Block your eyes “Cut the Belichick Cord” crowd. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that a Mike Vrabel, Josh McDaniels pairing is being floated around in NFL circles. 

Vrabel of course interviewed with the Patriots on Thursday in Boston and is widely considered the favorite to land the job. The Patriots are scheduled to interview Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson on Friday. Baring Johnson blowing them away, Vrabel could be named the head coach of the Patriots as early as this weekend.

If Vrabel is paired with McDaniels, that would whip the region into a frenzy. McDaniels of course won six Super Bowls as a Patriots assistant and offensive coordinator. For most of his tenure in New England, he had Tom Brady as his quarterback but he also did a great job with Matt Cassel in 2008 when Brady missed the season with a knee injury and Mac Jones as a rookie in 2021. 

Bringing back McDaniels would mean bringing back the Patriots offensive system they ran for 20 plus years under Bill Belichick. The “East Coast” offense as I called it worked and while you can credit Brady for much of the success of the offense, the game plan specific nature of the offense is another big reason why the system was so effective. If McDaniels can modernize it by incorporating more RPO and read elements, he will get more out of Drake Maye. 

Vrabel will bring a certain toughness to the Patriots. He wants to run the football and reestablish the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. If he has a trusted offensive coordinator, he can focus more on getting the defense back on track and building the roster with the front office. His style of play and his edge are a big reason why Robert Kraft wants him in New England.

It will be fascinating to watch this hiring process continue to play out. That being said, a Vrabel, McDaniels pairing might be too much for the Patriots to pass up.