Where does this idea come from that Josh McD is the heir apparent to BB?
Is there something more substantial than peoples' imaginations to back that up?
More of a hope than direct knowledge. Despite the Denver fiasco. Josh is good enough to get a 2nd chance. In fact he is likely to be a top 3 candidate for a job at the end of the season. Except for a few reasons, there is every reason to think this could be Josh's last season in NE. And hopefully in his next job he might avoid a lot of the pitfalls that befell him in Denver.
Here are the speculations that might keep him here.
1. He loves the NE area. His family is established here and he'd rather not move them.
2. He's been promised the HC job when BB leaves. BB has often said he didn't see himself coaching in his 70's like Marv Levy, so it's likely to happen sometimes within the next 3 or 4 years.
3. He wants to finish out the Brady era. They are a great team, and best friends. This and the first 2 reason could combine to keep him here until Tom and Bill bow out.
4. If he stays, he'd likely get to keep most of the coaching and scouting staff, all of who know the program. If he leaves he will have to build up an entirely new organization.
5. He'll have complete control of football operations here. It might be tough to get that kind of control and trust elsewhere.
6. Lastly, who else? Who else better knows the language, system, and has a better feel for the Patriot way than Josh.....and who else has already made the rookie mistakes.
Personally I think it's a done deal. The ONLY issue is whether Josh will be patient enough to wait until Bill wraps it up.