Although Jerod Mayo previously admitted to not receiving extensive communication from former Patriots coach Bill Belichick about his new role, the latest New England frontman has adopted the former coach's offseason philosophies .
The San Francisco 49ers have kept their name in the offseason headlines as their financial and personnel dilemmas continue to escalate. The team faces the challenge of re-signing appointed franchise QB Brock Purdy, who is still on his rookie deal and will command a big salary on the open market.
The 49ers also have to consider retaining stars like left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk , both in the final year of their contracts. Aiyuk has expressed his desire for a trade away from the organization, feeling disrespected by ongoing negotiations .
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The Patriots have emerged as a potential candidate to land the services of the back-to-back 1,000-yard receiver heading into his fifth year in the NFL . The 49ers are reportedly open to listening to trade offers for Aiyuk despite the player attending training camp and team meetings.
Both the Patriots and the Cleveland Browns have shown reported interest in signing the 27-year-old emerging star. During a Patriots press conference, Mayo preemptively addressed speculation about Aiyuk.
Drawing from Belichick's teachings, he emphasized the importance of focusing on players within the organization. "I know what all you guys want to know, but one thing I learned from Bill is I don’t talk about players on other teams, so let me just go ahead and say that now," Mayo said. "As a player, I appreciated that - I appreciated that the only opinions that mattered were inside the walls. So, I’m still trying to apply that now going forward."
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Despite his attempt to suppress interest in the topic, Mayo was still asked about Aiyuk. Instead of responding directly, he redirected personnel questions to Eliot Wolf, New England's executive vice president of player personnel.
Last season, the team's pass-catching crew consisted of Demario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, Devante Parker, Juju Smith-Schuster, and tight end Hunter Henry. None of those players surpassed 600 yards on the year.
In a prior press conference with the team during offseason workouts, Mayo was asked about any advice received from Belichick as his successor. To the media's surprise, he revealed minimum communication with his former head coach , who led New England for 24 seasons.
"We haven't had much communication since I've been here, and honestly, my focus is on the players," he said on Up & Adams . "It's all about the players. I learned a lot from Bill. I honestly did X's and O's, structuring practices and stuff like that, but it's a different time and era, and hopefully, we can have that same success."
Aiyuk has been a standout performer for the 49ers, recording a team-high 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He also led the team in plays of 20 yards or more with 28, surpassing other key players like George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Jauan Jennings.
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