In the course of the Patriots tenure that includes Tom Brady and Invoice Belichick, New England was a sexy touchdown spot for exterior free brokers.
They obtained to play for the best quarterback and the best coach of all time, and for a company the place profitable was kind of a weekly prevalence.
That’s now not the case in Foxboro, Mass. The Patriots are at first phases of a rebuild with a first-year head coach in Jerod Mayo, a first-time de facto basic supervisor in Eliot Wolf, a query mark hovering over their quarterback depth chart and a group coming off its worst season in additional than 20 years.
The Patriots want new “magnets,” as Mayo put it.
Story continues under commercial
“One factor I might say as you undergo the draft is you wish to get guys which can be magnets,” Mayo advised reporters Monday morning in the course of the NFL league conferences in Orlando, Fla., per the Patriots.
“I performed with the last word magnet in Tom Brady, the place guys wished to play for Tom, with Tom and with the group,” Mayo continued. “So, it sort of will get skewed and now it’s the opposite finish of the spectrum. Like what items do now we have to draw these outdoors guys?”
New England was not a key participant within the free-agent market this offseason, regardless of having the funds to take action.
Of their pursuit of Calvin Ridley, the highest wideout on the open market this offseason, the Patriots misplaced to the Tennessee Titans. New England reportedly was simply $1 million shy in common annual worth, portraying a good supply, however it wasn’t sufficient.
Story continues under commercial
As a substitute, the Patriots retained lots of their gamers with arguably their two greatest exterior signings being Jacoby Brissett and Okay.J. Osborn, each of whom are on one-year offers. Working again Antonio Gibson landed a three-year deal from the Patriots, too.
Mayo acknowledged the “unknown” is horrifying for lots of NFL gamers. And the Patriots qualify as such with a lot turnover this offseason.
One technique to make it much less of an unknown sooner or later is by buying these types of magnets. And a technique to take action is by hitting on draft picks and growing their expertise, Mayo stated.
“Look, as soon as once more, if we draft a man, you’re coming right here,” Mayo stated with a smirk. “And in order that must be our philosophy as we proceed to place this factor collectively.”
Story continues under commercial
Mayo is assured the Patriots can deal with a few of their most obtrusive wants in late April. New England’s greatest holes — quarterback, offensive deal with, extensive receiver — are a number of the greatest areas of power on this yr’s class. With eight complete picks together with the No. 3 general choice, maybe one or two draftees grow to be the “magnets” Mayo and firm search.