Courtesy of the Cleveland Browns

The Patriots are hiring Ashton Grant as the team’s new quarterbacks coach. For the second time in two years, New England is raiding the Cleveland Browns coaching staff for an offensive assistant. Last off season the Patriots hired Alex Van Pelt, T.C McCartney, Scott Peters and Robert Kugler off the Browns staff.

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel worked with Grant in Cleveland last season so he is very familiar with him as a coach. 

The Manchester, Connecticut native has spent the past five seasons on the Browns staff in various roles on the offensive side of the ball. Most recently he served as offensive assistant/quarterbacks. Grant also interviewed with the Green Bay Packers. 

Grant played his college football at Assumption College where he is the school’s all time leading receiver. He played for Bob Chesney who recruited Grant to Assumption and then hired him on his staff at Holy Cross. Grant coached with the Crusaders in 2019 before landing with the Browns as part of the Bill Walsh Coaching Fellowship. 

Grant’s hiring is a surprise considering the fact that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has a history developing quarterbacks. Clearly Grant made an impression on Vrabel last season and he is getting an opportunity to coach with the Patriots.

Grant will be charged with helping Drake Maye take the next step in his development. Maye showed meaningful progress under Van Pelt and McCartney and the expectation is the growth continues under McDaniels and now Grant.