 Bill O'Brien has left to become the offensive coordinator for Ohio State. O'Brien leaving after just one season in New England, in which the Patriots had arguably the worst offense in football. Tommy Curran saying last night on time for a tire Boston sports tonight, it was actually Bill O'Brien's decision to leave, and it was the Patriots' intention for O'Brien to return. For more, let's bring in our Patriots' insider, Phil Perry, Tarny Casey here with you as well on our Bella Early edition. Yeah, Phil, this is what I want to know. Is this like, yeah, you know, it was my choice to leave, like when you break up with someone like, no, it's mutual. I wanted to leave too. Or was this a knocking down of silos, which we heard Gerard Mayo talking about earlier this week. I think if you look at the timing, it's pretty indicative as to what probably happened here. Meaning, if you knew you were going to part ways with Bill O'Brien as soon as the season ended, because you did want to knock down some silos, quote unquote, wouldn't you have started the offensive coordinator search already? The way they've started the defensive coordinator search, they've had a handful of guys to talk to about that position. They've had a couple of guys to talk to about the special teams coordinator opening. And so wouldn't that have already started if you knew you're going to get rid of Bill O'Brien? What this looks like now, Tarny, is that this was a situation in which the door was open for Bill O'Brien to come back. It was a very difficult year for Bill O'Brien. He was looking to move on. I think the Patriots, obviously, they have the worst offense in the league. So this could be a situation where it works out best for both parties. But the fact that they haven't and that we haven't heard about, offensive coordinators coming into interview for this job, it seems to indicate they were waiting for Bill O'Brien to make a call and now they can move forward knowing that he's going elsewhere. Do you think, though, that they're at least prepared that they have a list of guys like pretty much ready to go knowing that maybe Bill O'Brien would say do what he did, which is for greener passions? Yeah, and look, when you're a head coach and candidate in this league, as Gerard Mayo has been several times previously, you go into those interviews with a roster that's three deep at just about every single position on your potential staff. And you have to be able to show that to ownership or GM or whoever you're reporting to and say, this is my top choice. This is where I would go next. If I can't get him, then I'm going after this guy. So they are prepared for this. And it wouldn't surprise me, Tarny, if you start to hear some names coming from that Shanahan McVeigh tree. Even if Gerard Mayo doesn't have a ton of overlap with some of these guys, some of them he does. But if he doesn't have a ton of overlap with some of them, I think he would be open to working with someone who's coming from that tree because it's been so successful and specifically successful with young quarterbacks. Yeah, so I really think this is like a blessing in disguise. I mean, no offense to Bill O'Brien, but I just felt like I'm glad that he left because I feel like otherwise this team was going to bring him back. And maybe they'd ask Steve Belichick back. And maybe you'd keep either macro and or Elliott will for some combination of both. And it would just sort of be the same, not the same thing, but kind of the same thing over again with just small tweaks. In my opinion, this sort of forces the craft's hands to start and Gerard Mayo's hands to really start moving forward and in a different direction, truthfully start a new era of football. Yeah, I think getting some new blood in here makes sense, right? Now, I'm a Bill O'Brien fan. And I think people often conflate Bill O'Brien and Josh McDaniels. Obviously, they work together. Obviously, Bill O'Brien coached Tom Brady and he ran that system. If you look at it this past year, what Bill O'Brien has done recently, both in the college game and in Houston, specifically when he's the head coach and he is running the overall show, those guys offenses are very different at this point in time. You got the full back and the running downhill with Josh McDaniels. Bill O'Brien likes shotgun. He likes to spread it out. He'll go empty backfield more than most in the NFL. So there's a lot that he does. The Deshaun Watson offense, for instance, much different from the Tom Brady offense. So they're not the same, but I get it if people want to move on, try something new, especially from that tree, again, that's had so much success in the modern NFL. Well, there's certainly no shortage of candidates to replace Bill O'Brien. Some former Patriots' assistants on the list, Josh McDaniels, Nick Kailey, Chateau Shea. Other candidates with Patriots' ties include Rams quarterbacks coach Zach Robinson and Shane Waldron, who has been a Seahawks offensive coordinator the last three seasons. Wouldn't wide receivers coach Wes Walker be fun? Bring him back. Other names with no Patriots' ties include Frank Reich and Kellen Moore. Those though are probably long shots. Phil, you asked Gerard Mayo on Wednesday about the process of finding a new offensive coordinator. Here's what he said. And once again, I'll go back to collaboration. Ownership 1,000%, they have a lot of resources and contacts across the league to help us with this. But we'll see how it shakes out. But that's the first person. Any higher, offense, defense, special teams, they can vet those guys. And look, I'm not going to bat 1,000 in year one. I'm sure someone will change in year two. But at the same time, I have to go with my gut. All right, Serum Battle joining us from 98.5 to Sports Hub. We would also like you guys to join this part of the conversation. Who do you want the Patriots to hire as their new offensive? Quarter of a ton of options down there, including other. You know, if there's somebody else, you have in mind. I'm going to have to get my reading glasses out for those. Ready? Go to NBCSportsFossin.com slash early edition. You also scan the QR code right there and cast your vote. Serum, who would you like to see the Patriots bring in as their new offensive coordinator? Well, it looks like the fans agree with me. I was leaning towards Zach Robinson, not because of his history being in New England, but because of the job. Well, the job, the part he, the role he played in developing the Pukinakua of Kyron Williams at will, the young guys on that Rams offense. And I think the biggest issue with this Patriots team last year and going forward is player development. I think they need somebody to develop the young talent they're bringing in. It's not just drafting the right guys to developing