This upcoming offseason will mark the start of a new era in Foxboro without legendary head coach Bill Belichick. For the first time in 24 years, the New England Patriots will have someone new calling the shots on the field and in the front office.
Jerod Mayo will replace Belichick as head coach while Eliot Wolf takes over as the de facto general manager. The changes will undoubtedly take some getting used to, and that isn't lost on Patriots great Julian Edelman.
Edelman joined Tom E. Curran on a new episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast and discussed his former head coach's departure.
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🔊 Patriots Talk: Edelman on Pats and Belichick: "Sometime things have to come to an end" | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"I mean, we're all Patriots and Coach was a huge part of that. You're always going to support and love to see the Patriots do well," Edelman told Curran.
"Anytime anything ends, it's going to be weird and it's going to be unfortunate. But it was probably time and I'm excited to see his next opportunity. I'm excited for Jerod. He's put his work in. Sometimes things have to come to an end."
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As for how Mayo, Wolf, and the new Patriots regime should proceed, Edelman believes finding the right signal-caller should be priority No. 1.
"It's a quarterback league. You have to have a quarterback," Edelman said. "They have massive needs in a lot of areas, so you've got to go out and fill up that quarterback position. I think they should. We saw what happens when you don't hit on a quarterback and we've seen the last three years, two years, whatever it's been. It's a quarterback league, so they definitely need to go out and get a quarterback."
The Patriots could find a veteran QB in free agency, or look for the next face of the franchise in the 2024 NFL Draft. They'll have an opportunity to select one of the top QBs in the class with the No. 3 overall pick.
Also in the episode:
- Breaking down Robert Kraft's spending comments.
- \What will happen with the coaching budget?
- Will the Patriots officially name a GM?