Report: People In NFL 'Flabbergasted' By Patriots' Current Coaching Staff: 'A Lot Of Eyebrows Raised'
BOSTON (CBS) -- Bill Belichick's willingness to enter a season with Joe Judge and Matt Patricia as top assistant coaches on the offensive side of the ball has caught a lot of people in New England by surprise. Apparently, that's the case around the NFL, too.
That's at least what Patriots reporter Phil Perry has heard thus far in Indianapolis at the scouting combine.
"I can just tell you from talking to some people here and some folks around the league -- people are flabbergasted at how this Patriots staff has come together," Perry said on NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Talk Podcast. "And it's focused on that offensive side specifically, and what they're going to do in terms of coaching the quarterback and calling the plays."
Perry added that the level of respect for Belichick remains high, so there is "somewhat of a sense of, 'Well, it's Bill, and he'll figure it out.'" Still, putting Mac Jones' second season in the hands of Judge -- who was previously a special teams coordinator before serving as head coach of the Giants for two years while leading the second-worst offense in the league -- has some people around the NFL feeling surprised.
"If that's how it shakes out [with Judge as quarterbacks coach and with Patricia as offensive line coach], there's a lot of eyebrows raised here in Indianapolis," Perry said. "I'll say that."
The Patriots lost longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels this offseason, as he departed to become head coach of the Raiders. He also took receivers coach Mick Lombardi, offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo, and quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree with him. Thus far, the Patriots have only added Judge to the coaching staff, while reports have indicated Patricia is in line to coach the offensive line.
Patricia returned to the Patriots last year as a senior football advisor, after his 2-plus seasons as head coach of the Detroit Lions. He was New England's defensive coordinator from 2012-17, serving as safeties coach (2011) and linebackers coach (2006-10) in the years prior to that. His last year coaching on the offensive side of the ball was in 2005, when he was the assistant offensive line coach under Dante Scarnecchia.
Judge worked with the Patriots from 2012-19, first as assistant special teams coach (2012-14) then as the special teams coordinator (2015-19). In 2019, he added wide receivers coach to his tasks, his lone season as an offensive coach.