The New England Patriots Head coach, Jerod Mayo, made a joke about the team’s intention to sign big players in free agency this summer.
According to ESPN, the Patriots have the fourth-most salary cap room in the NFL when they hit free agency with almost $65 million.
‘We’re bringing in talent, 1,000 per cent,’ said Mayo in a radio appearance. ‘Have a lot of cap space and cash. Ready to burn some cash.’
Undoubtedly, a portion of New England’s budget will go toward re-signing some of their talented players, like Trent Brown, Hunter Henry, Mike Onwenu, Josh Uche, Mike Gesicki, and Kendrick Bourne, who are poised to become free agents.
“We will select the best player available to fill the most critical position on the team, which is offensive line, receiver, or quarterback—you make the decision,” Mayo declared.
If New England does ‘burn cash’ in an effort to fill the countless holes on their roster it would mark a stark difference to Mayo’s tenure as head coach compared to years spent under Bill Belichick.
With the third overall choice in this year’s NFL Draft, New England is also anticipated to choose a quarterback.
In his first mock draft of the year, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. predicted that LSU and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels would be selected by New England.
Robert Kraft, the team owner, discussed the importance of growing through the draft during the organization’s annual meetings in March of last year.
At the NFL’s annual meeting in March of last year, Kraft stated, “Ultimately, you have to draft well to be good in this league.”
‘Because given the salary cap and the value of people you draft, as opposed to hiring them as free agents, that’s where your greatest return comes from.
‘If you look when we won the Super Bowls, we always seemed to have 12 or 15 players who were really products of the draft.
‘When you get them on their rookie contracts, when you’re dealing with salary cap it allows you to compete better.’