Mayo started his interviews with the phases he knows best and those with coordinator vacancies: defense and special teams. He has a clear vision of what he wants from his defense, having played in the system for eight years and coached it for the last five. However, none of his external candidates have any experience as an NFL coordinator or in the Patriots’ system. Internally, Covington is a strong favorite for defensive coordinator, having interviewed for the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator job last year and coming highly recommended by Belichick and Patriots’ staffers. If Covington is promoted, Hodges would make a strong fit as an assistant, given their overlap and Hodges’ work with a consistently strong linebacking corps in New Orleans. Mayo may have interviewed Hodges to pick his brain and pitch him on joining the staff as an assistant. Offensively, McDaniels is the odds-on favorite for offensive coordinator, with more NFL experience than the other candidates and a history of developing young quarterbacks. Mayo’s coaching network is small, and he may need to make a decision soon to re-write playbooks, tweak systems, and hire assistants. The failure to replace Scarnecchia has hurt the Patriots’ offense, and the team needs to find a new offensive line coach.
Callahan: What we know, might know and could see happening next in the Patriots’ coaching search
