Former New England assistant and present Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley is the primary finalist for the Patriots’ offensive coordinator job, in accordance with sources.
Caley is one in every of 11 reported candidates for the place, together with 5 coaches who’ve accepted different jobs throughout the Patriots’ search. He was the primary to interview with new head coach Jerod Mayo and earn a second, in-person interview in Foxboro. Ex-Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is the one different candidate reported to have traveled to New England for a sitdown.
The remaining identified candidates for the job are 49ers offensive go sport specialist Klint Kubiak, 49ers tight ends coach Brian Fleury, Lions go sport coordinator Tanner Engstrand and Raiders go sport coordinator Scott Turner. Sports Illustrated first reported the Patriots’ curiosity in Kubiak, whom they interviewed, and Turner, whom they deliberate to interview as of final weekend.
Caley joined the Patriots as a training assistant in 2015, then acquired a promotion two years later to tight ends coach. He remained in that job for six seasons and was handed over throughout the Patriots’ final offensive coordinator search final yr, which prompted his transfer to Los Angeles.
Caley, 41, may be in line for a promotion with the Rams, who lately misplaced go sport coordinator Zac Robinson to the Falcons.
Within the Patriots’ search, Caley is the one candidate with earlier teaching expertise in New England. If employed, he may meld components of the Patriots’ previous offense with the system he discovered beneath Rams head coach Sean McVay. Several candidates who interviewed with Mayo have labored for McVay and/or coach the same kind of offense.
One of these candidates, Getsy, crossed paths with Caley in 2007, when the 2 labored as graduate assistants at Akron. Getsy was reportedly scheduled to journey to New Orleans to interview for his or her offensive coordinator job on Wednesday.
It’s unclear how the Patriots’ offensive employees may take form beneath Caley, who has by no means known as performs or coached quarterbacks on the NFL degree. Former offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien doubled because the group’s quarterbacks coach, and left the group two weeks in the past to take the identical job at Ohio State. The Patriots employed O’Brien over Caley final offseason, when Caley additionally met with the Jets and Texans about their offensive coordinator vacancies.
Last season, Caley contributed to a shock playoff run with the Rams. Caley additionally helped evolve the Rams’ offensive system beneath McVay, who employed a number of exterior assistants to rejuvenate what had been a bottom-10 offense in 2022. This season, Los Angeles completed within the high 10 by factors scored and the opponent-and-situation-adjusted metric DVOA.
Caley began his profession as a university coach in 2005, leaping from his alma mater, John Carroll, to Akron, Auburn, Iowa State, Eastern Illinois, Arkansas and Florida Atlantic. He spent most of these seasons as a defensive coach, earlier than flipping to the offensive aspect full-time in New England. With the Patriots, he coached gamers from veterans like Rob Gronkowski and Hunter Henry to 2020 third-round rookies Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene.
Caley and Mayo overlapped on the Patriots’ employees from 2019-22, Caley’s ultimate years in New England. Caley additionally labored alongside present Pats operating backs coach Vinnie Sunseri, large receivers coach Troy Brown and assistant offensive line coach Billy Yates. Offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, who missed most of final season after getting hospitalized for a critical medical challenge, has by no means labored with Caley.
Three of the Patriots’ earliest identified candidates took offensive coordinator jobs elsewhere earlier than Mayo prolonged invitations for a second interview: ex-Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson (Atlanta), ex-Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron (Chicago) and ex-Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher (Cincinnati). They had been seen as three of the highest coaches in the marketplace. Caley didn’t have one other identified interview for an offensive coordinator job this cycle.
Mayo opened the method with hour-long interviews over video convention, per sources, then welcomed Caley for a two-day, in-person course of that began final Sunday, per Sports Illustrated. Rams assistant particular groups coach Jeremy Springer joined him on the flight from Los Angeles and reached phrases to affix the Patriots’ employees on Wednesday, a supply confirmed to the Herald.
In New England, Caley would inherit one of many least proficient offensive rosters within the league. The Patriots averaged 12.9 offensive factors per sport final season, when beginning quarterback Mac Jones was benched 4 instances and didn’t play within the group’s final six video games. The Patriots shouldn’t have a decent finish beneath contract, and their beginning offensive tackles are each set to hit free company.
It’s anticipated the Pats will add a quarterback someday this offseason, both in free company — after they’re scheduled to carry the fourth-most cap house within the NFL — or the draft, the place they personal the No. 3 general decide. Mayo has additionally recognized large receiver and offensive deal with as high wants.
Source: www.bostonherald.com