In a season review edition of Sunday 7, Jon Lyons pinch hits for Nick “Fitzy” Stevens.

1. Mike Vrabel is the next head coach of the New England Patriots. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Patriots and former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel have agreed to terms on a multi-year agreement to be their 16th head coach in franchise history.

Homecoming: Mike Vrabel and the Patriots reached a multi-year agreement to make him New England’s next head coach, per sources.

Vrabel now is the seventh individual to become the head coach for a franchise he once helped win a Super Bowl as a player, joining Jerod Mayo, Bart… pic.twitter.com/LR3cpdHNQf

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 12, 2025

This is a breaking news story. Stay locked in to WEEI and WEEI.com for all the latest.

2. Lack of development hurt Mayo more than media missteps. There was a near-weekly tradition of Jerod Mayo walking back a comment he made over the weekend on The Greg Hill Show and, while his consistent public missteps were a sign of someone in over their head and a bad look for the organization, the lack of development from most of the roster is the biggest reason he is no longer the Patriots head coach. A report from Chad Graff of The Athletic this week outlined the combination of Mayo’s failures and the bad situation he was thrust into. He joined the WEEI Night Show to discuss the report on Wednesday night. Graff also reported that the front office believes that their 2024 draft class will end up looking strong with proper player development.

Robert Kraft called the team’s Week 1 victory over Cincinnati the highlight of the season, and specifically mentioned regression in the second half of the season as a reason for Mayo’s firing. From my view, only three players improved as the season wore on: Drake Maye, Marte Mapu and Joe Milton. The Patriots’ roster is the biggest reason that they have failed the past two seasons, but it is the coaching staff’s responsibility to get the most out of what they have and develop the players in front of them. This did not happen.

Rookie wide receivers Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker were particular disappointments and Eliot Wolf even pointed to Polk specifically as a player that he thought would be a “plug and play.” Couple that with the Patriots losing seven games by multiple possessions and losing games to some of the worst teams in the NFL (Titans, Jets, Jaguars) and it’s a recipe for a coach to lose his job. Simply put, the Patriots got worse as the season wore on both in statistical terms (see chart below) and in the eye test. Mayo could’ve made all the same mistakes with the media, but if the team was more competitive and player development improved he would still be the head coach.

3. Was Mayo set up to fail? As the dust settles on the brief Jerod Mayo era, it is telling that Robert Kraft made a point to say he put Mayo in an “untenable” position. Being a first-time head coach is difficult anywhere and Mayo’s own failings are outlined above, but he was given every disadvantage heading into the season. A rookie quarterback who wasn’t ready to start Week 1, the worst offensive line in the NFL and a wide receiver group among the worst. Injuries to Christian Barmore and Ja’Whaun Bentley also left a void in a previously good defense. Add in the pressure of following Bill Belichick and one could see how the deck was stacked against Mayo. It still doesn’t excuse him from playing the cards as poorly as he did, but he wasn’t holding four aces.

4- Statistical comparison to 2023

Photo credit WEEI

***Note: Offensive yards per game had a better raw number but a worse ranking in 2024 so it was left in black. Similar for defensive pass yards per game.

5. Potential OCs – The biggest question a new head coach will have to answer is who will run the Patriots’ offense in 2025. The Patriots are officially in the trap of being a bad organization when it comes to their offense; 2025 will mark the fifth different offensive coordinator in five seasons. They desperately need a strong offensive coordinator and someone that will stay for more than one season. Some candidates worth considering:

Josh McDaniels- McDaniels has struggled as a head coach, but he has established himself as an elite offensive coordinator and is one of the few people besides Brady and Belichick to have six Super Bowl rings. Beyond his work with Brady, McDaniels had a top-10 points per game offense with Matt Cassel and Mac Jones. Jones played by far his best football as a rookie under McDaniels, which would bode well for McDaniels working with Drake Maye.

McDaniels has also been able to adapt his scheme to a variety of situations, play styles, and quarterbacks and has lengthy experience coaching quarterbacks.

Alex Van Pelt- There was plenty to criticize with Van Pelt this season, but of all the Patriots’ assistant coaches he did the best job. Drake Maye and Joe Milton’s development is largely a credit to him and keeping Van Pelt would prevent New England from having their fifth different offensive coordinator since 2021.

Nick Caley- Caley is currently the tight ends coach and pass game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. Prior to joining the Rams, Caley spent six seasons coaching with the Patriots and won two Super Bowls. Caley was reportedly a strong candidate to be the Patriots offensive coordinator in 2024, but turned down the opportunity. Caley could bring a strong mix of old and successful Patriots concepts while blending them with what Sean McVay and the Rams do well.

Lane Kiffin- This is more of a wild card, but Kiffin would be a fun hire for the Patriots. He routinely boasts some of the best offenses in college football and can develop highly talented skill position players. He also helped develop Jaxson Dart into one of the best quarterbacks in college football. Kiffin may be too entrenched at Ole Miss, but he tends to not stay in any one place too long, and the Rebels did disappointingly miss the College Football Playoff this season. Kiffin could blend many of his successful college concepts with what Drake Maye does well at the NFL level. Also, Kiffin himself would bring levity to what would likely be a tense situation in Foxborough following back-to-back 4-13 seasons.

6. Early draft thought – The Patriots currently have nine picks in the 2025 NFL Draft with the highlight being the fourth overall pick in the first round. There is much to be sorted out before the draft, from the new head coach having his say on the front office to free agency to trades. That being said, the draft will be the biggest storyline in Patriots Nation between now and May. The Patriots’ priority should be on trading down, but staying inside top 10. This would allow the Patriots to add additional draft capital, perhaps an additional pick or two depending on who they trade with, while still drafting a high-impact player. Although Abdul Carter, a potential elite defensive end from Penn State, would be tempting at four, offensive tackle should be the Patriots’ focus in the first round unless they solidify that position prior to the draft.

7. Belichick to the Raiders? Seriously? Yes, it is actually possible. A report from Tom Pelissero on Wednesday stated that Raiders minority owner Tom Brady reached out to his former coach about leaving North Carolina to take over the Raiders. The Athletic’s Diana Russini threw cold water on that report not long after. I could write 1,000 words on just this. Brady and Bill. Jakobi Meyers. Returning a storied franchise to glory. But for now, I will just stay this: stay tuned and get your popcorn ready.

Multiple NFL teams have inquired about whether legendary coach Bill Belichick would reconsider his move to college football – including the Raiders, whose new minority owner Tom Brady spoke recently with his old coach, per league sources. https://t.co/MoyG87epRv

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 8, 2025