Jerod Mayo has pledged to run things differently in New England than his legendary predecessor. But can his approach generate results?
The first-year Patriots head coach has adopted a more collaborative approach than Bill Belichick, who was the coach, de facto general manager and overseer of all football operations for most of his 24 years in New England.
Along with executive vice president of football operations Eliot Wolf, Mayo wants the Patriots to have a "flat" leadership structure that "promote(s) open communication and allow(s) for ideas to flow while empowering their scouting directors and coaches," Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer wrote Tuesday in a column about Mayo.
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"It’s our team," Mayo said. "It’s not my team. It’s not Eliot’s team. It’s our team. It’s the guys’. It’s ownership’s team. It’s our team.
"Who’s making decisions? That’s a different question, but I would say it’s our team and that’s how we’re going to approach it."
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That approach sounds good in theory, but it's already led to some confusion this preseason. Mayo faced repeated questions this summer about who would have final say in deciding who would start at quarterback for the Patriots, and when he announced Jacoby Brissett as the QB1 over rookie Drake Maye, he corrected himself mid-sentence to note he made the final call.
"We have decided -- or I have decided -- that Jacoby Brissett will be our starting quarterback this season," Mayo said in a brief press conference.
And during his weekly appearance Tuesday on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show, Mayo reiterated that he has ultimate authority in New England.
"Look, I am the head coach," Mayo said. "And once again -- going back to, you know, the disgruntled fans and people in the media, like, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m gonna do what’s best for the team.
“Yeah, you’re exactly right -- the buck does stop with me."
Two things can be true, of course: Mayo can openly collaborate with his front office and coaching staff yet still have final say on decisions. And maybe it's just a matter of appearances that Mayo wants the public to know he takes full responsibility for the team's successes or failures.
That said, it's a delicate balance for Mayo to strike as he tries to establish a new culture in New England. While collaboration can be beneficial, players, coaches and fans also should have a clear sense of Mayo and Wolf's roles, specifically in regard to who's calling the shots in key areas of decision-making.
If Mayo and Wolf are able to strike that balance as leaders of the locker room and front office, respectively, then perhaps the new approach can yield better draft results and a more positive team culture than what we saw in the tail end of the Belichick era. But if there's more confusion about who's responsible for important team decisions, Mayo will face plenty more tough questions.