Mayo: Patriots ‘still open’ to trade offers for No. 3 pick،
ORLANDO, Fla. — First-year New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said Sunday the team is not required to make a selection third overall in the NFL Draft.
“Obviously, quarterback is definitely a priority. That being said, we're always open to any type of deals that come our way,” Mayo said on the first day of the NFL's annual meeting, when asked him where the team was in its evaluation of quarterbacks.
“We are very far [into] the process, but we still have a long way to go. I really feel like we have time to really define our outlook and who we're going to pursue.”
Last week, Mayo traveled alongside scouting director Eliot Wolf, who has final say on personnel, to the pro days of USC's Caleb Williams and Michigan's JJ McCarthy. Later this week, they are expected to do the same with LSU's Jayden Daniels and North Carolina's Drake Maye.
When asked how far he would think the Patriots have progressed in their quarterback search, Mayo said, “It's hard to put a number on percentage terms on how far we've come.” Remember, there are other positions besides quarterback. Well, we'll be 100% when the draft rolls around. [April 25]. But not yet.”
Patriots owner Robert Kraft called this the most anticipated draft in his 31-year tenure because the No. 3 pick is the highest the team has had in that span.
The Patriots signed veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett to a one-year, $8 million deal earlier this month, and he joins 2022 fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe and sophomore Nathan Rourke on the depth chart.
Although many assume the team will select a quarterback at No. 3, Wolf previously echoed Mayo's remarks that the team would be “open to anything” and “that could manifest in a lot of different ways.”
“It's kind of how you evaluate players and also whether trade offers come in,” Wolf said at the NFL combine in February.
Wolf also said the Patriots hoped to “weaponize” their offense, which was reflected in the team pushing hard to sign free agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who instead opted to sign with the Titans of Tennessee.
On Sunday, Mayo was asked how he thought the process of improving the offense has gone so far.
“The biggest thing for us was to get our people back here. Re-sign our players – the Mike Onwenus of the world. We have good players that we like to keep and that's kind of part of the culture that we want. build,” he said. “Obviously we were disappointed that Ridley went in a different direction, but we're OK. I like the direction we're going.”
