Tag: Jerod Mayo

Bill Belichick explains what goes into position changes for assistant coaches

This is what keeps the Patriots’ coaching staff in sync with each other.

Bill Belichick has a long history of moving assistant coaches to different positions from season to season.

Former star receiver Troy Brown began his coaching career last season to help with the wide outs, and now he’s with the running backs. Cole Popovich helped out with the running backs last season and now he’s the co-offensive line coach alongside Carmen Bricillo.

These are two minor examples of coaching changes that happen yearly in the New England Patriots organization. It’s a smart move that familiarizes coaches with each position and the intricate details that each entails.

Belichick joined a Zoom call on Friday morning and explained these position changes in much further detail.

“I would say every situation is a little bit different, but also coaches – they specialize or focus on a certain position, their area of responsibility, but they’re also aware of other things, whether it’s on the other side of the ball at the complementary positions, like wide receivers and defensive backs type of thing, or whether it’s adjacent positions,” Belichick said. “So, that’s linebackers to D-line, that type of thing. I think the move isn’t maybe quite as monumental as what you think it is. It’s hard to coach one position without knowing what the guys beside you are doing, or if you’re a back, not knowing what the line is doing in front of you or not knowing what the guys across the ball are doing.”

I think there’s certainly a build-up of knowledge there, and in some cases, it brings a little bit of a different perspective than if you’ve just coached only that one spot. The opportunity to coach something else and see what’s going on around it or how those units work together or work against each other, depending on if it’s the opposite side of the ball, that can be valuable, too. So, ultimately, it’s the staff on either side of the ball or special teams meshing together and making sure the communication, the assignments and all that are consistent so the players are getting the same thing and it all fits together.”

Belichick’s method has proved useful and it’s helped guys like Brian Flores and Joe Judge land head coaching jobs.

“But specifically, each person is responsible for a certain area, but certainly the more that they can know, understand and even be able to coach other positions is valuable, too,” Belichick continued. “When we do group drills together – like putting the line and linebackers together, or the linebackers and defensive backs together, or the tight ends and tackles together, or the running backs and the line together – then the more that those coaches can know what’s going on with those adjacent or complementary positions, then the more effective they can coach and the better the drills and the information is to the players.”

This strategy of putting his coaches in the right positions and allowing them to learn every aspect of the game could be easily applicable to everyday employees. Learning every aspect of the job a person has will quickly lead to promotions and a further understanding of how things operate.

[vertical-gallery id=92334]

What to make of Steve Belichick’s new role with the Patriots

Steve Belichick will start a new job in 2020, but it’s not the promotion most were expecting.

New England Patriots coach Steve Belichick will start a new job in 2020, but it’s not the promotion most were expecting.

Bill Belichick’s eldest son spent last season shrouded in mystery. He had the position title of safeties coach, a position he’d had for four years at the time, but he seemed to be taking on more responsibility. He was wearing a headset and carrying around a play sheet. It looked as if he was calling plays, but no one in the organization would confirm it. Because there was no defensive coordinator, a gig as the play-caller would probably be a big indicator of who was taking the top leadership role in the defense. Bill Belichick kept that under wraps, however.

When this season began, Steve Belichick’s status with the team seemed like one of the biggest points of interest when the team released its media guide, their way of making any big announcements in staff changes each year. But rather than get the defensive coordinator position, Belichick moved to outside linebackers, where he’ll coach alongside inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo.

“Every year, there’s always different responsibilities and new things that come along. I’m really excited this year to work with a different group,” Belichick said Aug. 7. “I’m obviously going to miss those guys that I coached last year. It’s not that I’m not coaching them anymore, but not spending as much time with them. I’m looking forward to seeing the game from a different level, working with some different guys on the team, and whatever role I get, I’m just going to do the best I can with it. … So whatever role I get, I’m going to do the best I can with. It’s a new group, I’ve got a lot to learn, but we’re going about it day by day just trying to get better.”

