So on Monday, Mayo stopped in his tracks and reset with 30 minutes of forced reflection over breakfast.

Does he really believe, after whiffing in free agency, he can add difference-makers at quarterback, receiver and offensive tackle in the draft?

"I'm confident that, yeah, we can absolutely fill those roles. In saying that, though, it's going to take time," Mayo told reporters. "It's going to take time."

There it was: the hard, tough truth of an NFL rebuild setting him free. No PR win, but realistic expectations set for all to hear. Progress.

Mayo then stressed the core tenets of the Patriots' roster-building philosophy: draft and develop. The draft-and-develop mantra echoed comments Eliot Wolf made back at the combine. The two are aligned publicly now. More progress.

Did Mayo regret the burning cash comment?

"No, I don't regret it," he said. "Look, I'm a first-year head coach. I didn't mean, like, burn some cash. I know we have a lot of cash to utilize, but we are going to utilize it the right way."

Off the top, an NFL coach should always mean what he says publicly. Especially in a market like New England. Mayo should know better.

He knows this market. He played here, coached here and rooted as a fan here between the end of playing days and start of his coaching career. But the rest of his comments?

Fine.

Regret is a waste of time and energy. Learn the lesson, apply it forward and move on. Mayo did that to a degree Monday. He will take his lumps on radio and TV, as he should, and we'll move on because the draft is around the corner.

Until then, watch your OJ, Jerod. And less is more.

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