Three preliminary candidates have been identified by Jerod Mayo for the position of offensive coordinator.
Jerod Mayo has been formally appointed as the replacement for Bill Belichick, who was dismissed as head coach of the Patriots. Having established Mayo, the next step is to commence the recruitment of his staff.
Reportedly, candidate interviews for the positions of defensive coordinator or special teams coach have begun in New England.
However, the offense is the Patriots’ most glaring weakness. They tied for the dead-last position in NFL scoring. They will be required to determine which coach will continue to lead that section of the team.
Mayo has accumulated his entire coaching and playing career on the defensive side of the ball. He spent eight seasons with the Patriots as a linebacker.
He commenced his tenure with the Patriots as a safety coach in 2019. Before New England’s announcement that he would succeed Belichick, he maintained that position.
This is the second season for the Dorchester native with the Patriots. He has served as an offensive assistant, quarterbacks coach, and wide receivers coach, among other positions, in the past.
Two seasons ago, the Patriots appointed him as their offensive coordinator. His first was in 2011 with the Patriots (32.1 points per game) and a 13-3 record, which ranked them third within the league in scoring.
Tom Brady was undoubtedly in charge at the time, directing passes to, among others, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Wes Welker, and Deion Branch.
Last season, O’Brien struggled with his second stint. The team hired O’Brien to unlock the potential of Mac Jones, who had a promising rookie campaign followed by an awful sophomore year.
Bailey Zappe ultimately earned the starting job from Jones, and the Patriots finished the season with the fifth-worst turnover differential (11), yards per sport (276.2), and points per game (13.9).
O’Brien lacks substantial experience in both collegiate and NFL settings. During his tenure as head coach, O’Brien led the team to four AFC South championships, resulting in a 52-48 record over six seasons.
He succeeded Joe Paterno as head coach of Penn State and served as offensive coordinator for Alabama under Nick Saban for a brief period.
As the NFL teaching carousel enters its peak season, Jerod Mayo is remarkably occupied with the assembly of his new teaching staff. This week, the offensive coordinator position with the Patriots has garnered attention.
Monday was Mayo’s scheduled interview with Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley, and Tuesday was his scheduled interview with Rams receiving game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson. Additionally, Mayo anticipated interviewing with Bengals quarterback coach Dan Pitcher.
Although the initial three names were disclosed, none of them were interviewed for the position of coach. On Monday, however, Waldron decided to become the new offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears.
As per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Mayo and the Patriots had previously conducted an interview with Shane Waldron, the former offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks, for the position of offensive play caller.
Breer observed that Mayo could hire a younger “riser” candidate to head coach in addition to a senior offensive assistant who would assist the staff.
Waldron’s selection is not unexpected. The Bears, who currently possess the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, have already assembled a formidable roster, including receiver D.J. Moore.
Chicago could trade quarterback Justin Fields’s contract for additional assets if it decides to select quarterback Caleb Williams in the draft.
The situation is entirely different regarding the Patriots. The identity of the team’s quarterback remains unknown.
The Patriots require a top receiver as well. Tight ends are all veterans and starting tackles are both unrestricted free agents.