FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots are prepared to back up the Brinks truck under new head coach Jerod Mayo in hopes of returning the franchise to prominence. «We're bringing in talent, 1,000 percent,» Mayo said Monday with a touch of humor on sports radio WEEI. «We have a lot of cap space and cash.
We're ready to burn some cash!» The Patriots have a projected $65 million in salary cap space, according to ESPN's Roster Management System.
It is a fluid total that currently ranks fourth in the NFL. The team is coming off a 4-13 season, which led to a parting of ways with coach Bill Belichick after 24 seasons.
Mayo was quickly tapped as his successor, and owner Robert Kraft said last week that the plan is to empower Mayo and the existing personnel staff — headlined by director of player personnel Matt Groh and director of scouting Eliot Wolf — to rebuild the team.