Bedard: Patriots' 2019 season already off to good start - Scarnecchia says he'll be back

ATLANTA — The Patriots are already looking good for the 2019 season.

While much of the attention has been focused on the reportedly impending departures of Brian Flores and Chad O'Shea to the Dolphins — neither would entertain questions on the topic on Monday at Super Bowl Media Night — one important coaching staff question has already been addressed.

Offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia told BostonSportsJournal.com he will be back for his 34th season with the Patriots — the most in franchise history — and his 36th overall in the NFL.

"I do," Scarnecchia said when asked if he intends to be back. "I really like it. I like coaching. I like the meetings. I like coaching players. I like it. So, yeah, it's good. So I am coming back next year."

Scarnecchia, who will turn 71 on Feb. 15, said his relationship with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and the coaching staff was chief among his reasons for returning.

"Love Josh. I love every coach on this staff. I don't mean that flippantly. I mean, this is a great staff," Scarnecchia said. "It's a great group of guys to be around. There's no egos. And whether you're on offense or defense, it's just an easy bunch of guys to work with. And Josh in particular, because we are so close. I like working with Josh. He's easy. You know what he wants and you give it to him, and he's very, very happy about that."

Obviously, this is a huge development for the Patriots. Not only is Scarnecchia regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in league history, New England doesn't have a ready replacement for him if he did retire again.

Scarnecchia stepped away from the game after the 2013 season and was replaced by Dave DeGuglielmo, who didn't have any experience with the system and was out of football in '12. While the Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2014, the offensive line crumbled in the '15 AFC Championship Game at Denver. The Patriots allowed five sacks, 12 quarterback hits and 39 total pressures on 64 dropbacks (60.9 percent rate) against the Broncos' defense, which was coordinated by now-Rams assistant Wade Phillips.

DeGuglielmo's contract was not renewed after the season, and Scarnecchia agreed to return.

Talk to anyone on the Patriots about Scarnecchia's influence — be it Bill Belichick, McDaniels, Tom Brady or his offensive linemen — and it can't be overstated.

"He is incredibly well-prepared and detailed in his preparation for the opponent and in terms of his preparation for the players that he’s responsible for coaching on a daily basis. He’s extremely thorough," said McDaniels last month. "He’s a great communicator and a great teacher of the fundamental aspects of the game of football. Any player would tell you that in order to be good in this league, you’re going to have to be good fundamentally and technically, and nobody’s a better teacher that I’ve worked with on that stuff than Dante. He’s a great part of our staff. He’s helpful in every way to all the assistant coaches that work with him and he’s a competitive guy that wants to do well in every area that he’s responsible for and does anything and everything he can to help us win.

"I can’t say enough about the type of person he is, the type of coach he is, what he’s meant to me and the other guys on our staff and me personally throughout my entire career because I was young when I came over here on the offensive side and I’ve learned more from Dante than I can possibly describe. He’s just a great teacher, great person, great, great football coach."

This has been a banner season for Scarencchia and his troops, especially of late. The Patriots' line finished fourth in the season rankings from ProFootballFocus.com. In the postseason, New England's line hasn't allowed Brady to be sacked, and he's been hit just twice. In the past two games, the Patriots have allowed just 13 total quarterback pressures in 95 snaps (13.7 percent pressure rate).

"I think they've really worked hard, I really like them," Scarnecchia said. "I've said it all along: I like the guys we have in our room. Every guy we have in our room. They're unselfish, they're good people, they've worked hard and they've tried to get better. That's all you can ask."

While the three interior players — Joe Thuney, David Andrews and Shaq Mason — will return next season, the fate of the tackles is to be determined. Trent Brown is set to become an unrestricted free agent — first-round pick Isaiah Wynn will be returning from Achilles surgery — and Marcus Cannon has a cap number of over $7.4 million and has dealt with a lot of injuries.

But no matter who does or doesn't return, the most important piece — Scarnecchia — will definitely be back.