The safeties group, for years, has been a particularly experienced, with Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and Duron Harmon. This outside linebacker group, however, is experiencing major departures, with Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins departing in free agency. The team will likely look to linebackers John Simon, a journeyman veteran, and Chase Winovich, a 2019 third-round pick. Rookies Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche may take on big roles, too. The composition of the outside linebacker group is in a much more challenging place than that of the safety group when Belichick coached the unit. (It has since entered a similarly large state of flux after the Harmon trade and the Patrick Chung opt-out.)

The work with the linebackers may also bring Belichick closer to Mayo, who was clearly in constant communication during games. Mayo was also on the headsets, and though he didn’t have a play sheet, he seemed to have an influential role in defensive leadership. Perhaps because Belichick and Mayo are taking a more collaborative approach to the coordinator role, the Patriots decided to have them working together on a more immediate basis by sharing the linebackers.

But as Belichick noted, he won’t abandon the secondary altogether. He worked with both safeties and cornerbacks in 2020. It sounds like he’ll keep an eye on other position groups, particularly with his younger brother Brian Belichick running the safety group.

“As an older brother and a more veteran coach than he is, I’m doing the best I can to lead him through that safety room,” Steve Belichick said. “Having Devin (McCourty) in that group really helps and I’m sure Devin’s helping that room. I’ve spent a lot of time with Brian in the offseason and so far in training camp to try to bring him up to speed.”

Though the move from safety to outside linebacker may seem lateral — or even like a demotion — the position change is more complicated. Clearly, New England is trying to get Belichick more experience at a new position and with new players. And perhaps they’re still grooming him to take over the defensive coordinator role in the near future. For now, he’s still casting mystery over his actual day-to-day role with the team. He was asked whether he’ll be calling plays in 2020.

“Oh, we’re a long way away from games, so we’ll see how that goes,” he said.

If there’s anything we’ve come to expect from Belichick this year, it’s that he’ll probably keep attempting to confuse what it is he does, exactly.

[vertical-gallery id=92334]

Jerod Mayo explains how he transitioned from disappointment to understanding after opt-outs

“Initially, I was shocked, disappointed.”

New England Patriots linebacker coach Jerod Mayo admitted he had a strong reaction to the team’s opt-outs, a league-high eight players. Not only did the Patriots lose more players than any other team, they also lost valuable starters, like tackle Marcus Cannon, linebacker Dont’a Hightower and safety Patrick Chung, among others. That apparently weighed upon Mayo, who is headed into his second season as the team’s inside linebacker coach.

“Initially, I was shocked, disappointed. I can’t — a bunch of emotions went through my head,” he said Friday on a videoconference call. “And then I stopped and obviously looked at each situation. These are personal decisions. Obviously, Hightower kind of took step back and just with family and his personal situation and so did Chung.

“I certainly respect it.”

Hightower’s son was just two weeks old when he opted out. Chung said he chose to prioritize his girlfriend, who is pregnant, his 9-year-old son, who has “a little asthma,” and his father, who is 75 years old. The reasoning for each player differs as they elect to skip the season, but generally it involved preserving the health of a loved one. Whatever the reason, the Patriots are preparing for a season without their opt-outs.

“From a football standpoint, we treat it like an injury,” Mayo said. We’ve always — I know it’s cliche — but we’ve always had that next man up mentality. And that’s how we’re approaching it going forward. With that said, even those guys have opted out, those guys will still continue to mentor some of the younger guys, some guys that haven’t played as much ball. I can certainly appreciate it. Hightower is one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around, and so is Chung. So those guys aren’t here with us this year, but they’re still around.”

Youngsters like safety Kyle Dugger, the team’s top draft pick in 2020, and Ja’Whaun Bentely, who will elevate to the top linebacker spot, will need guidance from Hightower and Chung. Their contributions could help lighten the load as Mayo figures out how to fill holes on the Patriots suddenly youthful defense.

[vertical-gallery id=92334]

Why Dont’a Hightower will be Patriots’ MVP for 2020 season

Hightower should have a big 2020 season for New England.

As the NFL season begins to come into focus, it’s fair to wonder who will be the Patriots team MVP for the 2020 season. In what is a year of change, the choice for me would be linebacker Dont’a Hightower.

