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With new head coach Jerod Mayo taking over after over two decades of Bill Belichick at the helm, the Patriots have solidified the entirety of their new coaching staff. We already knew about the hires of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney, running backs coach Taylor Embree, offensive line coach Scott Peters, and senior offensive assistant Ben McAdoo on the offensive side of the ball and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins, and inside linebackers coach Dont’a Hightower, as well as the retention of cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino and safeties coach Brian Belichick., on the defensive side, but below is the update on the rest of next season’s staff.
We were aware that former Rams assistant special teams coach Jeremy Springer had been going through an interview process, interviewing twice for the special teams coordinator position, but now we know that he will be heading special teams going forward in New England, replacing Cameron Achord in that role. He will be backed up by new special teams assistant coach Tom Quinn and special teams assistant and quality control coach Coby Tippett, after former assistant Joe Houston departed for the University of Florida. Quinn, a former long-time coordinator for the Giants, more recently spent last year on the Titans’ staff. Tippett was a coaching assistant in New England’s 2023 training camp and spent last season coaching cornerbacks at Tufts University.
On the defensive side of the ball, a few familiar faces stuck around and a few more were hired or promoted. The only new names here were defensive coaching assistants and quality control coaches Vinny DePalma and Jamael Lett. DePalma just finished his sixth year of playing linebacker for the Eagles at Boston College. He makes an extremely quick jump from playing in college to his first coaching position in the NFL. Lett most recently spent 2023 as a special teams analyst at the University of North Carolina. He has a litany of experience at other schools like South Alabama, Akron, Samford, Ohio, and Tennessee-Martin, but this will be his first NFL opportunity, as well. Last year, V’Angelo Bentley and Keith Jones held similar roles on the defense as fellows, but neither seems to have been retained.
Most of the new faces here are on the offensive staff. First, with former tight ends coach Will Lawing taking the offensive coordinator job at Boston College, former Saints senior offensive assistant Bob Bicknell will take his place. Bicknell’s extensive experience coaching the wide receiver, offensive line, and tight end positions sets him up well for his new role, though he hasn’t coached tight ends since 2011. Joining Bicknell in coaching receiving targets will be new wide receivers coach Tyler Hughes and assistant wide receivers coach Tiquan Underwood. Hughes returns to the Patriots after a year as an offensive quality control coach at the University of Washington. Before that, he had spent three years as an offensive assistant with New England. Underwood’s first NFL job came as an offensive quality control coach for the Dolphins back in 2019. Since then, he’s been coaching receivers at Rutgers and Pitt. The two replace the last two coaches for the position, Ross Douglas, who will coach the same position at Syracuse, and Troy Brown, who was not retained on the new staff.
Now, we did know that Robert Kugler would be joining the staff in some capacity about ten days ago, but now we have confirmation that he will come into the assistant offensive line coach position, the same one he held with the Panthers last year. This seems to indicate that last year’s assistant offensive line coach, Billy Yates, has not been retained after essentially taking over the position last year. Lastly on offense, the team will add Michael McCarthy to the staff as an offensive coaching assistant and quality control coach. McCarthy used to be an NFL assistant coach with the Browns and Lions but has spent the last five years as offensive line coach at Brown.
Finally, with Mayo’s younger brother, Deron Mayo, being promoted to the head of strength and conditioning, meaning that the former head, Moses Cabrera, will not be returning, the Patriots have hired Brian McDonough to fill his place as assistant strength and conditioning coach. McDonough has been a consultant for the team for over 20 years, but he’ll now accept his first full-time role with New England.
There you have it: the Patriots 2024 coaching staff. The last few years of regression following Tom Brady‘s departure are now the last chapters of a previous book. It will be up to Mayo and company to write the first chapter of a new one in the 2024 NFL season.
