I think the true importance of Jerod Mayo can best be seen in how the Patriots defense was shaped around him. The guy was a beast of a middle linebacker. He was a sure tackler, above-average cover man, and a smart defensive captain. This rare combo allowed the Patriots to do two important things. First, it gave Belichick the confidence to switch back to a 4-3 defense in 2011, Mayo’s fourth season in the NFL. I suspect Belichick had seen enough from Mayo over the previous three seasons that he was certain Mayo could handle the extra importance of being the sole middle linebacker in this new scheme.

Secondly, Mayo’s reliable play in the middle elevated other Patriots. Because of Mayo, the Patriots were able to get away with using some players that were, how shall we put it… “not so great?” When you know that the middle is reasonably tied up, you can start defensive ends who maybe aren’t exactly the typical starting caliber NFL players. No offense to anyone, but Mike Wright and Mark Anderson spring to mind, as both posted surprisingly good stats playing with Mayo in the middle. I’m tempted to throw Rob Ninkovich into the conversation as well, though Ninkovich is absolutely talented in his own right.

Here’s where I open a can of worms by trashing Pats fans, a group I wholeheartedly belong to. One of the frequent criticisms of Pats fans, aside from their obnoxious loud-mouthiness, is that they take the Patriots success for granted. Nothing is ever good enough for them. Yes, they have possibly the best quarterback to ever play the game, but they’ll still rain down some boo’s if Brady has three consecutive stalled drives. I see both sides on that, and I don’t really care if people boo or cheer or whatever. But Jerod Mayo brought out an argument from some fans that I always felt really showed how spoiled they could be. In ESPN beat writer Mike Reiss’s column, I can remember reading many fan-submitted comments along the lines of, “Yes, Mayo is good. But as a first-round pick, he should really be coming up with more sacks/interceptions/fumble recoveries. He’s just okay, not great like he should be.” Bullshit of the highest order, I say. Mayo did exactly what he was brought in to do, and he did it spectacularly. As Reiss always pointed out, there were always 31 other NFL teams that would’ve loved to have Mayo. Fans (of any teams) often have little appreciation for the reliable, if not flashy, defensive contributors. That’s a shame.

Lastly, Jerod Mayo will always have a special place in the heart of all Patriots fans due to his connection with Spygate. The Patriots lost their 2008 first-round draft pick as punishment for the 2007 Spygate debacle. But Belichick’s strategy of always trading a pick today for a better pick tomorrow paid off big time, as it left the Patriots with a prime pick in the 2008 draft. Back in 2007, San Francisco wanted to move up to select tackle Joe Staley. New England agreed, at a steep price of course. That 2007 late-first round, pick number 28 eventually netted the Patriots Jerod Mayo at 2008, 10th overall, as well as Randy Moss. How’s that for a deal? A few seasons later, Patriots fans could look back at the two players the Pats were able to pick up despite the harsh (though perhaps fair) punishment handed down by the league, and smirk an obnoxious smirk.

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My first thought when I heard Mayo’s news was, “Well, that doesn’t bode well for Jimmy Graham.” It’s not that there’s any direct connection there, so I’ll explain. Part of the recent decline of Jerod Mayo is his patellar tendon rupture from Week 6 of 2014. This is a devastating injury, and Mayo was one of the few success stories in recent memory. While he did not return as the stud he once was, he was at least a serviceable rotational player, which is more than can be said about almost everyone else who has suffered the same injury. So now, the best-case-scenario comp for Jimmy Graham’s potential recovery is retiring due in part to declining health.

Like I said, the two players aren’t directly connected. Mayo’s declining health does not necessarily mean that Graham will follow suit. Mayo also suffered a torn pectoral to close out this season, an injury that ended his 2013 season as well, and this is likely a big part of his decision to retire. But, even when healthy this season, Mayo was not the player he once was. This all leads me to question whether we’ll see Jimmy Graham play again, and, if so, will he be recognizable?

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