The Patriots Staff Is Complete Or Is It?

The Patriots have their coaching staff and I think they're two assistants short. There are a few hold overs from the 2023 staff but for the most part it's an all new staff. 

On offense they have Offensive Coordinator Alex Van Pelt. His staff consists of the following:

Quarterbacks Coach: T.C. McCartney, Running Backs Coach: Tayler Embree, Wide Receivers Coach: Tyler Hughes, Tight Ends Coach: Bob Bicknell, Offensive Line Coach: Scott Peters, Senior Offensive Assistant: Ben McAdoo, Assistant Wide Receivers Coach: Tiquan Underwood, Assistant Offensive Line Coach: Robert Kugler, Offensive Coaching Assistant./ Quality Control: Michael McCarthy.

On offense I think the Patriots still need an assistant that can help develop the running backs and tight ends. Troy Brown is currently without a title. Making him the assistant running back coach and return game coach could help fill needed roles. McCarthy has experience with lineman and what are traditional tight ends but an extra tackle, so he could be Bicknell's understudy.

On defense they have Defensive Coordinator: DeMarcus Covington. His staff consists of:

Defensive Line Coach: Jerry Montgomery, Inside Linebackers Coach: Dont’a Hightower, Outside Linebackers Coach: Drew Wilkins, Cornerbacks Coach: Mike Pellegrino, Safeties Coach: Brian Belichick, Defensive Coaching Assistant / Quality Control: Vinny DePalma, Defensive Coaching Assistant / Quality Control: Jamael Lett.

Again, I think they need one assistant on defense maybe two. Realistically on defense there's the interior line, the edge, inside linebackers, corners and Safeties. They can merge one of the assistants as a DB coach, and they can merge one as a line or linebacker coach but they need to bring in a guy to do the other. I get Troy Brown is without title but they don't want him in defense.

The Special Teams Coordinator is: Jeremy Springer, who currently has the following staff.

Special Teams Assistant Coach: Tom Quinn, Special Teams Coaching Assistant / Quality Control: Coby Tippett.

When I think of special teams I think of the returners, the gunners/Defensive side of the return game, and the kicking/punting game. Maybe including the Coordinator, they have all three spots covered but Springer should be overseeing all three aspects. So they should have one more assistant here. Having Troy Brown who was has experience be a special teams assistant would make sense. Otherwise, They should bring in one more assistant. Maybe freshly retired Matthew Slater.

The team does have two strength and conditioning coaches. Those guys need to focus on the entire team and should not double as an assistant coach for either side of the ball.

Now I get not wanting to have people around with Nothing to do but I also get the staff size is to avoid the brain drain that has hurt the Patriots since Flores left. If the goal is to avoid a brain drain, they need two more assistants. 

James Devlin, Kevin Faulk, Brian Hoyer, Matthew Slater, and Vince Wilfork are the five guys that I think the team should be looking at for the staff as assistants as far as former Patriots go. Yes four of them are former offensive guys but the few defenders I would bring in are on TV and I don't see them coming back to coach. Maybe one of the McCourtys but that's a long shot.