More must-reads:
- Former NFL third-round pick signs with UFL’s Birmingham Stallions
- Patriots releasing two veteran defensive players
- The 'Other QBs from Tom Brady's first start' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Jerry Jones is getting exactly what he wants with Micah Parsons drama
Do not let any of the noise and drama fool you. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is getting exactly what he wants with the Micah Parsons contract negotiation, even as it reached a boiling point on Friday with the star edge-rusher declaring a public trade demand. It's the perfect storm for Jones because all of this is doing the one thing that he loves more than anything in the world. It is keeping his team, his beloved Dallas Cowboys, as the top story in the NFL and the top headliner maker in the league. His team, his player and his story are the one thing that everybody is talking about. It's the top headline on every sports website. It's the top story on "SportsCenter" and ESPN. It's dominating the radio waves. It's put a spotlight on the Cowboys star and driven all of the NFL's discussions toward them. It doesn't matter if it's overly dramatic — or even bad press. It's still press. It's still focus on them. In Jones' world, the motto of "no press is bad press" is very much a way of life. He isn't worried about getting the best deal for the Cowboys or their salary-cap situation, and he might not even be concerned with putting the best possible team on the field. He is simply concerned with the Cowboys being the league's biggest newsmaker. There is a reason all of these big-time contract negotiations play out this way for the Cowboys. Whether it was Zack Martin, Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant, Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb or Parsons, they have all played out the same way. The Cowboys dragged their feet, a holdout was either threatened or started, the bridges seemed to be burning between the player and team, the negotiations would dominate the news cycle and then eventually a new, more expensive deal would eventually emerge. That is almost certainly how this process is going to play out. Trade demands get made all the time in the NFL, and they do not guarantee a trade will get made. It is often a last-ditch negotiating tactic to speed things along. They usually work in that context. By the time the regular season rolls around, the Cowboys and Parsons will likely come to terms on a contract, and all of this will be forgotten. It will probably end up costing Jones and the organization more than it would have had they agreed to a deal sooner, but again, that wouldn't have given the Cowboys the headlines they want. It is almost as if Jones likes having to pay top dollar because then he can talk about how he negotiated and paid out the most expensive deal. It's about glitz and glamour as opposed to dollars and cents. All of this fits in with Jones' overall mindset and approach when it comes to running the Cowboys. He is the decision-maker. He is the football guy. He is the only owner who does weekly news conferences after every game as if he's the coach, and he is the only owner who does a weekly radio show discussing the X's and O's of the team. It's all about satisfying his own ego, and nothing satisfies his ego more than seeing his team and his name in the news. A drawn-out contract negotiation is the best way to do that when there are no games being played. In terms of on-field success, the Cowboys have mostly been an afterthought over the past 30 years. No Super Bowls, no NFC Championship Game appearances (the longest current drought in the NFC) and mostly mediocre finishes. Any other franchise with that sort of track record would be an afterthought in the NFL. But not the Cowboys. Not Jerry Jones. It is all by design. It's the only thing they want and care about.
'Most likely scenario' for Terry McLaurin revealed
A recent report indicated that teams potentially interested in acquiring Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin learned that the club is "not trading" him before the 2025 season begins. The 29-year-old, who is in the final year of his current contract, may have responded to this news by requesting a trade on Thursday. However, ESPN's Bill Barnwell shared Friday that he doesn't "think there's a strong chance McLaurin gets traded" before September. "There's been no suggestion from the Commanders' side that they're looking to deal him, even after his request," Barnwell wrote. "Trading him now would likely result in landing 2026 draft picks, which won't help the Commanders in a season in which they're hoping to compete. And there just aren't many teams with the cap space or cash budget at this point of the offseason to give him the sort of deal he appears to want." McLaurin allegedly does not want to accept less money than DK Metcalf, who received a five-year, $150M deal from the Pittsburgh Steelers in March. Whether or not McLaurin "deserves" such an extension is irrelevant as it pertains to his importance to Washington and the market for players at his position. McLaurin finished the 2024 campaign with team highs of 82 receptions and 1,096 receiving yards as quarterback Jayden Daniels guided Washington to the NFC Championship Game and earned Offensive Rookie of the Year Award honors. Additionally, McLaurin was second in the NFL with 13 touchdown catches. As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Washington sixth among the betting favorites at +1800 odds to win Super Bowl LX in February 2026. That shows why Barnwell and others are convinced that acquiring future draft assets for McLaurin makes little sense for the win-now Commanders. "The logical thing is for McLaurin to stay with the Commanders, for the two sides to come to terms on a new deal or some sort of raise, and for Daniels to have his best pass catcher on the field in Week 1," Barnwell concluded. "It's still the most likely scenario." On Thursday, Nicki Jhabvala and Dianna Russini of The Athletic noted that "several teams that called Washington about [McLaurin] before his trade request on Thursday were told the team will not trade him." Commanders general manager Adam Peters seems to understand he still has plenty of time to work something out with McLaurin before Washington opens the regular season against the New York Giants on Sept. 7.
