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          Could the Patriots have a Texans-like turnaround under Mayo?

          • Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff WriterApr 7, 2024, 10:00 AM
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              Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. You can follow Reiss on Twitter at @MikeReiss.
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          FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

          1. Texans-like turnaround? First-year head coach Jerod Mayo was at the grocery store recently when a fan came up to him with a message of support. Kind of.

          Summing up the challenge Mayo faces in his role, the fan said: "Houston did it!"

          Mayo told that story to a group of season-ticket members last weekend, and then a few days later, the Texans were creating more buzz by acquiring receiver Stefon Diggs in a trade with the Bills. The outlook surrounding the Texans has been turned upside down from this time last year, a change that can spark hope -- and expectations -- for a rebuilding team like the Patriots.

          The Texans, having solidified the quarterback position with C.J. Stroud as the No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft, went 10-7 and won the AFC South last season.

          But there were two lean seasons before that -- 4-13 in 2021 under coach David Culley and 3-13-1 in 2022 under coach Lovie Smith. As a result, the job security and influence of former Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio, Houston's general manager, was viewed by some as shaky when the franchise hired former Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans as head coach last offseason.

          Those questions have been now extinguished, which shows how quickly things can change in the NFL, a point Mayo wanted to amplify.

          "Remember, Caserio had been building that team for [two] years before they got C.J. Stroud in that position," he said. "So when you look at our team -- I'm not asking for patience, but I kind of am. It's a process. It's not only about the quarterback. Obviously you want to have that QB1 and build around him, but it doesn't always happen when you want it."

          The Patriots have eight picks in the draft as of now, headlined by No. 3 and then high selections in the second (No. 34), third (No. 68) and fourth (No. 103) rounds.

          Many assume they'll use the top pick on a quarterback. They had North Carolina's Drake Maye in for a visit Friday, LSU's Jayden Daniels is scheduled to be in town Tuesday and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy is expected to follow him the next week.

          But Mayo's words also highlight the possibility that the team goes in a different direction -- perhaps trading down if another team offers "a bag" that is too good to pass up. Or even sticking and picking a player at a different position of significant need, such as receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State) and Malik Nabers (LSU) or offensive tackle Joe Alt (Notre Dame).

          If it's the quarterback, as many expect, Mayo shared his viewpoint of how his coaching staff will approach things.

          "Look, we could bring a QB in here and he may not be ready to play, realistically," he said. "That's why we have a guy like Jacoby [Brissett] coming along. Jacoby is great. He can still play football and also mentor someone in that room, and he has a connection to that offense with [offensive coordinator Alex] Van Pelt, so he can always be that teacher. That's how we're looking at it."

          2. Hunter leads: The Patriots begin their voluntary offseason program early this week -- the first two weeks are limited to meetings, physical rehabilitation and strength and conditioning -- and veteran tight end, and returning captain, Hunter Henry plans to be among the team leaders in attendance.

          As part of the three-year, $27 million contract Henry signed in March, he received a $350,000 workout bonus, one of the highest on the team. Brissett has the highest workout bonus among New England players at $500,000.

          3. Guyton in town: The Patriots had several prospects at their facility last week as part of their allotted 30 pre-draft visits, with Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton among them. The 6-foot-8, 322-pound Guyton is part of a strong OT class, but if the Patriots' visit with Guyton is reflective of legitimate interest, it might be asking too much to expect him to be there at the top of the second round at pick No. 34.

          As ESPN analyst Field Yates noted on a draft conference call, several teams in the 20s have needs at offensive tackle, which could spark a run at the position. Yates had Guyton off the board at No. 25 to the Packers in his two-round mock draft.

          4. Meaningful murals: Mayo has consistently talked about how he views "developing people" as a key part of his job as coach, and one early example of this is showing up on the walls inside the team facility.

          Players who have entered the space within team offices in recent weeks have noted freshly painted walls -- by artists specializing in design -- as sending a powerful message to them about the importance of setting a positive example to their children, and the critical responsibility they have as parents, among other things. "A pleasant surprise," was how one player described it.

          5. Diggs' departure: The good news for the Patriots is that Diggs, who has totaled 55 receptions for 702 yards and seven touchdowns in nine games against New England, is out of the AFC East. The 55 catches are Diggs' second-highest total against any team, as are the 7 TDs, while the 702 yards are third highest.

          The bad news for the Patriots -- they'll still see Diggs next season as Houston is scheduled to visit New England. As for when that will happen, the full 2024 schedule will be released in May.

          6. They said it: "Eliot [Wolf], [The Patriots' director of scouting] has the final decision, but at the same time, there's a lot that goes into that final decision. It's kind of like a call sheet. You get to a game with a call sheet, it's really already done. There's no bad play on a call sheet. The one benefit of being at three is that if we like the top five quarterbacks, we'll have our pick at No. 3. It doesn't really matter -- that's kind of how we're looking at it." -- Mayo

          7. Local pro day: The Patriots hosted 23 prospects as part of their local pro day Thursday, which is for players from New England colleges or those from the region who play at schools outside New England.

          For prospects such as Springfield College defensive end Quinn Sweeney (Hanson, Massachusetts) and Bentley linebacker Sal Lupoli Jr. (Chelmsford, Massachusetts), imagine the feeling they had walking through the doors of their hometown team as they strive to keep their longshot NFL dreams alive.

          8. Trader Nick: As mentioned earlier, Caserio came up the ranks under former coach Bill Belichick in Foxboro, and one reminder of that is how often he wheels and deals. Consider that since Caserio became Texans general manager in January 2021, he has completed 41 trades, which is nine more than any other team. Belichick (a.k.a. "Trader Bill") would approve.

          9. BB the Husky: Belichick doesn't have a full-time coaching job for the first time since 1975, which might turn out to be the University of Washington's gain. Belichick was dressed in UW gear for spring practice Saturday. He obviously has strong ties to the program with his son, Steve, serving as defensive coordinator, and head coach Jedd Fisch having been on the Patriots' staff in 2020.

          10. Did you know: Diggs had 445 receptions in his four seasons with the Bills, which was the third most by a player over a four-year span who began the following season with a different team. Wes Welker's 449 receptions with the Patriots from 2009 to 2012, before he landed with Denver, are the most.