2024 offseason primer: Patriots usher in post-Bill Belichick regime
For the first time since 2000, the New England Patriots (4-13 in 2023) will have a head coach and general manager not named Bill Belichick.
It’s been said that nobody wants to be the guy to follow the guy — Belichick’s tenure included 266 wins, 18 playoff appearances, 17 division titles, six Super Bowl championships and three AP NFL Coach of the Year awards — but first-year head coach Jerod Mayo seems up to the task.
Though he’s the second-youngest head coach in the NFL (37), and he has no previous experience, Mayo has been on the Patriots staff since 2019 as an inside linebackers coach. He was even hand-picked by Patriots owner Robert Kraft to succeed Belichick last season.
Continuing with the theme of change, the Patriots could have new starters at multiple positions including quarterback — a need the team is expected to address with the No. 3 overall pick in April’s draft.
Here’s what you need to know about New England’s offseason:
PROJECTED 2024 CAP SPACE: $69.86M (third-most in NFL)
FREE AGENTS | Offense: QBs Nathan Rourke, Garrett Gilbert; RB Ezekiel Elliott; WRs Kendrick Bourne, Matthew Slater, Jaen Reagor, Tre Nixon; TEs Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, Pharoah Brown; OTs Trenton Brown, Tyrone Wheatley Jr.; OG Mike Onwenu; Center James Ferentz
Defense: DE Christian Elliss; ILBs Mack Wilson, OLBs Josh Uche, Anfernee Jennings; Terez Hall; CBs Jalen Mills, Myles Bryant, Alex Austin; Safeties Cody Davis, Joshuah Bledsoe, Kyle Dugger
Special teams: Kicker Nick Folk
Outlook: The Patriots have plenty of free agents-to-be. But with one of the worst rosters in football, there aren’t exactly many players who should be priority re-signings. Offensively, Bourne (37 receptions, 406 yards, four TDs), Henry (42 receptions, 419 yards, six TDs) and Brown (579 offensive snaps, 17 pressures, eight hurries, three sacks allowed) are players that could be brought back and play key roles in 2024.
Defensively, Uche (37 pressures, 28 hurries, six QB hits, three sacks), Wilson (37 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles) and Dugger (109 tackles, seven passes defensed, five pass breakups, two interceptions) are the only players worth retaining. All three are 27 or younger and can be part of New England’s long-term plans.
2024 DRAFT PICKS: Round 1 (No. 3 overall) | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7
TOP DRAFT NEEDS (in order): QB, WR, OT, RB, TE — After the performances of Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, who combined for 16 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, it’s clear that quarterback is near the top of New England’s priority list. Whoever is left of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels would be an excellent building block to start the Mayo era.
Three of the Pats’ top five leading receivers from this season (Elliott, Henry, Bourne) are also free agents, so replacing them is also a priority. The 2024 draft class is loaded at receiver and has some strong depth at both running back and tight end, so New England should have options at both positions on Day 3. There are also plenty of starting-caliber tackles in the draft as well, so don't be surprised if the Patriots grab one of them early as well.
DRAFT PROSPECTS TO WATCH: North Carolina QB Drake Maye, LSU QB Jayden Daniels, Oregon QB Bo Nix, Washington QB Michael Penix Jr., Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU WR Malik Nabers, Georgia TE Brock Bowers; Penn State OT Ola Fashanu, Notre Dame OT Joe Alt
THREE 2024 STORYLINES TO WATCH:
- How smoothly does the transition from Belichick to Mayo go?
- Who is New England’s QB1?
- Will the Patriots hire a GM or keep director of player personnel Matt Groh and director of scouting Eliot Wolf in a co-leadership role?
More must-reads: