Quick look at potential replacements for Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia

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Photo credit Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports

Although nothing is official, it seems almost certain that Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia will not be with the Patriots next season.

Reports have McDaniels taking the Colts' head-coaching job and Patricia taking the Lions' head-coaching job. These cannot become official until the Patriots' season ends, so until then there likely will be some speculation, but it's not too early to start thinking about their potential replacements.

As for the offensive coordinator spot, the top internal candidate is wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea, who has held that position since 2009. O'Shea is in charge of much of the red zone offense, which was shown extensively in "Do Your Job 2." Another potential name who could be in the mix is Jerry Schuplinski. He's in his second year as the assistant quarterbacks coach and is viewed highly in the organization. He is credited for working extensively with Jacoby Brissett last year and helping with his development and play in the two starts he made.

In terms of outside options, it appeared former tight ends coach and Alabama offensive coordinator Brian Daboll might be in play, but he took a job with the Bills as their offensive coordinator over the weekend.

When it comes to the defensive coordinator position, linebackers coach Brian Flores is at the top of the list. He interviewed for the Cardinals' head-coaching job and is becoming popular around the league. He's been with the Patriots since 2004 rising up the ranks in the organization. He was the safeties coach in 2012 before taking over the linebackers last season.

An outside the box option could be Greg Schiano. He's currently the Ohio State defensive coordinator, but reportedly wants to get back into the NFL and has a good relationship with Bill Belichick. Also, he coached some of the Patriots defensive players at Rutgers. Another possibility is Belichick wouldn't officially name a defensive coordinator, which he did prior to Patricia getting the title.

One thing to keep in mind is during the final preseason game this year O'Shea and Flores called the plays, which is a sign Belichick views them as being ready for the jobs.