The Patriots coaching staff seems to be taking a Robert Baratheon-esque approach to the titles on their coaching staff ahead of the 2022 season. Waste of breath. Who needs 'em, anyway?
And yet, despite some of Bill Belichick's assistants playing coy with how their roles will be divided up this year, we did learn something during Monday's virtual conference calls.
A few things, actually.
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Most notably, Joe Judge is working with Patriots quarterbacks. Matt Patricia, meanwhile, is working with the offensive line. Finally, there has not yet been named a play-caller for the upcoming season.
It's something.
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While Belichick's top two defensive lieutenants did not divulge which positions they'd be coaching or if their titles would be changed from last season, Judge was willing to explain that his focus has been on Mac Jones and other Patriots passers.
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"I’ll give you a direct answer right there, not to be evasive on anything," Judge said. "I am working with Mac, as well as some other people on the offense. I’m working with all the skill groups on the offense. I would say all of us are working collectively as a coaching unit to work with the entire offense.
"So that’s the most direct and specific answer I can give you on that, guys. In terms of who’s coaching each position, you’ll see me on the field with the quarterbacks."
The way the Patriots have done things in the recent past would suggest that if Judge is the primary quarterbacks coach, he would also be the play-caller. Josh McDaniels coached the position and called plays for years. Same for Bill O'Brien, who was quarterbacks coach and play-caller before he was named offensive coordinator in 2011.
"Look, I’ll tell you directly and honestly right now: Nothing’s been declared or decided or voiced to me," Judge said about the play-calling situation in New England. "I know Matt (Patricia)’s going to be the other one who gets asked, or Nick Caley. Look, right now we’re all just working (on) drills and skills. We’re working offensively.
"I do think it’s critical for every coach on the offense to understand the offense and be prepared as a play-caller. If you’re not really looking (at) and approaching the game as a play-caller, I think it’s tough to really teach the game plan.
"... In terms of who calls plays, to be honest with you, that’s not the main focus of us right now as an offensive staff. When Coach (Belichick) wants us to go ahead and declare a role like that, he’ll tell us."
Patricia said he'd be OK with calling plays if asked.
"Yeah," he said. "Sure. Right now, I'm just focused on whatever we're doing on the field that I've got that handled."
At the moment, it sounds like Patricia is handling offensive line coaching duties, telling reporters, "I've been out there with the offensive guys, working with the offensive line."
Though it's unusual, even for a Belichick-led staff, to be unclear on job titles at this point in the offseason -- and while it seems unnecessarily vague -- there is at least some level of information leaking from One Patriot Place. Judge will be with the quarterbacks. Patricia will be with the line. Caley, the longest-tenured Patriots offensive assistant, will continue to coach tight ends.
At some point, we'll identify a play-caller as well. The question is when, and whether a delay in naming a play-caller might in some way delay the offseason progress of the Patriots offense.
Caley was asked Monday if he would need to know about any potential change in responsibilities by a given date in order to be most comfortable with the change.
"That's up to Coach (Belichick)," Caley said. "All that I can tell you, and I mean this sincerely, whatever I'm asked to do I'm going to do. I can assure you of that. I can control what I can control from that standpoint."