According to sources, Josh McDaniels has been hired as the new head football coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. McDaniels will join newly hired general manager Dave Ziegler who was formally the Patriots director of player personnel.

Speculation has been rampant all week that Raiders owner Mark Davis wanted to hire McDaniels. After spending the last two days in Las Vegas and meeting with team executives and Davis, the two sides agreed to a deal. McDaniels is finally going to get another shot.

It is great news for McDaniels but for the Patriots, his departure leaves a major void on the coaching staff. McDaniels has coordinated the Patriots offense for 14 of Bill Belichick’s 22 years as head coach. He was not just Belichick’s offensive coordinator, he was a close confidant as well.

Belichick typically wants people in coordinator roles that he has groomed and trusts. That is why when coordinators have left for head coaching jobs, he has elevated guys on the staff to replace them. It is easy to do because the offensive system is in place. You don’t have to change the system every time a new coordinator comes in. Continuity is important to Belichick.

It is why replacing McDaniels will be hard. It could also be good in many ways. The Patriots offensive system needs needs a conceptual reboot.

The Patriots need to get with the times if you will. The NFL is going in one of two directions offensively. You are either running the new age Shanahan West Coast offense which teams like the 49ers, Rams and Packers run or you are running a multiple spread offense which utilizes RPO’s.

Let’s face it, the Patriots offense has gone backwards in terms of creativity. A big part of it is not having Tom Brady at quarterback the last two years but even when Brady was here, the offense lacked a big play capability. And don’t tell me they made big plays using gadgets. If you are relying strictly on gadgets to make big plays, you’re in trouble.

If the Patriots want to contend again, they need to get with the times offensively. They need to add more speed at receiver and they need to play faster. Mac Jones can handle it. He put on a clinic two years ago at Alabama on playing with pace as a quarterback. He can do it again.

Regardless of who Belichick hires to replace McDaniels, they need to adjust their scheme. Belichick fancies himself as someone who stays ahead of league trends. Well, if that is the case, then he needs to look at where the league is going offensively and catch up.

He should hire someone who knows the system but someone who is willing to add to it conceptually and make it better. It won’t matter who Belichick hires if the Patriots are still living in 21 personnel again next season and running the ball 60% of the time. They’ll finish 9-8 or 10-7 and be a middle of the pack team again.

It is time to open things up Bill. Get with the times.