played in college) in training camp to make room for Mike Onwenu. He then got injured, which probably affected his play but now appears to be healthy. Still, he doesn’t seem to get any opportunity to show what he can do? I know we don’t see what goes on in practice, but with all of the help the Patriots need on the offensive line, has Sow really fallen that far down the depth chart? – David Cole
I think Sow had an OK rookie season, particularly run blocking. His pass protection grades were not great, and that was a problem for him earlier this season when he was playing more. He struggled in those games, and as a blocking fullback or extra offensive lineman since he hasn’t really performed up to those standards either. He is still young and as you said he did suffer an ankle injury during the preseason that no doubt set him back, so it’s possible that he would be in the mix for a starting spot once again next season.