When you look at the change that New England has undergone this offseason, Hightower is truly one of the major veterans at the position. The Patriots have intriguing players at the position, like Ja’Whaun badly, and rookies and Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche However, Hightower is the one player at the position that has seen it all and done it all in terms of his professional career.

Last season, Hightower recorded 71 tackles and 13 quarterback hits in 15 games. Although his numbers were a bit down from previous years, that was still a quality season. Now, he will have to be the leader at the position for the future.

A Bill Belichick-led defense asks a lot of its linebackers. Over the years, we have seen players such as Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, and Jerod Mayo become leaders of the defense. They led the defense with poise, and could always sniff out plays as they were happening.

They were much more than the guys who were able to fill gaps and make plays in the backfield. They were players that their teammates gravitated towards and tried to emulate. The trio mentioned above were  consistent throughout their careers. Along with physical ability, their smarts allowed them to act like a coach on the field.

With the way the linebacker position is constructed, and with new faces at the position, Hightower is falling into that same veteran type-role. he certainly won’t be alone, as Jamie Collins figures to be a big part of the linebacker group as well. However, heading into his ninth season, all spent with New England, he knows what Bill Belichick wants accomplished perhaps better than anybody on this defense.

Hightower may not be as fast as he once was, and he may not be able to pursue plays as well as he did his rookie season. However, his knowledge will help carry the next group of linebackers and prepare them for the future. He will provide stability on a unit that is getting younger, much like Mayo did in Hightower’s rookie season.  It will be fascinating to see how he will lead this unit in 2020.

[lawrence-related id=89948]

Josh Uche elaborates on learning the Patriots defense in ‘two minutes’ from Jerod Mayo

“I definitely feel like Coach Mayo is the best in the business.”

Josh Uche is one of the New England Patriots’ most anticipated rookies heading into the 2020 season.

After losing Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts — he will help fill much-needed holes. First and foremost, Uche is a pass-rushing specialist who downed opposing quarterbacks 14.5 times in his final two years at Michigan — with 18.5 tackles for loss over that span. His ability to drop back in coverage and maximize his speed gives him the opportunity to replicate the role Van Noy played.

Having Bill Belichick as his head coach is obviously helpful in his growth, but Uche spoke to NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry on ‘Next Patriots Podcast’ about inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo.

“The first WebEx meeting I had with the Patriots was with Coach Mayo and he taught me the defense in, I’d want to say, two minutes,” Uche said. “And he taught it to me so well that I was able to recite it to him after when he started asked questions, ‘OK, what do you do when this happens, this, this and this?” That’s just a testament how good a coach he is just in a short amount of time he could teach me the basics of the defense. I definitely feel like Coach Mayo is the best in the business.”

Mayo played his eight NFL seasons with the Patriots and along with his duty of coaching linebackers, he also shared the defensive play-calling duties with Belichick and Steve Belichick last season. Mayo is a player-coach who understands the ins and outs of Belichick’s defense — giving Uche an extremely useful resource.

ESPN expert Matt Bowen explained why Uche is the perfect fit in this defense.

In New England, Uche fits as a developing edge rusher with the athletic traits and quick-twitch ability to be used like Kyle Van Noy in Bill Belichick’s defense. That’s where the Patriots can scheme one-on-one pass rushes for Uche off the edge or wrap him inside on twist stunts. If the defensive linemen can occupy blockers, the door is open for Uche to scrape to the quarterback.

With Uche’s ability to play off the ball, he can also drop into coverage and close with speed on underneath throws. And we know Belichick likes versatile defenders. I can’t think of a better defensive scheme for Uche, who had 8.5 sacks at Michigan last season.

The Patriots also drafted linebacker Anfernee Jennings out of Alabama to help immediately find a role in this defense.

[vertical-gallery id=86136]

Looking at the Patriots coaches who are due a promotion in 2020

Could Bill Belichick’s sons both get promotions this offseason?

The New England Patriots seem to have seen the end of their coaching turnover following the 2019 season. They lost special teams coordinator and receivers coach Joe Judge to the New York Giants, who made him their next head coach. Judge then hired Patriots defensive line coach Bret Bielema.

