In a somewhat surprising move, the Patriots re-hired ex-Giants head coach and former New England assistant Joe Judge to return to its staff as an “offensive assistant” rather than a familiar role with the special teams.
Though it’s unclear yet what his role will be with the team, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport suggested Thursday the Patriots might opt to have Judge, as well as few other offensive assistants, call plays and share game-planning responsibilities instead of hiring a traditional offensive coordinator.
In his Thursday interview with WEEI’s “Gresh and Keefe,” Rapoport also seemed to indicate the door is closed on a return for current Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to Foxborough.