Vikings training camp recap, Day 8: Theo Jackson, J.J. McCarthy's day
Vikings safety Theo Jackson has been ready for the opportunity that's now in front of him for a while. Poached off of the Titans' practice squad as a rookie in 2022 after Lewis Cine got hurt, Jackson has impressed behind the scenes over the last three years in Minnesota. He shined on the scout team and was deserving of playing time, but he was blocked by Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, and Josh Metellus at his position. Over just 222 total defensive snaps, Jackson managed to record a couple interceptions (one in each of the last two seasons). Most of his work came on special teams. But this year, before Camryn Bynum departed in free agency, the Vikings bet on Jackson by signing him to a two-year extension for low-end starter money. Like they did with Josh Metellus two years ago, they locked in a player who they think is about to become a big-time contributor on their defense. All Jackson has done this offseason is validate that decision. He's been one of the standouts of training camp, making plays just about every day. On Wednesday, he snagged an interception off of Sam Howell to end the practice. "I always called Jonathan Greenard 'The Closer,' but when (Jackson) made that play to end practice the other day, people were coming up to me saying that Theo actually already had that nickname," Kevin O'Connell said. On Friday, Jackson secured two more picks. First, he athletically contorted his body to catch a J.J. McCarthy pass that had deflected off of Jordan Addison's hands. Later, he read and jumped in front of a route to intercept Howell for the second straight practice. "When you're doing things the right way, the ball finds you," Jackson said afterwards. "Really since we acquired him, he's always kind of been an ascending player," O'Connell said earlier on Friday. "But at times, with how deep that safety room was and has been, just without opportunity. But when coaches have identified having Theo in the game in some of those three or four-safety grouping defenses over the past couple years, we've had some real positive things happen. Any time he's around the football, in the deep part of the field or getting a vision or a key to break on something underneath, he's gonna make the play." Jackson is set to step into a major defensive role in 2025. He'll be on the field alongside Smith and Metellus whenever Brian Flores has three safeties in the game. That may not be an every-snap look like it was the last couple seasons, but it'll be quite common. And for as much as the Vikings liked Bynum, they feel like Jackson's ball skills and tackling ability will help him step into that role without the defense missing a beat. The daily McCarthy update The theme of J.J. McCarthy's training camp has been ups and downs. There were more ups early on and more downs this week, particularly during Tuesday's practice. But even if there was still some inconsistency, Friday may have been McCarthy's best day since he put on a show last Saturday. The practice started out nicely for the Vikings' No. 1 quarterback. His first throw, in a drill with three receivers going against three defensive backs, was a dime to T.J. Hockenson that the veteran tight end couldn't pull in. McCarthy's next throw was a perfectly-placed deep ball to Thayer Thomas. Later in that period, he rifled a ball with zip to Hockenson for a completion. 11-on-11 action didn't start as smoothly for McCarthy, who threw a ball behind Jalen Nailor and then threw the deflected pick to Jackson (which seemed to largely be Addison's fault). But he then found Hockenson again and connected with Addison for a big gain down the right sideline against the first-team defense, which has largely dominated so far in camp. One thing we've seen from McCarthy is the ability to bounce back and shake off bad reps. He missed a couple throws in the next period, then connected with Addison for another chunk gain. In a red zone period, McCarthy made an impressive throw on the move to find Lucky Jackson in the back of the end zone. To end practice, the Vikings did a situational period where the offense trailed 27-21 and had 1:15 (and one timeout) to go down and score a touchdown. McCarthy did well in that setting. He scrambled on the first play and then dinked and dunked his way down the field with short completions, taking what was available. He very nearly won the drill for the offense when he delivered a beautiful throw for a would-be touchdown that Nailor was unable to bring in (though there was a defensive penalty on the play). It ended with a sack and a completion inbounds that ran out the clock, which may have been on the receiver for not getting out of bounds. All in all, it was a solid day that McCarthy will look to build on. Other notes The Vikings' backup quarterback situation is worth keeping an eye on. Sam Howell usually takes all of the reps with the second-team offense, but he's had an underwhelming camp, including an interception in each of the last four practices (five total in camp). After his pick by Jackson on Friday, Howell seemed to lose that role briefly. QB3 Brett Rypien got more reps with the second-team offense than we've seen in any previous practice. Howell was back out there with that group