Patriots Getting ‘Phenomenal Culture Guy’ In New OC Alex Van Pelt

The New England Patriots made a surprising move Thursday with who they selected to fill their vacant offensive coordinator position.

The Patriots tabbed former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to take the reins of New England’s offense. He was not one of the 11 reported candidates the Patriots originally interviewed for the job. Van Pelt spent the last four seasons with the Browns and has close to a decade worth of experience as a quarterbacks coach for the Buffalo Bills — he was also the Bills’ offensive coordinator in 2009 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals.

So, what are the Patriots exactly getting in Van Pelt? Well, NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots insider Phil Perry offered insight into the type of coach Van Pelt is now that he has a prominent role on New England’s staff.

“Source who worked with Van Pelt in Cleveland lauded his ability to coach QBs and said he’s a ‘phenomenal culture guy,'” Perry posted on the X platform.

Van Pelt’s work with quarterbacks will be especially needed in New England. The Patriots are at a crossroads at the all-important position and many draft pundits think they will select a young signal-caller with the third overall pick.

It would then be on Van Pelt to help groom and develop that franchise quarterback, which won’t be an easy assignment and one filled with plenty of pressure.

The Patriots could also decide that they aren’t ready to move on from Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe yet. And in that case, much would be on Van Pelt to try to salvage Jones’ career and get the Alabama product to look like he did in his rookie season. Either way, it’s a tough position for Van Pelt to be in, which made New England’s offensive coordinator role a less than desirable position across the NFL.

But Van Pelt’s approach could help him win over the quarterbacks and the offense in an effort to get New England’s dysfunctional offense back on track for the first time in years.

“He’s as loyal and as team-oriented and as easy to get along with as anyone in the NFL… There is zero ego there. None,” a source told Perry.