Here's One Man's Too-Soon, Hastily Thrown Together Plan for the 2025 Patriots

Mr. Kraft spoke to the media earlier, and discussed a lot of issues about the last few weeks. How he came to the decision to fire the man he groomed (not that way; get your mind out of the sewer) to be his future head coach after a trip to the Holy Land five years ago. About mistakes that were made. How he's as big a fan as anyone, and was concerned the team wasn't trending in the right direction. While studiously avoiding specifics, naming names, or getting too much into the weeds of what the blueprint is to fix it moving forward.

But for irresponsible fanboy bloggers who don't need to choose their words carefully, it's never too soon for barely informed, reckless, perhaps even dangerous speculation. A quick, rapid-reaction of wish-casting that every Patriots fan who's had enough 4-13 seasons to last a lifetime would like to see. Last week I made it clear what I want:

And nothing has changed that. For sure, all the reports that Mike Vrabel is the top choice are giving me Patriots Priapism I might have to contact my doctor about:

That last part is problematic, because on Eliot Wolf's watch, this personnel department is the one that essential sat on one of the biggest available salary cap reserves in the league (and has by far the biggest for 2025), failed to address the glaring offensive issues seriously, and got nothing out of the draft but the no-brainer that was Drake Maye. And there's the matter of him pawning off the responsibility for his rookie receivers' utter failure on his coaches, telling Fox Sports:

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"We're 3-13, so not good enough. Let's start there. We had a lot of needs. I would say that I guess personally, what I was expecting maybe a little bit more internal development, which is a good lesson certainly heading into next year, and that you can't always rely on that," Wolf said. "The rookie receivers didn't have it really that much for us. And, you know, [Ja'Lynn] Polk was sort of in our estimation a plug-and-play. … Ultimately, to answer to your question, our record speaks for itself. We didn't do enough."

But apparently Wolf is one of those fraternity legacies that people around the league show deference to? I guess? Even one of the hottest coaching candidates besides Vrabel on the market:

But the status of Wolf and Director of Player Personnel Matt Groh was pretty much confirmed by Mr. Kraft saying that Wolf, at least, would be involved in helping him hire the next head coach.

As far as the coaching staff, there's conflicting reports about whether anyone besides Mayo has been sent packing yet. But you can't have followed any sport for more than a season without picking up on how their lives are. Unless you're an assistant with a godlike reputation, a Dick Lebeau, Steve Spagnulo, Dante Scarnecchia, you're a rolling stone; wherever you lay your hat is a home. Sign a tenant-at-will lease on your rental and hope for the best. So most if not all will be gone soon. And in all likelihood, teams will see the job Alex Van Pelt did with Drake Maye and Joe Milton III and he'll have a new job before Mayo does. 

Which brings us to who Vrabel might take with him if he does get this job. He doesn't come with a ready made cast of assistants he'd bring with him the way Adam Sandler puts the same five buddies in every one of his movies. He had some of the best offenses in football when he was running things in Tennessee, but his coordinators kept getting head coaching jobs elsewhere. First Matt LaFleur then Arthur Smith, and the offense declined each season after they left. 

I suppose Todd Downing is a possibility. But the last item on his resume is "2023-present: Passing game coordinator, NY Jets." Which is not something Zip Recruiter is going to flag and put him at the top of your interview list. Tim Kelly was his OC in his final season, but the Titans were 28th in yards and 27th in points. And since the 2024 Giants tight end room he coached didn't exactly Napalm NFL defenses, that's a tough sell as well. Tommy Rees worked with Vrabel in Cleveland last year as the Browns tight ends coach and passing game coordinator. And has OC'ed at Notre Dame and Alabama, so that could work. 

But inevitably, all roads in every Patriots fan lead back to Josh McDaniels:

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The Krafts love him. The paid him good money to humiliate the Colts by leaving them at the altar. There was talk he was first in line of succession Heir to the Throne of Belichick, until he went to Las Vegas and flamed out spectacularly for the second time as a head coach. Meaning he's used up all his chances and would not only never be lured away by another head job, he'll still be getting paid by the Estate of Al Davis. Which is a plus when you might have entire coaching staff to pay off. 

But all that is just guesswork. No one can connect any career dots between Vrabel and McDaniels. So this might all be wishful thinking by a fan base that remembers the difference between 2021 Mac Jones and all the other iterations of Mac Jones. And if McDaniels can get that rookie to a Pro Bowl (as an alternate), it follows he could coach Drake Maye and Joe Milton III to world dominance. All we know for sure is he's come back to Foxboro before to escape unemployment, and could do it again. 

So what if it's not Vrabel? What if, football gods forbid, he takes the Jets job? Besides the ridicule he'll richly deserve for squandering this opportunity:

Who's next on the list? 

I get the appeal of Ben Johnson. How can you not? What he's done in Detroit has been a game changer. He's an innovator who could do miracles with these quarterbacks. And will be HC somewhere, if not here. I only have one contention. And that's I'm a little gunshy about having yet another first year head coach getting on-the-job training. I'd prefer someone with years of experience managing the clock, throwing challenge flags, running practices, dealing with personalities, putting out fires like players getting arrested, and the hundred million other things you don't know about until you know. Once was enough for this lifetime, thanks. 

Another possibility is Brian Flores. He's got experience. He'd obvious come back to New England with instant credibility that comes from keeping the 2018 Rams not just out of the end zone, but also the red zone. One Super Bowl after Matt Patricia couldn't get the Eagles off the bloody field. The Vikings defense he's currently running finished fifth in points allowed, after being 28th the year before he showed up. The obvious issue there is he's a defensive coach, and we'd still need someone to Yoda Drake Maye. And come to think of it, he and McDaniels were on the same staff for many years. And I think I speak for a lot of Pats fans when I say that his lawsuit against the NFL is a plus. Anyone that can force Roger Goodell to give depositions under pains and penalties of perjury is OK in my book. 

There are other names being floated out there. Liam Coen, who's a branch off the Sean McVay tree, went to URI, Brown and U of Maine. Some hot college commodities like Marcus Freeman from Notre Dame. But again, there's being an NFL head coach and then there is literally every other job known to man. There's simply no other occupation that compares. And this is no time to squander another year of Maye's rookie contract.

Which is why I continue to circle back to Vrabel. And would trust him to figure out whom to hire and how to get what he needs out of the player personnel department as it's currently constituted. The mere fact people are reporting he wants the job after the catastrophe of the past three seasons is all the convincing I need that he's the man for the job. Get it done.