Mr. Kraft spoke to the media earlier, and discussed a lot of issues about the last few weeks.
About mistakes that were made.
Last week I made it clear what I want:
And nothing has changed that.
Let’s start there.
We had a lot of needs.
“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?
Sign a tenant-at-will lease on your rental and hope for the best.
So most if not all will be gone soon.
Which brings us to who Vrabel might take with him if he does get this job.
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.”
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:
The Krafts love him.
The paid him good money to humiliate the Colts by leaving them at the altar.
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 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.
Once was enough for this lifetime, thanks.
Another possibility is Brian Flores.
He’s got experience.
One Super Bowl after Matt Patricia couldn’t get the Eagles off the bloody field.
And come to think of it, he and McDaniels were on the same staff for many years.
There are other names being floated out there.
Some hot college commodities like Marcus Freeman from Notre Dame.
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.
