Burn Some Cash? Jerod Mayo Clarifies ‘Rookie Mistake’ With Patriots

Remember when Jerod Mayo said back in January the New England Patriots were ready to "burn some cash" in NFL free agency?

Well, that comment aged terribly.

And the first-year Patriots head coach knows it.

"That was a rookie mistake. That was a rookie mistake by me," Mayo said Monday on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show." "As soon as I got downstairs, (Patriots vice president of communications Stacey James) slapped me in the head, like, 'What are you doing?'

"You understand what I meant, though. What I really meant, though, is we're going to be, obviously, smart with cash and smart with acquisitions. I was just very excited. At the same time, I feel like we're building the roster the way we want to build it."

The Patriots didn't exactly make a splash on the open market, instead locking up a few of their own core players while accentuating the roster with marginal upgrades. For New England, which is coming off a 3-14 record in 2023, the rebuilding process is a marathon and not a sprint.

"That's alright. Because we have to be smart," Mayo said Monday. "Once again, the burning of cash was a mistake. In saying that, we do have cash and we'll spend it on guys that we think will make this team better."

The Patriots seemingly made their team better this past weekend in the 2024 NFL Draft, first selecting quarterback Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick and then supplementing the new-look offense with additional weapons.

New England might "burn some cash" at some point. But drafting and developing homegrown talent will be just as important as the Patriots enter a new era under Mayo and company.