Over the weekend it was reported Josh McDaniels, and Dave Ziegler, will be leaving New England for Las Vegas as McDaniels will be the next head coach and Ziegler GM.
This means the Patriots will need to find a new offensive coordinator, a position McDaniels has held since 2012. It is a huge loss as the veteran coach was a major part of the offense.
So, who could replace him?
Here are five potential names to keep an eye on.
Bill O’Brien- This seems to be the most logical one as O’Brien has extensive experience with the Patriots working for Bill Belichick and has a small connection to Mac Jones. When O’Brien became Alabama’s offensive coordinator last year Jones helped him get a basic understanding of the offense. If the Patriots look outside the organization, there’s no question O’Brien makes the most sense.
Nick Caley/Mick Lombardi- If the Patriots do stay in-house, which seems unlikely, the only two candidates are Caley, the tight ends coach, and Lombardi, the wide receivers coach. Both do not have any experience calling plays and really don’t seem ready to call plays in the NFL at this point in time.
Chad O’Shea- O’Shea was the Patriots’ wide receivers coach from 2010-18 and currently is the Browns’ wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator. He called plays in Miami during 2019, so he has play-calling experience, and plenty of experience with the Patriots. It doesn’t seem like he would be a top candidate, but if O’Brien doesn’t work out and the organization wants experience, keep him in mind.
Joe Judge- There’s a lot of speculation Judge could return to New England after he was fired by the Giants, but would that be as offensive coordinator? It’s certainly a long-shot since he doesn’t have any experiencing calling plays since he was a special teams coordinator, but the year before he became head coach of the Giants he was the Patriots’ wide receivers coach. It’s unlikely, but never say never with Belichick.
Matt Patricia- This is another bold name, but once again, never say never with Belichick. He obviously has a lot of respect for Patricia and he seems likely to be on the staff once again. Patricia got his start on the offensive side of the ball, so he’s not only a defensive coach like many think. It does seem like he will have a bigger role with the organization in 2022, but offensive coordinator is low on the list.
