Patriots' Jerod Mayo: Eliot Wolf's 'Hard-Ass' Comment Wasn't Bill Belichick Criticism

Jerod Mayo plans to do things differently than Bill Belichick as New England Patriots head coach, but that doesn't mean the new regime is ripping the old one.

"It's going to be different, but at the same time I would say Bill did a great job for a long period of time," Mayo told reporters Wednesday. "I don't want you [in the media] to take this as 'because we're changing, there are shots toward the previous regime.'

"In saying that, we will do it differently and it will feel different. But at the end of the day, we would like to replicate the success that the prior regime has had. I learned a lot from Bill and also his staff. Now we'll see what this chapter looks like in the franchise."

Director of scouting Eliot Wolf made headlines this week when he said the new Patriots regime plans to have a "less hard-ass type vibe in the building."

Some interpreted the comment as being a veiled shot at Belichick, who was known for running a tight ship throughout his 24-year tenure in New England. The Patriots moved on from Belichick after the 2023 season amid consecutive losing campaigns.

Even if Wolf's comments weren't directly a criticism of Belichick, it's a promising sign that he and Mayo plan to do things their own way.

We've seen a number of Belichick clones try and fail to replicate his success after leaving New England. Bill O'Brien is the only former Patriots assistant coach who has a winning record as a head coach. Eric Mangini, Josh McDaniels, Joe Judge and Matt Patricia rank among the worst coaching hires in recent memory.

Mayo taking the job and attempting to be a Belichick clone would be another recipe for failure. Belichick can act in the way he did on the sidelines because he produced results. The leash for cantankerousness tends to be a lot shorter when you have no history of success.

Mayo spent eight years as a player in New England before becoming a coach, so he knows both sides of the coin. If Patriots owner Robert Kraft's instincts are correct, Mayo should be able to meld the positive traits of Belichick with a player-first mentality moving forward.