Patriots Veteran Agrees With Common Bill Belichick Narrative

Even before Bill Belichick was led out the door after an atrocious 4-13 record this season with the New England Patriots, an ongoing narrative began to come to life down at Gillette Stadium.

Is Belichick, at 71 years old and over two decades deep into an NFL head coaching career, capable of relating to the younger generation of up-and-coming players?

Belichick's brand has always been tied to an old-fashioned, coach-to-player bond. When arriving in New England, it was expected that all players would buy into the team-first atmosphere and never question Belichick's way. Yet, with the Patriots brand taking a hit in the wake of Tom Brady's departure, passing down that practice to youngsters became much more difficult.

"I think they want to be related to," Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones told 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Zolak & Bertrand" on Friday. "I think when I came in it was, 'Show up, do your job.' And that worked. That worked for a while. That worked for a very, very long time, but this generation, I don't think that works for them. So I think (Jerod) Mayo is in a space where he can connect with guys -- this younger generation -- but at the same time, he's a leader. When he's in a room, guys listen to him."

Jones, 30, has seen the good and the bad of New England's now-collapsed dynasty. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2016, Jones joined the Patriots for the tail-end of the organization's stellar run, playing alongside Brady for four seasons and in three Super Bowls -- winning twice (2016, 2018).

After the Brady-Belichick bond turned sour and New England allowed its greatest all-time player to walk out of Foxboro, the winning tradition never recovered under Belichick. Even a promising Pro Bowl rookie campaign from current quarterback Mac Jones proved to be far from enough for the greatest head coach in NFL history.

It became evident that the Patriots needed to turn toward a different direction and welcome in a new voice with the now-rebuilding team six consecutive seasons deep without a playoff win.

Mayo, 37, became the youngest head coach in the NFL after being hired as the next man up following Belichick's departure. How that'll translate to a New England team with a handful of voids to choose from, is still to be determined with a full offseason ahead.