The New England Patriots could lose not only veteran quarterback Tom Brady in the coming offseason but also two key members of the organization. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reported that Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels could pursue other jobs outside of New England in the offseason. While the two are both hot commodities in the offseason, Volin said Caserio has the bigger possibility of leaving the Patriots for another job with his status as a free agent after this season. Last offseason, the Houston Texans tried to hire Caserio as their general manager, but the Patriots thwarted the attempt by filing tampering charges against the team.
While the Texans already declared that they won’t hire a general manager in 2020, Caserio could land with the New York Giants or Carolina Panthers.
McDaniels’ stock wasn’t affected by Colts fiasco
In 2018, McDaniels almost left the Patriots for the head coaching job with the Indianapolis Colts. However, he eventually changed his mind and returned as the Patriots offensive coordinator. Volin said McDaniels’ decision to spurn the Colts did not affect his status as one of the brightest young coaches in the league and could be targeted by other teams in the offseason. McDaniels also had a head coaching stint with the Denver Broncos from 2009 to 2010 before he was fired with a record of 11-17. Volin also raised the possibility that McDaniels and Caserio could team up together in one team.
Special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach Joe Judge could also be interviewed for one or two head coaching jobs, but he could replace McDaniels in case the latter leaves the Patriots.
Belichick denies involvement in video controversy
Amid their two-game losing skid, the Patriots are facing another adversity due to the controversial video shoot of their production crew during the Cleveland Browns-Cincinnati Bengals game on Sunday.
The Patriots maintained that they informed the Brown about the shoot for their “Do Your Job” online documentary about the duty of their advance scout. However, the production crew was confronted by the Bengals after they were spotted filming from the press box. The NFL immediately confiscated the tape and commended investigation.
On Tuesday, Belichick denied any involvement in the controversy. In a conference call, Belichick said he was only made aware of the Bengals’ complained on Monday afternoon. "I mean, I had no idea what it was about," said Belichick, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com. The veteran head coach also reiterated his earlier statement that he has no dealings with the production side of the Patriots' operation, saying he’s focused on preparing the team for their Sunday’s clash with the Bengals. The Patriots need a win to clinch a spot in the postseason. The Patriots earlier claimed full responsibility for the incident, saying the footage will be used only for the documentary and not for any other purpose.
