Mayo's Most Important Hire?: Patriots Offensive Coordinator Leading Candidates

Following the hiring of Jerod Mayo as their next coach, the New England Patriots could be looking for their fourth offensive coordinator in four years.

While some teams will continue to work toward winning the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots and new coach Jerod Mayo find themselves looking to fill out a staff. 

This will likely start with trying to find his coordinators, which will include his most important hire, as it could determine the fate of his tenure in Foxboro, his offensive play-caller. 

Who Mayo opts to name as his offensive coordinator will give fans their first look at just how much different... or the same the Patriots could be next season.

But who is the first-year coach looking for to coordinate a unit that was at or near the bottom of the league in points per game, yards, and third-down conversion? 

Bill O'Brien

Any list has to include the incumbent, O'Brien, who, despite his return to Foxboro having not gone to plan, could still be retained by Mayo. 

While the offense was anything but exciting to watch, O'Brien does have a case for keeping his job as a makeshift offensive line, which might've made it tough for any play-caller to find success. 

Keeping O'Brien would be good for continuity, as the offense wouldn't have to learn a new system and would give Mayo a proven quarterback developer whose last rookie quarterback was Deshaun Watson.

Josh McDaniels 

Jul 30, 2021; Foxborough, MA, United States; New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels reacts during training camp at Gillette Stadium.   / Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

If recent reports indicate Mayo's vision for the Patriots offense, you won't need to look far back into the past. 

Per a report from NFL.com insider Mike Garafolo, if O'Brien isn't retained, his one-time successor, McDaniels, would be at the "top of the list" to replace him again.

If McDaniels is the pick to run the offense again in New England, it would be his third stint in Foxboro. While McDaniel's second attempt at being an NFL head coach ended similarly to his first, his best work has always come in New England. 

This could make him the "safe" hire for Mayo, whose expertise certainly lies on the defensive side of the ball, but one that team owner Robert Kraft would certainly admire.

Shane Waldron 

It is potentially a new name for some, but not to those who have been in the building in Foxboro dating back to Mayo's playing career. 

The current Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator is no stranger to the Patriots, having spent two years as a coach (2008-09) and three years before that helping out in an administrative role (2002-04).

Since leaving the Patriots following the 2009 season, when he served as the tight ends coach, he's become one of the league's young offensive minds. Waldron can be considered a member of the growing Sean McVay coaching tree, having spent time working under him when he was the offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins in 2016 before following him to the Los Angeles Rams. 

After four seasons working under McVay in different roles, from a tight ends coach to becoming the passing-game coordinator, he has spent the last three seasons as the play-caller for the Seahawks.

His best season came a year ago, as he oversaw the best season of veteran quarterback Geno Smith's career and helped the Seahawks, who were supposed to be at the beginning of a rebuild after trading away Russell Wilson, make the playoffs. 

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Zac Robinson

This would potentially be the wildcard hire of the four, as the current Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach has never been a play-caller but, like with the other candidates, does have a tie to Mayo and the Patriots.

Before finding himself on the sidelines working for McVay, the 37-year-old spent the first few months of his playing career in Foxboro. Robinson was selected in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft after making a name for himself as a three-year starter for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. 

Although Robinson's time with the Patriots lasted just a few months before he was cut, he did overlap with Mayo. While hiring a first-year coordinator could be considered risky for a defensive-minded coach like Mayo, it would likely see the Patriots run an offense similar to McVay's.

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