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The Patriots are casting a wide net in their quest for a new offensive coordinator under head coach Jerod Mayo, and the latest reported interview shows a clear vision for the search.
According to SI's Albert Breer, New England interviewed former Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron for the position before he was hired by the Bears on Monday.
The interview marks the fourth in the Patriots' search for an OC, who have now spoken with (or will speak with) Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley, Rams passing game coordinator and QBs coach Zac Robinson, Bengals QBs coach Dan Pitcher, and now Waldron.
Notice something?
If you don't, here's the kicker: Each candidate is loosely connected to the Sean McVay coaching tree. Here's how:
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Nick Caley
Caley is the reason I used the term 'loosely' above as before the 2023 season, he spent his entire NFL coaching career right here in Foxborough with the Patriots. You can't just ignore him learning for a full season under McVay though, especially as a tight ends coach. As former Patriots offensive line coach and team Hall of Famer Dante Scarnecchia once pointed out: “When you coach the tight ends, you’re coaching a position that transcends the entire offense. He’s involved in the passing game, so Nick has been in every passing game meeting. And the run game, so he’s been in every run-game meeting.”
Zac Robinson
Robinson, 37, has worked on the Rams’ offensive staff under McVay since 2019. He's worked as assistant quarterbacks coach ('19), assistant wide receivers coach (2020), and passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2021-present). He likely knows the system like the back of his hand.
Dan Pitcher
A few branches away from McVay's root is where you'll find Dan Pitcher. Pitcher has been the Bengals' quarterbacks coach since Joe Burrow was drafted by head coach Zac Taylor and co. in 2020. Taylor, a McVay disciple, worked on the Rams' offensive staff in 2017 (asst. wide receivers coach) and 2018 (quarterbacks coach).
Shane Waldron
After spending the last three seasons as the Seahawks offensive coordinator under Peter Carroll, Shane Waldron was hired as the Bears' offensive coordinator on Monday. A Phillips Academy and Tufts graduate, he was an offensive quality control coach for New England in 2008 and the tight ends coach in 2009 before heading to the UFL’s Harford Colonials in 2010. How'd he get back in the league? As an assistant in 2016 under then-Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay. Waldron then followed McVay to Los Angeles when he took the Rams head coaching job, with stints as tight ends coach (2017), quarterbacks coach (2019), and passing game coordinator (2018-2020).
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McVay and the Rams' pseudo-West Coast system is such the rave in the NFL right now that it started an entire generation of coaching hires literally called "the Sean McVay effect." Young, up-and-coming minds like Matt LeFleur, Zac Taylor, Kevin O'Connell, and others have been given the keys to an entire franchise
While the Patriots, obviously, went with Jerod Mayo as their top guy, it looks like they have a clear idea in mind for the type of coach that they want to run their offense. A far cry from the several iterations of the Erhardt-Perkins system they ran here for 20+ seasons.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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