DeMarcus Covington ‘Grateful, Thankful’ For Patriots Elevation

The New England Patriots are coming off their worst season in three decades, so it's surprising to think a few members of the organization actually received pretty significant promotions.

Jerod Mayo was named head coach in January, just a few days after the Patriots parted ways with long-time head coach Bill Belichick. Eliot Wolf's title hasn't changed, but he's taken on the role of head executive. DeMarcus Covington, who led one of New England's most successful units last season, is adding defensive play-calling duties to his list of responsibilities.

It's clearly a new era in New England, though some pieces remain. They'll have to find a way to be successful while adding to their plate, however, which is something Covington isn't taking lightly.

"There's only 32 defensive coordinators in the (NFL). There's only 32, so I don't take that lightly," Covington told reporters Wednesday. "I think anybody in this position, whether it's a head coach or a position coach -- even when I was a position coach, there's only so many defensive line coaches in the National Football League. There's so many people dying to get our jobs. ... So, I don't take that for granted.

"I know where I started, I know where I'm at now and I know where I want to be. When you get put in these positions, you can't help but be grateful and thankful."

Covington clearly has put a lot of thought into what he'd like his unit to be.

The 34-year-old said he wants a "physical, aggressive" defense that "plays with good fundamentals and discipline, and really attack the ball and takes the ball away from the offense." That's essentially the dream of all coordinators, but under a new regime, it's likely the Patriots won't have any problem being aggressive.

Covington and Mayo have a strong rapport, which should lead to a solid foundation as they explore uncharted waters together.

"I've already talked about this being a relationship business -- where he has a great relationship with the players' mind, body and spirit," Mayo said of Covington on Wednesday. "He always talks about those things. You can see from the development of the players in his room, he was ready for the job."