the quarterback. You're going to need to receive it down the line. It would be awesome for him to develop, help develop up and coming, receive it. They get in the second, third round. Or maybe first round depends on what you get. But I think player development is a key thing with them. And I think the job, you know, with that whole staff and LA did with Nukua, Kyron Williams and Atwell would be huge if they can replicate something like that here in New England. A lot of fans of that 2010 Patriots draft class, apparently Zach Robinson, seventh round pick of the Patriots out of Oklahoma State back in the day. And I'm with Serona and everything he said there, the guy that I might lean toward just because of the experience factor is Shane Waldron. Now a lot of experience working in the same offense, working hand in hand with Sean McVeigh. He came with McVeigh from Washington to LA, quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator now for the last three years. So he has play calling experience, which is something that Zach Robinson doesn't have just yet. And now maybe the element of the unknown is actually an attractive aspect of Zach Robinson's game, whereas Shane Waldron, you can go back over the last three years and say, yeah, two years ago with Geno Smith, it looked pretty good. And you actually helped earn him a lot of money, Shane. But what happened last year? It didn't look so good in 2023, or it didn't look as good in 2023. So there are questions with all these guys. But again, if you've connected yourself in some way to Sean McVeigh, not a bad guy to have connections with when it comes to trying to develop a young offense. Guys, everybody on that screen there has some votes serone, except for Chad O'Shea. Why do you think people do not want Chad O'Shea? They come back here. And is that someone they should avoid or are fans just being too harsh? One, fans being too harsh. Two fans not really knowing much about them. And I think people just want to see new faces. They want to see something different. And I think that's why you see a huge thing with Zach Robinson. You know, people know the name. He got ties with the Patriots, whatever. They see the Rams. They see the town. Same thing that caught my eye. But I think it's not really a popularity contest, but I think that's what it's getting to now. Whatever name you see trending the most is what people are flying to. But I think one thing I think people have to understand here is talent really dictates style, play calling and that type of stuff. If you draft the Jaden Daniels, it'd be great for you to get a quarterback to understand the read option type often, similar to what they're running in Baltimore. If you draft a Marvin Harrison Jr., you would probably look for a coordinator like Zach Robinson or somebody like that, who has been great with young receivers. So I think the talent or the direction of where they want to go as a team, their plan, their vision will determine what kind of coordinator they want and what kind of player to draft. Chateau Shea. I was going to mention them, by the way, and they got a couple of votes. And he's had more than that. You know, like Chateau Shea, along with Nick Kaley, along with Wes Welker. All three of those guys have experienced both of the Patriots' offense, as well as the Shanahan McVeigh-style scheme. Where has Chateau Shea been the last several years? He's been in Cleveland. Who's been the head coach in Cleveland? It's been Kevin Stefanski. Who was his mentor? It was Gary Kubiak, who worked very closely with Mike Shanahan, who obviously is the godfather of this whole thing. So he is very familiar with how that offense that is spread throughout the league, like wildfire, is run. And he has some background here in New England as well. So maybe if there's a relationship there, with Gerard Mayo. Same deal with Wes Welker and Nick Kaley. Nick Kaley, people view as a future offensive coordinator. He hasn't coached quarterbacks yet, but people view him in that light. He has a relationship with Gerard Mayo. Does that make him the best fit? Only one year with Shan McVeigh, but maybe that's enough to help implement that scheme here in New England if that's the direction you want to go. 16% of people want Josh McDaniels. To me, like listen, I know he did wonders that first year with Mac Jones. I know his family's here. I want nothing to do with it. I do not want to keep going backwards, Phil. Like to me, that is constantly going back to what you're comfortable with. And my fear is that because I know Gerard Mayo told you, you know, hey, you know, if it's not my area of expertise, I'm going to lean on the experts. I'm going to lean on the crafts. Like they love Josh McDaniels. Is this a real possibility that he could come back and we would go back for the third time to Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator? Well, you mentioned McDaniels familiarity with the area. You mentioned his familiarity and his relationship with the crafts. I think that that makes it a realistic option. But my guess is that he ends up with Bill Belichick. Wherever Bill Belichick goes, we know how close that relationship is. And if Belichick ends up in Atlanta, I would be very surprised if Josh McDaniels doesn't go down to Atlanta with him and run that offense with whoever is playing quarterback there. So I think it feels like now, Sarone, the time to move on and the time to shift and change offense, especially you bringing our young quarterback in here. Josh McDaniels offense, as productive as it's been in New England and as productive as it was with Mac Jones, I think for most young quarterbacks, it can be really difficult to run because it's complicated. That playbook is voluminous. There's a lot on the quarterback's shoulders. So this might not be something that you want to do if you feel like you're taking a quarterback with the third overall pick, who's coming from a very college-y, quote-unquote, college offense. Yeah, I mean, I'd stay away from him, too. I mean, I'd want him just for the story of the him and Mac Jones relationship and see how that goes with the new quarterback whoever they take. I think that'd be hilarious. But I think he's going to go with Bill. And I think one thing you have to, I just not going by anything, just my own personal feeling, if he came back to New England, I wonder how far down the line he'd be looking to replace Mayo if things went south. If we'd be looking over his shoulder the whole time with McDaniel sitting there, knowing he's have a good relationship with the Crafts. But I would stay away from him. I'd bring some fresh blood in here and go a different direction. And like you said, this is the perfect time for a complete overhaul of that offense. And I think it's absolutely needed.