Patriots Rumors: Additions Coming For Bill O’Brien’s Offensive Staff

The New England Patriots have already started to do the heavy lifting in revamping their coaching staff, but it doesn’t appear they’re done making additions.

The Patriots officially announced the hiring of Bill O’Brien as their offensive coordinator Thursday, while Jerod Mayo’s role was expanded to include helping interview coordinator candidates — signaling a growing level of responsibility within the organization that could include more than his traditional duties on defense.

Things don’t appear to be stopping there for New England, as The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reports more additions are likely to come on the staff.

“New OC Bill O’Brien almost certainly won’t be the only addition to the Patriots’ coaching staff,” Howe tweeted. “Sounds like O’Brien will have input in more additions on offense.”

The report is just the latest that seems to confirm a reduction of duties for both Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, each of whom had large roles on a Patriots offense that bottomed out last season. Judge was said to be phased out over the course of the season, while Patricia’s preparation as play caller has been called “dysfunctional.”

Judge will travel with the Patriots to Las Vegas for the Shrine Bowl, hinting that he’ll still have a role with the team moving forward. Patricia, alongside former tight ends coach Nick Caley, do not appear to have involvement on that staff, which will see Bill Belichick, O’Brien and Mayo serve in advisory roles.

Of the full-time offensive assistants from 2022, only Troy Brown (wide receivers/kick returners), Vinnie Sunseri (running backs) and Ross Douglas (wide receivers) will have roles at the Shrine Bowl. Billy Yates (assistant offensive line), Evan Rothstein (offensive assistant) and Tyler Hughes (offensive assistant) will coach in the college All-Star game as well, though they didn’t have a positional designation last season.

Without Patricia and Caley, the Patriots would need to find an offensive line coach and a tight ends coach to round out an offensive staff. Reported offensive coordinator candidate Adrian Klemm appears to be one choice for the offensive line job.

Some possible candidates to be added to the staff could also include Baltimore Ravens assistant o-line coach Mike Devlin, who worked with O’Brien in Houston, Ravens tight ends coach George Godsey and former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone — though hiring all of those coaches away from their current positions would be easier said than done.