Patriots reportedly set to name Greg Schiano as DC - what does this mean for New England?

Well, that didn't take long.

The Patriots are reportedly ready to name Greg Schiano as their new defensive coordinator, replacing Brian Flores. What does it all mean, and what's next for New England?



Schiano has been an acquaintance of head coach Bill Belichick for a number of years, going back to his time as a head coach at Rutgers from 2001 through 2011 -- that was during a stretch where Belichick tapped into the Piscataway-to-Foxborough pipeline that produced Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, Logan Ryan and others in the draft, and also laid the foundation for the arrival of players like Jason McCourty and Kenny Britt. So you're talking about a guy in Schiano -- who spent the last three seasons as assistant head coach/defensive coordinator for Ohio State -- who is well-versed in the New England system, as well as someone who has a previous working relationship with a handful of defensive players currently on the roster.

There are exceptions to the rule -- like Dom Capers (who spent 2008 as the secondary coach) and Dean Pees (who was on the New England staff from 2004 through 2009 in different capacities) -- but the truth of the matter is it's notable whenever Belichick brings a veteran coach in from the outside to join his staff. And even with his background with Belichick, this time is no exception. Our pick to land the DC job would have been defensive line coach Brendan Daly, a guy who is backed by his players. (So much so that some told me before the Super Bowl they were hoping he'd land the DC job.) There were also rumors Bret Bielema was possibly in the mix. But at least on the surface, Schiano has the resume and background to suggest he'd be a fit with Belichick.

Two things worth noting, at least in the short term:

One, I wouldn't expect to see wholesale philosophical changes in the way the Patriots play defense with Schiano as DC. It's not like he's going to push for them to alter their approach. And given his likely loyalty to Belichick for helping resuscitate his career in the NFL (which was pretty much in tatters after he flamed out as a head coach in Tampa -- two seasons and an 11-21 record, not to mention the fact he ticked off some other coaches with some of his decisions), I'd expect Schiano to not offer much resistance when it comes to any sort of defensive mandate laid down by the head coach. Broad-brushing it? The goal will be to try and remain as versatile, adaptable and flexible as possible, a game-to-game defense capable of matching up against different offenses. It's what has worked this past season, and what should be the focus going forward.

And two, I wonder if this is going to impact the thinking of the McCourty Brothers when it comes to their plans for 2019. Devin speculated about retirement in the days leading to the Super Bowl, and even though Robert Kraft semi-jokingly told them they couldn't retire in the locker room after the game, the addition of Schiano could ultimately impact their thinking. It's not like it will ultimately tip the scales in one direction or another, but any time you change coordinators, it has a chance to affect the thought process of players who are thinking about retirement or headed toward free agency: Do I want to play for this guy? In the case of the McCourty's it'll be: Do I want to play for this guy ... again?

Ultimately, it remains to be seen if this is just a stop on the Schiano Rehabilitation Tour -- Belichick doing a solid for a friend looking for another head coaching gig while he preps someone like Daly for the DC job down the road-- or if Schiano has a chance to put down roots in New England. Either way, I wouldn't expect a massive change in approach when it comes to the Patriots and the way they play defense.