Patriots Mailbag: What Is New England’s Offensive Coordinator Plan?

Let’s kick off this Super Bowl weekend by sifting through some of your New England Patriots mailbag questions.

@strangebrew17
They can’t go into the season with just Judge as the only offense coach added, right? Who else do you think they add?
@mattd15449450
Who is the next offensive coordinator?
@uhhjeremy
are we actually going to get a OC
Got several variations of this same question this week, and I don’t blame you guys for being curious. The decision on how to replace Josh McDaniels is the most important one Bill Belichick will make this offseason, given how crucial it is to pair Mac Jones with a coach who will facilitate and accelerate his development.

I’ve been of the opinion that Bill O’Brien is the best option for that job given his history with the Patriots, work with quarterbacks, prior connection with Jones and link to Alabama’s offense. But although the sides reportedly had “mutual interest,” a reunion now sounds unlikely.

“I do believe Bill O’Brien was considered,” NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport said Thursday on WEEI’s “Gresh & Keefe.” “I think it’s something he would have considered as well. But in the end, it ends up being Joe Judge on the offensive side of the ball, not special teams. … I think it’s possible that this may be it on the offensive side of the ball.”

Rapoport went on to say New England’s most likely setup will be splintering offensive coordinator duties between Judge, who returned to the Patriots this week under the title “offensive assistant,” and one or more other coaches, listing tight ends/fullbacks coach Nick Caley and wide receivers coach Mick Lombardi as prime candidates for “some added responsibility.”

The Patriots have used a similar structure on defense for the last two seasons and have gone without an official DC since the 2017 season. And after McDaniels left for the first time in 2009, the Patriots didn’t name an OC until 2011, when Belichick gave that title to O’Brien.

So, it would not be unprecedented for the Patriots to operate without an official, 1-for-1 McDaniels replacement. But if that’s the plan this offseason, it’s a dangerous one.

Belichick loves Judge, and reports indicated he was grooming him as McDaniels’ eventual replacement before Judge left for his ill-fated two-year stint as head coach of the New York Giants. The fact he coached both his usual special teams and wide receivers in 2019 lends credence to that notion. But Judge has little to no play-calling experience, and though he is a former quarterback, he’s never coached the position. Caley and Lombardi also have not called plays. The latter has coached QBs, but only for one season, working as assistant QBs coach under McDaniels in 2019.

(The Patriots’ latest assistant QBs coach, Bo Hardegree, followed McDaniels to the Las Vegas Raiders, meaning New England now is without both of the coaches who worked closely with Jones during his promising rookie season.)

So much for the Patriots supposedly desiring an “experienced play-caller from outside the organization” to succeed their longtime OC. This path would be much riskier for a team that needs to do all it can to help its young QB succeed.

It is worth noting, though, that the Patriots often take months to officially acknowledge new coaching hires. The Super Bowl-week announcement of Judge’s return was out of character in that regard. So, there’s a very real chance that more additions are forthcoming. We likely won’t have the full picture of New England’s 2022 coaching staff until spring practices begin in May.

And that group could see even more departures in the coming weeks. The MMQB’s Albert Breer on Wednesday reported the Patriots are “still in play to add or lose another assistant or two,” listing Caley as “a name to watch.”

The Patriots already have lost McDaniels and Hardegree, and running backs coach Ivan Fears reportedly is expected to retire. If Caley lands elsewhere, as well, Steve Belichick would be the only remaining offensive or defensive position coach from New England’s 2018 Super Bowl team.

@SznCeltics
Is Calvin Ridley a realistic trade target for the pats
I’d say so. Ridley would fill the Patriots’ need for a game-changing wideout — he was fifth in the NFL in receiving yards in 2020 — and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank acknowledged he could be looking for a “fresh start” this offseason.

Of course, Ridley would need to feel ready to return after sitting out most of this season to focus on his mental health. And the Patriots would need to be willing to meet Atlanta’s asking price (second-round pick, perhaps?) and take on Ridley’s $11.1 salary cap hit when they’re already paying $14.8 million to Nelson Agholor.

But if those factors align, Ridley, in whom the Patriots showed interest ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft, would be an ideal addition to their receiving corps. Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and tight end Hunter Henry all enjoyed strong seasons, but New England was one of the only teams in this year’s playoff field that lack a true top-end receiving talent.

Improving the weaponry around Jones should be a priority this offseason, and adding Ridley would address that issue. The fact he’s an Alabama product who starred under Belichick buddy Nick Saban only bolsters his case.

@TheThirdRecon
Who, if anyone, might have Mac connected with at the Pro Bowl and might the Patriots try to recruit through free agency/trade?
I doubt you’ll see any immediate roster moves as a result of Jones’ week in Las Vegas, but I don’t think it’s crazy to say his Pro Bowl performance improved his standing in the eyes of players around the league. The energy and personality — which was equal parts brash and goofy — he showed during an otherwise boring and pointless all-star game were impossible to ignore, especially after watching his star turn in the NFL’s 20-minute mic’d-up feature that dropped Tuesday.

I’m not saying players will suddenly want to come to New England just to play with Jones, but he made an undeniably memorable impression and did not seem at all intimidated by the star power around him.

If you’re looking for potential future Patriots in that game, Raiders slot receiver Hunter Renfrow caught a third-quarter touchdown pass from Jones and would look great in blue, red and white. He’s set to hit free agency next offseason, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see McDaniels lock him up with a contract extension.

@timnaughton
What is more important in the draft: WR or CB?
That’ll partially depend on what happens with J.C. Jackson.

If the Patriots let the Pro Bowler walk in free agency or franchise-tag and trade him, then I’d put cornerback much higher on their list of draft needs. They don’t have a viable internal replacement for Jackson — you saw in the Buffalo playoff game how shallow their corner depth was — and their other starter, Jalen Mills, probably is best-suited for a multipositional role.

If the Patriots retain Jackson, they won’t have that same glaring hole in their secondary, but they’ll still need to add cornerback help. Again, they were paper-thin there this season.

New England certainly has a need at receiver, but there is more stability at that spot than at corner with Meyers, Bourne and Agholor all under contract. Ideally, the Patriots would make improvements to both position groups this offseason.

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