David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Patriots are now positioned to pick first overall in next year’s draft after the New York Giants win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. All the Patriots have to do to secure the first overall pick is lose to the Bills next week.

The problem is the Bills are probably going to be resting their starters which makes the game winnable. The Patriots can tank, but the likelihood of them resting starters is slim. Although Jerod Mayo did say on Monday morning that “everything is under consideration.” so he didn’t exactly shoot down the idea of the Patriots sitting guys. 

I am all for winning and building momentum into next season but the truth of the matter is, losing and getting the number one pick is far more important. The Patriots need the number one pick. They can either land an impact player or trade it for a haul. It is what is best for the organization long term. 

I would not want to be Mayo. He is in a tough spot. He is already facing heat for the team’s performance on Saturday and his job status is being questioned. When asked about the Bills sitting guys and how the Patriots will approach it,  Mayo said he is 100% focused on beating the them and if guys are healthy, they are expected to play. 

“Yeah, my expectation is if the guys are healthy, then they’re expected to be ready to go out there and play. Again, we’ll have to see how the week goes. I understand the question. The guys are working hard and we need to play football.”

That is great and that was the expected answer, however winning should not be the priority. Getting the number one pick should be. 

It will be fascinating to see how the Patriots approach this week and what they do. My guess. Maye starts, Milton plays the second half and you see a fair amount of the practice squad play as well. We should have a good idea of how they approach things by Wednesday.