Coach Bill Belichick doesn’t like to play rookie linebackers. Believing that it takes a couple of years to learn the complexities of the position, he opts to let them learn on the practice field and watch from the sideline during games. Expect Belichick to make an exception with first-round pick Jerod Mayo. According to one team insider, Mayo is an odds-on favorite to win one of the two starting ILB jobs by the season opener. There was a school of thought that the 242-pound Mayo would flip outside and 270-pound Adalius Thomas would shift inside, considering that each has experience at both positions, but we hear that won’t be happening. For one thing, Thomas was far more effective a season ago when working on the edge. For another, the Pats see inside linebacker as Mayo’s long-term position, and to have him learn outside responsibilities, then throw him the ILB playbook a year or two later would stunt his development. That being said, we hear the Pats want him to gain about 15 pounds, even if it’s detrimental to his speed. http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFL/AFC/AFC+East/New+England/WWHI/2008/wwhi050208.htm
