The New England Patriots continue to add to their coaching staff, but several assistant positions remain vacant as of Wednesday morning.
Below that is the wide receiver spot, where the Patriots’ last wideout was Troy Brown.The Patriots added former WR Tyquan Underwood as an assistant receivers coach this offseason, but the top position remains unfilled. How that will play out remains to be seen, but the addition of an outsider doesn’t necessarily mean the end of Brown’s time with the organization.
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the 52-year-old “has the option to stay if he wants to.” However, it is still unclear what role he will play under new coach Jerrod Mayo. Brown, a three-time Super Bowl champion and Patriots Hall of Famer, returned to the organization in 2020 to coach the returners and running backs. The following year he moved to his previous position group at RB, a position he has held ever since.
New England’s wide receivers have been a major disappointment under Brown. Despite the success of Jacoby Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and, most recently, DeMario Douglas, the lack of consistent group production and player development has led to a Patriots offense that has struggled in back-to-back seasons now.Not all of the problems fall squarely on Brown’s shoulders, but his future looked uncertain before former coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots announced they were parting ways in January.
But his successor seems to still have a potential role for him.Brown’s position in the (former?) New England states is one of three major issues that remain unresolved. The Patriots have yet to hire a new coach and special teams assistant.