New England linebacker Jerod Mayo said he likes the work ethics of rookies Dont'a Hightower and Chandler Jones during an interview Friday on WEEI's Mut & Merloni show.
"Those guys are coming out ready to work [and] that's all you can ask," Mayo said. "Those guys come out and work hard, both in the classroom and on the field. Being one of the older guys I just try to lead by example. We have great coaches they can learn from and [they've] got to work hard."
Mayo said the goal this summer is obviously to improve from last year, when the Patriots lost in the Super Bowl.
"The goal is to get better, obviously," Mayo said. "We have a lot of talent on our team, but at the same time we have a lot of new faces, so communication is huge. Going out there and competing each and every play is huge. It's just getting used to the coaches and things like that, especially for these young guys. That's a big part of the offseason."
"This is a time where you get the edge on everyone else," Mayo said. "You're going to have some guys who go home and just eat their way out of the league, and you have those guys who go out there and grind and work hard. Just get ready for training camp, that's the goal."
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