Are the Krafts serious about rebooting the Patriots? Belichick in 2025?

This has had an adverse effect on the search for an offensive coordinator, as has their underwhelming process with candidates during interviews. Two named candidates told colleagues their Patriots' interview ranked last in their experience - by far.

This is what happens when you refuse to open up any of the process to the rest of the league, namely at head coach and general manager. If Mayo was a player and the Patriots locked him into an extension before the aging and expensive starter in front of him was done — not a perfect comparison, I know, but bear with me — what would we think? The Patriots were locking in a cheaper, cost-certain alternative ahead of time. It would be a prudent financial decision. Very Belichickian. 

Isn't that what happened here with the head coaching transition? If you went into free agency for head coaching candidates, wouldn't it get more expensive, like a player? Most likely.

As some of us have asked, why didn't they open up the process? Yes, you can say they knew they had the right guy in Mayo (without an interview and hearing his staffing plans, as part of every other HC hiring process). You can also say that if the Patriots did open up it and basically make Mayo a free agent, it could have gotten more expensive to re-sign him, just like a player (see the free agency of Devin McCourty and Dont'a Hightower).

So as this drags on, it's fair to ask what the Krafts' true end game is to modernize their football operations from top to bottom, or just to move on Belichick in the most cost-effective fashion?

The Krafts decided not to put their money where their mouth is on the head coach or the personnel department — to date, with the deadline to franchise a player 33 days away (March 5) and the start of free agency 39 days away (March 11). If they don't do it with the offensive coordinator hire, and the staffing of the offensive side of the ball, don't we have the answer?

The clock is very much ticking, and the dollar bills have not exactly been flowing to this point. 

UPDATE: Krafts released their season ticket letter today ... not exactly rife with details. Most pertinent part was their emphasis on the draft. No mention of free agency or cap space.

TEXT:

When our family acquired the Patriots on Jan. 21, 1994, we were hopeful about what lay ahead for the team. Now, 30 years later, we have had the opportunity to reflect on all that we have celebrated together and all that has changed. One thing that has remained constant is our gratitude for the unwavering support of our Season Ticket Members. 

It was a dream come true for our family when we were provided the opportunity to become the custodians of this franchise. From the start, we vowed to do everything we could to bring a championship to New England. Against many odds and with much good fortune, we experienced a level of success that helped shape a new standard. The results of the past few seasons have not met that standard, nor the expectations of our fans. After a disappointing 2023 season in which the team’s record dipped to a 30-year low, significant changes were made to redirect the trajectory of our organization. 

This year, we selected our third head coach and named Jerod Mayo the 15th head coach in New England Patriots history. We are excited about the potential Coach Mayo brings. He has exhibited unique leadership qualities since we drafted him in 2008, which earned him team captain honors for seven straight seasons. Jerod’s natural leadership abilities are among his many qualities that earned him an opportunity to return to the Patriots as a member of the coaching staff in 2019. His roles and coaching responsibilities have expanded over each of the past five seasons. We trust that Coach Mayo’s intellect and leadership style will provide the foundation for the team’s long-term success here in New England. 

As we embark on this new era, we look forward to the most anticipated NFL Draft of our tenure. With the third overall pick, we have the highest draft position since the Patriots drafted Drew Bledsoe with the number one overall selection 31 years ago. The focus this offseason is to acquire the talent and leadership necessary to rebuild a culture committed to winning. 

We share the perspective of being fans first, as many of our family’s greatest memories have been spent together at games in Foxborough, which is why we greatly appreciate the commitment and passion our Season Ticket Members have maintained over the past 30 years. We are reminded daily how lucky we are to be stewards of the New England Patriots thanks to fans like you.

With sincere appreciation and gratitude,

Robert Kraft, Jonathan Kraft

 On the offensive coordinator search and Belichick ...

- The league scuttlebutt is Nick Caley is not exactly locked in to be the guy, but it could just be a leverage play. Caley has told a lot of people that he and his young family have really enjoyed the LA experience. Combine that with the fact that continuing on with Sean McVay could be way better for Caley's career than doing his own thing with perhaps limited resources in New England. McVay's staff gets raided every offseason. Could Caley get a promotion there?

- Luke Getsy, the other second interview, is viewed as a very vanilla choice if he winds up being the guy. Aaron Rodgers was a big fan — Getsy was his pass-game coordinator and QB his final two years in Green Bay — but how has that vote of confidence worked for others like Nathaniel Hackett? This is what Bears WR DJ Moore said when asked about Getsy after the season: "I think he’s fine. It just comes down to us being explosive on the offensive side. We got the players to do it. We got our quarterback to do it. Everything else, we just need to call the plays that put us in position to have explosives down the field or catch-and-runs …. We just got to be an explosive team and not a team that’s behind the sticks."

- At least Getsy has experience touching the quarterbacks, which Caley does not. It's imperative the Patriots land someone, at least as QB coach under an OC, who has experience developing a young QB, who could come from the No. 3 pick. 

- There's been some talk about the Patriots pairing an inexperienced OC with a veteran above him. How exactly would that work? League sources scoffed at that potential setup. "Nobody worth anything is taking that job under a first-time head coach. They'd have to find some washed-up guy somewhere who wouldn't be a threat to anyone. The Ravens tried that with Jim Caldwell one year (2013, he ended up taking over down the stretch from Cam Cameron). It worked for them, but why would it be appealing to the young OC? So you have someone looking over your shoulder ready to take your job?" said one league source. 

- The consensus on new special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer? "Green." That would certainly go along with this staff, which would be the polar opposite to Belichick's 2001 staff in New England (Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Brad Seely, Dante Scarnecchia):

HC: Mayo, never called his own defense
OC: TBD (if it's Caley, he's only been a TEs coach)
DC: Covington, never called a defense previously just a DL coach
ST: Springer, two years NFL experience as assistant STs coach

Not exactly Lincoln's Team of Rivals.

By the way, due to hiring a new coach, Patriots players can report to offseason workouts on April 1 — 60 days from today (every other team starts April 15th). A lot needs to get done.

- With the Commanders naming Dan Quinn as head coach, Belichick appears to be shut out of this coaching cycle and headed to TV.

Washington did circle back on Belichick in the past week after top target Ben Johnson chose to remain with the Lions. Not sure how serious it got, but new GM Adam Peters started out with the Patriots and there was some comfort there. But not enough.

League scuttlebutt at the Senior Bowl was the Eagles backchanneled on Belichick as their season went down the tubes and he would have been near the top of Philly's list if they parted ways with Nick Sirianni, similar to Doug Pederson. Howie Roseman and Belichick have a very good relationship and the two sides believe they would work well together.

Expect the Eagles and the Cowboys to have interest in Belichick should their teams underachieve again in 2024.

"I know him personally and I like him," Jerry Jones told Yahoo. "There's no doubt in my mind we could work together. None."

Sounds like someone who has given that exact scenario some thought (they have over the years).