FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots are ready to back the Brinks truck under new coach Jerrod Mayo in hopes of returning the franchise to prominence.

“We’re bringing in 1,000% talent. We’ve got a lot of space and cash. We’re willing to spend some money!” Mayo said Monday, with a touch of humor, on WEEI Sports Radio.

The Patriots have a projected $65 million in salary cap space, according to ESPN’s roster management system. It’s a fluid total that currently ranks fourth in the NFL.

The team is coming off a 4-13 season, which led to the dismissal of coach Bill Belichick after 24 seasons. Mayo was quickly chosen as his successor, and owner Robert Kraft said last week that the current plan is to enable Mayo and the current staff — headed by director of player personnel Matt Groh and director of scouting Elliot Wolf — to rebuild the team.

Spending has been a hot topic around the Patriots in recent years, with Kraft previously saying he did not put limits on Belichick, who had the final say on all personnel and budget decisions.

The Patriots ranked 30th out of the 32 NFL teams in cash spending last season at $188 million, according to ESPN’s roster management system, which analyzes every NFL contract. The Cleveland Browns ranked first with $282 million.

The Patriots finished third in 2021, when a record plunge into unrestricted free agency resulted in a cash outlay totaling $222 million. But they have reached No. 31 twice over the past decade – in 2020 and 2014.

Over the past 10 years, the Patriots rank last in the NFL in cash spending at $1.62 billion, according to ESPN’s roster management system. The Philadelphia Eagles, worth $1.92 billion, ranked first in the league during that period.

Mayo’s statements in Monday’s radio interview foreshadow some crucial personnel decisions ahead for the Patriots, with starting safety Kyle Dugger, starting offensive guard/tackle Mike Onwenu, pass rusher Josh Uche, tight end Hunter Henry and receiver Kendrick Bourne among their top players slated for Unrestricted play in free agency.

The Patriots also own the third pick in the NFL draft — their highest pick during Kraft’s 30 years of ownership.

“We’ll pick the best player available for the biggest need on the team; offensive line, receiver, quarterback — take your pick [choice]Mayo said Monday in a radio interview.

The draft remains the lifeblood of what Kraft sees as the best way to build a championship team.

“At the end of the day, to be good in this league, you have to design well,” Kraft said last March at the NFL’s annual meeting. “Given the salary cap and the value of the people you draft, rather than hiring them as free agents, that’s where your biggest return comes from.

“If you look at when we’ve won Super Bowls, we always seemed to have 12 or 15 players who were actually products of the draft. When you put them on their rookie contracts, when you deal with the salary cap, it allows you to compete better.”