Jerod Mayo Hints At Patriots’ Free Agency Plans With ‘Burn Some Cash’ Joke

The Patriots’ salary-cap situation has been a hot-button topic in recent years, with New England’s cash spending ranking near the bottom of the NFL.

The franchise seemingly has money to use this offseason while rebuilding for 2024, though, and new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo was asked Monday on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” whether he’s received assurances from ownership that New England will be active in free agency.

“We’re bringing in talent, 1,000 percent,” Mayo said. “Have a lot of cap space, and cash. Ready to burn some cash.”

We probably shouldn’t read too much into Mayo’s comments, as he mostly sounded playful with his “burn some cash” joke. But it also wouldn’t be surprising if Robert Kraft opens his checkbook in the coming months to improve New England’s roster.

The Patriots are entering a new era, with Mayo replacing longtime coach Bill Belichick, and own the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. With fresh faces, coveted draft capital and potentially around $70 million in salary cap space, New England really has an opportunity to expedite its rebuild.

It’s unrealistic to think the Patriots will solve all of their problems overnight, especially given the number of moving parts, on and off the field. But an aggressive offseason would go a long way toward returning the Patriots to relevance after four seasons without a playoff win since Tom Brady’s exit.