Building a ‘foundation,’ or ‘winning football games?’

On Wednesday, the New England Patriots will open their 2024 training camp with a new head coach, uncertainty at quarterback, an unproven wide receiver room, an unstable offensive line, and a defense with two stalwarts looking for new contracts.

First-year head coach Jerod Mayo has a tall task ahead, so it’s only fair for fans to wonder what their expectations should be for this season.

Is this another year where a faction of fans will be rooting for losses with the hopes of garnering the best draft position possible in the 2025 NFL Draft? Or will a regime change, a healthy defense and an exciting young quarterback spark an upstart season in New England that will see them competing for one of the seven playoff spots in the AFC?

At this point, it’s a bit of a mixed-bag message from Mayo, who met with the media on Tuesday at Gillette Stadium.

Early on in the press conference, Mayo said he would be defining success in 2024 by the foundation they are able to build.

“A successful season, in my eyes, is really about the foundation,” said Mayo. “Have we put together a good foundation of a combination of young and older players to really start competing? And honestly it would be great to get up here and say, like, ‘We’re going to win a Super Bowl.’ But once again, it’s about the process. I tell the guys all the time it’s about process and progress and then moving forward.”

Later on in the press conference, Mayo was asked what his message would be for the fans ahead of this season. That message had a different vibe than his definition of success.

“My message to the fans is, ‘It’s all about winning football games,’” said Mayo. “That’s what it comes down to. It comes down to winning football games. No matter what the expectation is from everyone outside this building, we’re going to go to work each and every day and we’re going to get better.

“We’re going to put a good product, good team out there on the field that you’ll be proud of. Now whether that’s tomorrow or next year, I don’t know. But I will say that this team, I like the way they’re coming together.”

So, which one is it? Are the Patriots more focused on building a foundation in 2024, or winning football games in 2024?

Does “building a foundation” mean Drake Maye sits most of the season behind Jacoby Brissett, while the team loses their way to a top five pick in next year’s draft?

Does Maye starting from day one help you win games now, while also benefiting the foundation? Or will the rookie struggle so much with a depleted offense around him that it will cause a permanent crack in the foundation, and lose you football games?

Does Maye need a full year of seasoning behind Brissett, regardless of the team’s on-field product or his personal growth on the practice field? Or is it only half a season? Four games? After the Week 14 bye?

We can’t answer any of these questions until pads start hitting pads over the next few weeks.

But if it becomes clear over the next month that Maye is “the guy,” and we see that he has the upside of a player worthy of being selected third overall in a draft, you have to give yourself the chance to maximize your team’s potential (“winning football games”) while also garnering invaluable experience for the future of your franchise (“foundation”).

Do not sit a guy for the sake of sitting a guy. If it’s close, give the kid a chance. And if it’s obvious, do the obvious thing.

This is how you turn the mixed-bag into a cohesive message to the entire football world: the Patriots want to win, and they want to win now.

Let’s see if Maye’s play allows Mayo to tie this all together in the coming weeks.