The Patriots finished off what could be their most significant addition to their coaching staff on Thursday, surprising everyone by hiring former NFL quarterback Alex Van Pelt as their offensive coordinator.
Van Pelt comes with a significant amount of experience, having both played in the league as well as spent time in the coaching ranks for the last 20-years. He spent the last several seasons in Cleveland as their offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, spending his final year in Cleveland preparing four quarterbacks and keeping the offense stable as the Browns dealt with injuries to DeShaun Watson and ended up starting several other players after he went down.
Despite that, the Browns finished tied for 10th in the NFL with the Colts in total points and were tied for 7th in second-quarter points scored with 139 as the Browns got on the board early in many of their games during what turned out to be an 11-win season.
To put it in perspective as a comparison, Cleveland finished 2023 by scoring 396 points, while New England managed just 236.
While Van Pelt wasn’t responsible for playcalling with the Browns (that duty was handled by head coach Kevin Stefanski), he was still responsible for the game-planning and preparation. His biggest asset will be in developing whoever the club potentially targets in the upcoming NFL Draft at quarterback, which has been something he’s had success with. He’s worked with notable names such as Ryan Fitzpatrick, Aaron Rodgers, Andy Dalton, and Baker Mayfield over the course of his career, including Rodgers’ MVP season in 2014.
One player Van Pelt has also worked with is former Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who Mike Reiss reported in a piece for ESPN recently believes will be a target for New England this offseason. With a veteran presence missing in the locker room, Reiss feels Brissett will be that player the Patriots will bring in as they try and begin developing whoever their future quarterback might be.
Reiss projects a two-year, $15 million deal with $7.5 guaranteed in a signing bonus, providing whoever they take with an opportunity to get stronger and develop as the club moves into its next era with new head coach, Jerod Mayo.
Prior to Van Pelt’s hiring, it was a long process for the Patriots after they interviewed nearly a dozen candidates. Quite a few reports indicated that former tight ends coach Nick Caley was the leading candidate for the job, with Mark Daniels of MassLive reporting that the decision to add Van Pelt was a fast one. He interviewed with New England on Thursday and they wasted no time making the decision, with Van Pelt reportedly also considering reuniting with Mayfield in Tampa Bay following his interview here.
Instead, the Patriots made sure that didn’t happen.
Internally, there’s already a connection as Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf previously worked with him in Green Bay, which given that Mayo has preached a “collaborative” approach should make personnel discussions a little smoother as the club heads into both free agency and the upcoming draft.
One would have to believe that Van Pelt won’t waste much time getting to work, as he’ll likely be a presence down in Alabama for the Senior Bowl as teams continue getting familiar with upcoming prospects.
Given where the Patriots sit in the draft (#3 overall), it will clearly be critical for Van Pelt to start getting a feel for the guys who will be under consideration in the coming months, and those evaluations obviously start now.
What Took So Long?
It’s been a long road for the Patriots to get to this point, as Mayo and his staff spoke to a variety of candidates in what was certainly an extensive process. While Van Pelt is the guy they ultimately ended up with, it’s tough to say if there were any other guys who may have potentially been on their radar, but just didn’t feel comfortable taking on what is absolutely going to be a daunting task.
Looking at the roster, if any of those guys had reservations, it’s understandable. This is a club massively devoid of talent with an unbelievable amount of question marks heading into the offseason.
As it currently stands, they head into next season essentially with just Rhamondre Stevenson, Demario Douglas, and David Andrews as notable impact starters under contract returning for 2024. Aside from that, they have a so-so receiver in DeVante Parker, a giant question mark in Tyquan Thornton, and no starting tight ends currently under contract as both Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki are set to be free agents.
NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry, in his recent Next Pats Podcast, talked about the fact that this wasn’t a situation that was considered to be desirable, which played a role in why the process took a while.
“This is not a desirable job right now, is how it’s been relayed to me and the reasons for that are obvious,” explained Perry, with the episode having been recorded prior to the news of Van Pelt’s addition. “Look at, number one, the roster, and I think this is part of the reason why Bill O’Brien is no longer here.”
“No quarterback. No number one receiver, really no number two receiver. Pop Douglas is a true slot and should be part of the plans moving forward. No tight end under contract, no tackles under contract. David Andrews is here under contract, good player. Rhamondre Stevenson, here under contract, good player. Guards, you probably should be able to figure out. Whether it’s Cole Strange, Sidy Sow, Atonio Mafi, put that a little bit lower on your list somewhere.”
“But with all of those positions really lacking right now, you are starting from scratch. Put yourself into the shoes of a potential offensive coordinator looking at this situation and wondering if he should uproot himself, maybe his family, and launch himself and potentially his first attempt at being an offensive coordinator here with that set up. Does it sound all that palatable to you?”
“I think there might have to be some convincing done by the Patriots to get someone that they really love to call plays and help mold this offense into whatever it will become moving forward. Because it’s not a desirable job and it goes beyond the roster, is how it’s been relayed to me – NFL folks that I’ve spoken to over the course of the last week or so.”
It’s also why there may have been candidates who may have been more desirable, but simply didn’t want to take on what will likely require more than one season to get things turned around. Given that some of those guys may also have head-coaching aspirations, there are just too many question marks here that may have potentially made the opportunity too risky to take on, depending on how things ultimately unfold.
With the 53-year-old Van Pelt, he may end up providing some stability and continuity as some have noted that the likelihood for him departing for an opportunity in the near future is unlikely. That’s certainly a positive since the last time that happened came a season removed from the Patriots’ previous attempt at drafting a rookie quarterback, and it derailed Mac Jones’ development and played a role in where the club currently is heading into 2024.
What Does this Mean For Jones?
There had been some who wondered if Josh McDaniels might make a return to the Patriots, but this news certainly closes the door on that. It also begs the question of whether or not Van Pelt might attempt to rejuvinate Jones’ career, which is something that, like it or not, is going to be important.
As it currently stands, the club isn’t expected to pick up Jones’ 5th-year option, which will likely make 2024 his final season in New England in the event the quarterback doesn’t draw any interest this offseason.
The team reportedly previously tried to move him last season but didn’t get any real interest, and his stock is certainly at a low point given how 2023 played out. If Van Pelt can get him back on track and get him trending in a better direction, maybe that will allow New England to at least end up with something before his contract expires.
For now, while some may not be pleased with Van Pelt’s addition, he brings a wealth of experience and familiarity with the West Coast offense, along with knowledge of other systems with an opportunity to put his stamp on things here. While his road has been rocky (he’s been part of staffs who have been let go due to head coaching changes), his overall experience is pretty strong for someone who has dealt with a fair amount of his own adversity.
Considering the roster and uncertainty that lies ahead, it’s definitely safe to say he’s got his work cut out for him.
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