in the situation drill at the end of practice, and was unable to lead much of a drive. I wonder if we could see more and more opportunities for Rypien and/or rookie Max Brosmer — or if the Vikings' QB2 for the regular season isn't currently on the roster. One of the more eye-catching plays of the day came on a short pass from McCarthy to Jordan Mason in the red zone. It looked like an easy completion until Dallas Turner popped Mason and jarred the ball out for a PBU. Turner continues to show up every day and impress (as does Mason, to be fair). It's only been a little over a week, but third-round rookie Tai Felton is another player having an underwhelming camp. On Friday, he slipped on an end-around, couldn't come down with a pass from Howell in the red zone, and then had some weird ball tracking on a deep ball from Howell on the final play of the day. It was a 4th and 15 desperation heave, but it actually looked like Felton had a chance to make a play if he had kept running under it instead of spinning his body too early. Of course, there's still all kinds of time for the rookie to find his groove. More Vikings coverage
Milwaukee Brewers Trade Deadline Recap: Late Moves Add Substance to Overall Conservative Approach
The Milwaukee Brewers traded for Rays catcher Danny Jansen on July 28, released incumbent backup Eric Haase, and spent the rest of the deadline festivities sitting firmly on their hands – or so it seemed, until a few last-minute updates. MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reports that the team is acquiring outfielder Brandon Lockridge from San Diego in exchange for Nestor Cortes. The Brewers are also sending minor league infielder Jorge Quintana. Lockridge is hitting .216/.258/.261 in 88 at bats this year. Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Brewers are also getting reliever Jordan Montgomery and reliever Shelby Miller from Arizona. Montgomery has missed the whole year injured. Miller on the other hand has a 1.98 ERA in 36.1 innings with 40 strikeouts. Details are forthcoming on Milwaukee’s outgoing package. Curt Hogg of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Haase has cleared waivers and been optioned to Triple-A Nashville. Did the Brewers do enough to keep hold of the National League’s top spot? Milwaukee Brewers supplement, rivals take some bigger swings Miller will certainly help secure a bullpen long on depth but short on dominance. Montgomery won’t return until next season. Lockridge isn’t much if any better than a Triple-A depth piece like Daz Cameron. But hey, Milwaukee got Miller and moved Nestor Cortes after all. They didn’t do nothing. In exchange for Jansen, the Brewers sent Tampa minor league catcher Jadher Areinamo, then Quintana in the Lockridge deal. Fans will have to see who goes to Arizona. Right now, though, it seems they avoided giving up much from their second-ranked farm system, which inches closer to Seattle’s top-ranked group after the Mariners dealt three decent, if unremarkable prospects to Arizona for deadline prize Eugenio Suarez. While the Brewers finally stirred the pot, for the most part, they spent more time watching fellow NL contenders scoop up some help before the clock struck a figurative midnight. The Cubs acquired a starter in Michael Soroka, two relievers in Andrew Kittredge and Taylor Rogers, and Twins utility man Willi Castro. Hardly blockbuster moves but clearly they add immediate value to the roster. The Mets stocked up on late-inning arms (Gregory Soto, Ryan Helsey, and Tyler Rogers, Taylor’s twin). The Phillies, battling New York atop the NL East, splashed for Minnesota closer Jhoan Duran and outfielder Harrison Bader. Among the Padres’ acquisitions were Oakland’s Mason Miller, a gem in the closer market, and starter JP Sears. From Baltimore, they brought in outfielder Ramon Laureano, who’s having a career year, and first baseman Ryan O’Hearn, previously linked to the Brewers. How do Milwaukee’s adds measure up? While the Brewers have fewer holes than most teams as well as MLB’s record, it’s hard to imagine that they didn’t lose a bit of ground. Will underwhelming deadline come back to bite them? While the Cubs are their most direct competition, the Brewers could end up battling the others for wild card position if Chicago captures the NL Central. After taking two of three from the Cubs this week, they hold a one-game division lead. Obviously, that they have been doing well with the guys they have is a massive understatement. For over two months now, Milwaukee has been the best team in baseball by record. They have overcome both pitching injuries and Rhys Hoskins’ absence at first base, where earlier trade pickup Andrew Vaughn continues to pulverize the pill. They didn’t need to do anything big, but it’s possible they did a smidge too little. Leading up to the deadline, Brewers owner Mark Attanasio suggested that the team was prepared for an atypically aggressive trade season. Surprise, surprise, that didn’t happen. The bullpen does have another weapon, though, and Jansen is an upgrade on the bench. As the dust settles, how the Brewers fare down the stretch and in the playoffs will do much to determine how fans look back at their deadline decisions, or lack thereof.
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