Changes have been fast and furious for the New England Patriots when it comes to their coaching staff this offseason.
On the offensive side of the ball alone, the team has lost its offensive coordinator (Josh McDaniels), offensive line coach (Carmen Bricillo) and wide receivers coach (Mick Lombardi) and will likely see its long-time running backs coach (Ivan Fears) retire.
Still, the head coach remains. Which means that Bill Belichick might have to return to meeting weekly with his quarterback, something he did on a regular basis with Tom Brady prior to his final season.
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On the latest episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast, Tom E. Curran is joined by Khari Thompson of Boston.com and Henry McKenna of Patriots Wire to take a look at how much involvement Belichick could have on the offensive side of the ball this season, especially when it comes to the development of second-year quarterback Mac Jones.
Patriots Talk: What role will Bill Belichick have in development of Mac Jones next year? | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"You need stable positions on your football team," Curran said. "The running game is stable. The personnel on your offensive line is stable."
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With a returning quarterback in Jones, there's stability under center, too. But with the loss of McDaniels to the Las Vegas Raiders, Curran predicted that the guy Jones will go to the most is Belichick rather than Joe Judge, Matt Patricia or Nick Caley, coaches who still have yet-undefined roles on the offensive side of the ball.
"Bill Belichick is going to go to the offensive side of the ball," Curran said. "He's going to meet with Mac as much as he can."
But Belichick can't do it all.
Caley, who has served as tight ends coach for the Patriots since 2017, could become the "unnamed" offensive coordinator, Curran predicted. McKenna wonders if Belichick blocked McDaniels from taking Caley with him to Vegas, as he did with Lombardi and Bricillo.
Thompson, emphasizing the importance of McDaniels in Jones' development, noted that whenever Jones would come off the field, be it in training camp or in a game, the first person he'd seek out would be McDaniels.
"You have to now build that again with a new person," Thompson said. "What does Joe Judge know about developing quarterbacks?"
Also discussed in this episode: How important is it for the Patriots to bring back Devin McCourty in 2022? The guys take a look at J.C. Jackson's pending free agency, as well as potential fits for the Patriots at wide receiver in the draft.
Check out the latest episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast on the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network, or watch on YouTube.