Alabama's Bill O'Brien is the "primary target" of the New England Patriots offensive coordinator search, according to Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston.
That New England would be interested in O'Brien and vice versa lands somewhere between breaking news and common sense. O'Brien is uniquely suited for the position given his ties to the organization -- he was with the team from 2007-11, rising from offensive assistant to offensive coordinator -- and to quarterback Mac Jones.
Jones and O'Brien never worked together in Tuscaloosa, but they share a common understanding of the "Alabama offense" that Jones used to become a first-round pick in the 2021 draft after piloting the Crimson Tide to the 2020 national championship. One would have to imagine a 4-top dinner between O'Brien, Jones, Bryce Young and Bryce Young's Heisman wouldn't struggle to find conversation topics.
Writes Curran:
The primary target is former Patriots OC, former Penn State and Texans head coach, former Alabama OC Bill O’Brien. There is unanimity on all sides that O’Brien’s the best person for the job and -- while there are other candidates with merit -- the familiarity ownership and Mac Jones have with O’Brien and O’Brien’s willingness to return mean it would be an upset if he doesn’t get the job.
Belichick handled his offensive coordinator job in an odd way in 2022, splitting duties between Matt Patricia and Joe Judge -- neither of whom had ever even approached NFL offensive coordinator duties in their respective careers -- and largely playing keep-away about who was responsible for what. The Patriots finished 17th in scoring and missed the playoffs.
Hiring O'Brien would represent a return to a traditional staff structure on offense heading into Jones's third season.
There is another angle to consider here as well. As with Pete Golding's departure for Ole Miss, a return to Foxboro could represent a rare win/win/win in the coaching world: a chance for O'Brien to run an NFL offense, a much-needed qualified candidate for New England, and an opportunity for new blood at Alabama.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.