With their loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the Patriots fell to 8-9 and out of the playoffs, wrapping up their 2022 season. Similar to their baseball counterparts, after a disappointing season they are slotted to pick 14th in the upcoming draft. Before that comes, however, there are a few fixes that need to be made.
I feel like this team is better than it seemed. Many people were down on this team, but I believe a few plays here and there could have changed the tune of the entire season (the #1 obviously being the horrendous end to the Raiders game). With a few coaching changes and tweaks of the roster, this team could be competing in the AFC.
The first order of business is hiring an actual offensive coordinator. While the offense really started to round out toward the end of the season, it was too little too late. The whole Matt Patricia schtick needs to end, and an actual offensive mind needs to get its hands on this offense. I have no problem keeping Patricia around in his "Senior Football Advisor" role, but he should not be involved with calling plays. There are plenty of competent offensive minds out there who can step in and re-tool this offense.
Bill O'Brien: Similar to Patricia, Bill OB was a horrendous head coach in the NFL. On the flip side, however, he is an offensive coach. That is an instant upgrade from Patricia. He has spent this past year as the OC down in Tuscolusa for Nick Saban and Alabama, and I would not be surprised if he went from friend to friend, returning back to New England. Patriots fans have seen what he can do with an offense, as he was successful here before leaving to coach Penn State. He would be a great person to also help bring Mac Jones along, who struggled at times this year to take a leap in his second year. (He is also a familiar face who, in the very very slim chance it does happen, could lure Brady back for a year if he for some reason chooses to leave Tampa, and then also not go to Las Vegas).
Kliff Kingsbury: This may be an unpopular one, especially with how things panned out in Arizona, but I actually like it as an option. Kingsbury is a great offensive mind who can do what it takes to retool this offense. I will touch on it later, but with the way the offense is going to look, Kingsbury could very well make it one of the more explosive-looking attacks in the league. It will also help that he does not have to focus on the whole head coaching thing and only on one portion of the game. We know how Belichick likes to bring in former guys, so I would not be surprised if he brought in one of his former draft picks and players to run the offense.
Nick Caley: Currently serving as the tight ends coach, Caley is an intriguing option that also allows Belichick to hire from within, something he loves to do. Caley has the respect of the locker room and is a young mind who could bring something new to this offense. If this were to happen though, I do believe he would be promoted to offensive play caller and not get the official OC title, as for some reason Bill seems to enjoy rocking with no official coordinator.
Other intriguing options, in order of likeliness, would be Chad O'Shea, Mick Lombardi, and then-current head coaches Josh McDaniels and Mike McDaniel. O'Shea is currently the passing-game coordinator for the Browns and has had an opportunity to learn under Stefanski much of the Shannahan offense. Before following Brian Flores down to Miami, he served as the wide-receivers coach here in New England and I would not be surprised if there was a reunion. Lombardi is another former Patriot assistant, who left to follow McDaniels to Vegas, where he currently serves as their OC. McDaniels calls the plays though, so he may see an opportunity in New England as a chance for some more coaching freedom. As for the two HC, it is unlikely that either get fired. On the off chance that they do though, Josh McDaniels will be on a flight right back to Gilette I am sure. Mike McDaniel is just a pipe dream though, especially since those rumors of him being let go that circulated were probably nowhere near being true.
Not only should Patricia no longer be in charge of calling offensive plays, he shouldn't be the offensive line coach either. Part of the reason his play calls were not working was that Mac was under duress for a majority of them. It led to poor execution, especially late into the season. I am not asking for another Dante Scarnecchia, while that would be nice, I would appreciate a better o-line coach. Who knows maybe with Patricia solely focused on the lineman their play will improve next year.
When it comes to the players, there are some fixes there too that need to be addressed. First and foremost is Nelson Agholor. He is a free agent after this season, and should not even be given a phone call to discuss contract. He saw his snap count decrease as the season progressed, and his on field effort definitely took a hit. This can be seen very easily on Mac Jones first interception this weekend against Buffalo. Another name I do not need returning is Myles Bryant. Bryant came into this season with high expectations, donning J.C Jackson's old number 27 he looked very disappointing this season. While the corner back unit needs another man, Bryant is not the answer. As for other pending free agents, there are very few names which I think should 100% be back, those being Johnathan Jones and Jakobi Meyers. These two guys are key pieces to both the offense and defense, and both units would take a hit with their departure. Other guys I would like back are Mack Wilson, Raekwon McMillan, Jabrill Peppers, and Carl Davis. These guys were key contributers to a defense which carried this football team for much of the season. As for the likes of Damien Harris and Isaiah Wynn, I could see them returning, but with how this last season went, whether is was the injuries for Harris and play for Wynn, I do not entirely see them in the picture for 2023. Would not be opposed to it though.
