Look guys, you can dislike it all you want. Unless the Patriots website is wrong, Steve is going to go into the 2019 season as the only defensive coach with direct experience with Bill Belichick's system, especially if the rest of these positions are filled by promotions from within.
Since there's been no direct evidence of the Patriots actually searching for a DC since the Schiano debacle, I think you can write it in pen, this is happening.
There's two real possibilities here. The head coach absolutely cannot work as a full time DC and do the rest of his job as well, Bill knows that, not even a young man could do it and he's not young anymore. Bill is either going to hire a DC or go into the season with his son in a Brian Flores type role, working an expanded role and taking on the responsibilities of a DC while his father holds back the official title until he earns it. Honestly I think it's going to be the second of the two possibilities.
Either way, there is zero chance Steve Belichick doesn't play a large role in the defensive coaching team next year, it has to work that way, everyone else is going to be a new face at this point.