Because Judge was doing two jobs for the Patriots, that leaves three vacancies on staff. Considering the Patriots never named a defensive coordinator in 2019, they could also fill that role in 2020. Here are a few coaches on staff who could get promotions from Bill Belichick.

Steve Belichick, assistant: The safeties coach clearly earned more responsibilities in 2019 as the apparent defensive play-caller. Players also said the cornerbacks and safeties were meeting together more often in 2019, which meant that Belichick was serving as a secondary coach. It seems Belichick did a nice job this season with one of the NFL’s best defenses. He may be due for the defensive coordinator title.

Cam Achord, assistant: When special teams coordinator Joe Judge took on additional work as the receivers coach in 2019, he leaned heavily upon Achord. And the special teams unit was sensational, with big plays on blocks and fumble recoveries. Achord may step into the coordinator role that Judge vacated when he took the head coaching job with the New York Giants.

Troy Brown, assistant: Similarly with Achord on special teams, Brown was assisting Judge with the the receivers. So again, Brown could elevate to a bigger role. He certainly has an understanding of the offense, with his knowledge as a player from the early 2000s and his recent understanding from 2019. Perhaps Brown, who told ESPN he loved his rookie year as a coach, will get the receivers positional coach opening.

Nick Caserio, director of player personnel: Here’s a tricky one. Caserio does it all for the Patriots. He helps with coaching. And he runs the entire scouting department (pro and college). Belichick relies upon Caserio’s hard work as Belichick makes decisions about additions and subtractions from the roster. But Caserio doesn’t have final say, so far as we know. Perhaps he has earned a bigger say on personnel decisions after another impressive season.

Jerod Mayo/DeMarcus Covington, assistants: They split the linebacker position this season, with Mayo taking inside linebackers and Covington working with the outside linebackers. Perhaps Mayo will take on the whole linebacker position in 2019 while Covington moves to the defensive line.

Brian Belichick, assistant: He’s in his fourth year on staff, with work in the scouting and coaching departments. Steve touted his brother’s cerebral approach to the game. Other than that, we have no true barometer of the quality of his work. But his tenure in the organization typically lends itself to a positional group. Perhaps he’ll get one in 2020.

[vertical-gallery id=77728]

Jerod Mayo explains how he positively utilizes social media for Patriots players

Times are changing in professional sports and social media is rapidly intertwining itself with the players. 

Times are changing in professional sports and social media is rapidly intertwining itself with the players.

The NFL has seen its fair share of ups and downs with various social media platforms and it can sometimes be a detriment to players’ careers. When it comes to the New England Patriots — social media is very seldom used in a negative fashion.

Patriots linebacker coach Jerod Mayo has found a way utilize it as an inspirational and positive platform for his players.

“I read a lot,” Mayo told reporters during a conference call on Tuesday. “Sometimes people need those nuggets. I don’t like to post about just things, material things. I just like to drop little nuggets of wisdom, and I’m hopeful, honestly, that my linebackers see those posts. It definitely helps motivate me.

“You know, the season is long. Sometimes you need those words of encouragement. It’s definitely an up-and-down season, even though we’re sitting here at 8-1. Sometimes you’ve got to take a step back and realize that, and some of those quotes helps with that.”

While many coaches try to prevent players from overly using social media, Mayo found a unique and effective approach.

“I think it’s by a player-by-player basis,” Mayo continued. “I remember when I first came into the league, you think about the room. It was Junior Seau, Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi — guys who had flip phones. They had flip phones for the longest time. They still had Blackberries in their pockets. So they weren’t even really thinking about social media, so when you would go in the locker room, I would say that just the overall vibe, you were in there playing cards and things like that.

“Now, the younger generation, they’re checking their social media and things like that. But I think the players around here do a good job, when they’re in the building, of really focusing on football. But if I had to say something that’s changed, I’m sure when they’re on their phones, they’re checking that stuff. As far as how it kind of affects them — what people say on social media and things like that — I really don’t think they take much into that. You know, everyone isn’t a Patriots fan, so I think they realize that.”

[vertical-gallery id=72662]