The Patriots have a new offensive coordinator, and he’s a coach with a very good track record at the position.
New England is reportedly close to replacing Alex Van Pelt with Josh McDaniels, who will become the first high-profile coach to join Mike Vrabel’s staff. The Patriots reportedly interviewed three other candidates for the job, but McDaniels was ultimately chosen to take over an offense that had been anemic for years.
In a column published after the news broke, Dianna Russini and Chad Graff of The Athletic shed light on New England’s hiring process.
“A depleted Patriots roster at least has the promise of (Drake) Maye to fall back on, and Vrabel’s decision largely depended on who he would trust to develop the talented 22-year-old quarterback. “That’s where McDaniels’ resume stood out,” the column reads.
McDaniels’ head coaching stints in Denver and Las Vegas left a lot to be desired, but his previous experiences as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator speak for themselves. The 48-year-old helped Tom Brady put together some of the best seasons of his prolific career and made Matt Cassel and Mac Jones look like legitimate starting signal callers.
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Fortunately for McDaniels, the QB situation in New England is currently much better than when he last left the franchise in 2021. And after Maye’s very promising rookie campaign, the 2024 first-rounder has a chance to advance to the superstar status under McDaniels’ tutelage.