When it comes to the rostered guys next year, I see two obvious moves. The first is extending both Kyle Dugger and Josh Uche. Two young playmakers on defense, they are the core you build around, and who can help make this defense elite. The next is parting ways with Trent Brown. As much as I love the big fella, he just could not get out of his own way this past season, whether it be getting beat around the edge or committing an unnecessary penalty which would put the already struggling offense behind the chains even more. Brown has the fourth highest cap hit of anyone on the team, and so I think it is a no brainer that he is gone come next year.
Looking through the offensive free agent market, very few names stand out as ones which Bill would go out and sign. The team does have some cap space and money to spend, so I would not be surprised if Belichick went out and got Orlando Brown to come play tackle next season. Other than Brown, and possibly a few other offensive lineman, I do not think the Patriots will be major players when it comes to the offensive FAs this offseason.
This offense has potential. With a real offensive mind given an offseason to work with Mac Jones we could see a completely different look come September. They have playmakers on the outside in Devante Parker and Kendrick Bourne, and Rhamondre Stevenson showed this year he has the potential to be a real threat out of the backfield. With the right moves made, this team could put up numbers next season.
Moving over to the defensive side of the ball, I do not see as many changes needed over here than its offense counterpart. The defense is what kept this team afloat and the reason they actually had a shot at the playoffs come Week 18. Inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo has had his name floated around as a possibility for the Browns DC role, so he may need to be replaced, but other than that I had little to no gripes with the defensive coaching this past season.
As for the players, there is a good chance that veteran Devin McCourty retires. That will put a big hole in the secondary that they will need to address. Adrian Phillips has been a good signing, but he will need a counterpart alongside him at the safety position. The cornerbacks and linebackers could use a slight upgrade as well. The absence of Jalen Mills and Jack Jones towards the end of the season was apparent. Defense is where Belichick thrives in the draft, but I would not be surprised if he tried to go out and sign guys like Marcus Peters, Jessie Bates III, Bradley Roby, or Adrian Amos. A big veteran FA name to come in and bolster the secondary. We saw once Baramore got healthy how dangerous the line could be with him, Uche, and Judon all rushing the QB. Devin Bush is another interesting FA to look out for. He will probably command to high of a price tag, but he is a young speedy LB who would bring a nice dynamic to this linebacking core which lacked a little bit of speed.
The final thing that needs to change is the special teams unit. In the past this has been a guarantee of all Belichick coached teams, that the special teams would be the difference in games. This season it was, but on the other side. So many mistakes by the unit cost the Patriots wins. On Thanksgiving the Vikings were essentially given 14 points by the special teams unit. One was on a kickoff return, something that Belichick coached teams never give up. The other was on a running into the kicker penalty. An absolute inexcusable mistake which extended the Vikings drive which resulted in a Justin Jefferson touchdown. Then take Week 18 against the Bills. Two kickoff returns in the same game. Totally unacceptable. It is time for Cam Achord to be let go. He took over for Joe Judge when he left to go coach the Giants, and the unit has been in decline ever since. This year it was a total embarrassment. It plays a big part in the game, and the Patriots cannot afford for it to be as bad as it was.
This upcoming draft is an interesting one. The Patriots are in a weird position at 14, and have a few needs they need to address. I would not be surprised if they traded back, as a lot of the big name offensive tackels should still be there. Then come the later rounds, where Belichick thrives. Names like Jaylin Hyatt, wide receiver from Tennessee, are projected to still be available, and I would love to see Bill take him if he is still available come Saturday or Sunday.
This team is not as for off as it seems. Bringing in a competent offensive coordinator will allow them to take a big leap, then adding a few guys here and there could get them back to competing in the AFC. I may be foolishly optimistic, but I see the vision and I hope Bill Belichick's much smarter football mind does too.
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