The New England Patriots made the opening move of the NFL coaching cycle by hiring Mike Vrabel as their next head coach just over a week ago. Now, his staff is already beginning to take shape.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Patriots are expected to hire Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator.
Of course, New England is already well-acquainted with McDaniels’ body of work. This will be his third stint as the Patriots’ OC, having held the job from 2006-2008 and 2012-2021. Notably, he was on the staff for all six of the franchise’s Super Bowl wins.
While McDaniels’ head coaching record is subpar, his experience as a coordinator with winning teams cannot be denied. He also served as the Patriots’ quarterbacks coach during his previous tenures with the team, and his experience working with Tom Brady should prove useful as he looks to help develop New England’s young franchise quarterback, Drake Maye.
As McDaniels takes the reins of the Patriots offense for the third time in his career, the question looms regarding what kind of production he can extract from this roster.
It’s clear there are holes to fill at multiple positions, but the need for a top pass-catcher remains of the utmost importance. Tight end Hunter Henry performed admirably as the team’s top target with 97 passes thrown his way, and young wide receivers Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte each showed flashes. However, none of these guys are the caliber of talent a team should construct their offensive attack around.
Maye created something out of nothing with the weapons he was given, but if the Patriots are able to add a true alpha-caliber wideout, the ceiling under McDaniels rises significantly. Their quarterback did his part as a rookie and appears to be on the path to ascension — Maye’s development, and the future of the franchise, now depend on the front office to surround their young signal-caller with playmakers, as well as McDaniels’ ability to put his guys in position to succeed.
This offseason will be crucial in determining the outcome of Vrabel’s first season at the helm, but with the most salary cap space in the NFL at over $120 million and the fourth-overall selection in the upcoming draft, New England is well-positioned to potentially take a leap in 2025.
