5 Jerod Mayo replacements who can lead Patriots and Drake Maye into their next era

I hated it when it happened. The New England Patriots refused to interview anyone else once they decided it was time to move on from Bill Belichick. They foolishly promoted one of his greatest disciples from within in Jerod Mayo. So far, the Patriots have been mediocre at best. They play good defense, but this team is not built to win now or in the future under its current roster construction.

While I do not think it would be good karma to fire Mayo after only one year on the job, the Patriots cannot afford to waste their best asset in rookie quarterback Drake Maye. Where you land matters. The former North Carolina standout has had his moments as the Patriots' starter this season, but not enough to lead me to believe he is the second coming of Drew Bledsoe or something. I am intrigued...

In the event that Robert Kraft comes to his senses and hires an actual head coach to lead Maye, then we could see some light at the end of a very dark tunnel for the Patriots. Admittedly, this has not been a good franchise when Tom Brady does not play quarterback for them. They have had their moments outside of that, but they have been few and far between. How do they get back to their old standard?

Should the Patriots decide to move on from Mayo after only one season, here is where I would look.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson

This is not going to be a popular choice for anyone involved, but hear me out. The only reason to move on from Mayo after only one season is to hire someone who has had head-coaching experience before, preferably one who favors the offensive side of the ball. A defensive-minded head coach with no previous head-coaching experience is why the Patriots are going nowhere.

Should the Jacksonville Jaguars decide to move on from their head coach of the last three years, Doug Pederson, I would at the very least kick the tires on this retread candidate. Trying to make Duval Doug a thing like fetch was not one of the best ideas I have ever had. I will say that if he were to come to New England, he would put Maye in a better position to succeed than he is being coached today.

I think part of Pederson's problem in Jacksonville is that Trevor Lawrence may not be any bit good.

4. Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury

What if I told you Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is a better candidate to lead the Patriots than you would think? He may have fizzled out as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and his alma mater of Texas Tech previously, but he has gotten good, to great play out of his quarterbacks wherever he has been in his coaching career. Plus, he used to play here, too.

Kingsbury's quarterbacking track record speaks for itself. He has worked with the likes of Case Keenum, Patrick Mahomes, Johnny Manziel and Caleb Williams collegiately, as well as with the likes of Kyler Murray and Jayden Daniels professionally. Kingsbury may have a limited ceiling as a head coach, but I still think he would be an upgrade over Mayo if he was tasked with leading New England.

I venture to guess that Kingsbury has one more shot at being an NFL head coach in his career.

3. Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken

Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken may not have NFL head-coaching experience, but he did briefly lead the Southern Miss Golden Eagles back in the day. It may not be enough to merit moving off a once-coveted, in-house candidate like Mayo, but I could understand the logic behind it. Dirk Koetter got to lead an NFL team years after leading a college one. I feel Monken is an upgrade.

The Ravens have entrusted Monken to get the most out of Lamar Jackson's generational talent. One thing that Monken has going for him that most other potential head-coaching candidates in this cycle do not is his recent connection to the college game. While he was at Georgia winning national championships, he was recruiting many of these top prospects to come play Between the Hedges.

Monken should get an NFL team to lead next season, but the right job would have to open up first.

2. Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski

While the Cleveland Browns got a hard-fought third win of the season on Thursday Night Football over the hated Pittsburgh Steelers, I remain skeptical that Kevin Stefanski will be retained by the team after this season. It would be so beyond stupid for the Browns to fire him, but they certainly have it in them to do something so moronic. If Stefanski is fired, he would be hired immediately by an NFL team.

My thought is Stefanski would be the ideal coach and teacher to a young quarterback in Drake Maye. Given that the Patriots front office stems largely from the one in place in Cleveland, and we may have more common ground than we thought. The Patriots do not have the Browns' roster, but they have the advantage on two counts ... where it counts. That would be with ownership and at quarterback.

Unless the Cincinnati Bengals job opens up, Stefanski should take this one if he is out in Cleveland.

1. Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel

Without question, the best head-coaching candidate out there to be had on the market had New England ties in former Tennessee Titans head coach and current Cleveland Browns staffer Mike Vrabel. His best days as an NFL player were in New England. Vrabel is the perfect candidate to replace Jerod Mayo because he understands The Patriot Way without being totally blinded by it.

See, Vrabel never coached under Belichick. He has worked at places like his alma mater of Ohio State, the Houston Texans and in Nashville before seemingly pitstopping in Cleveland. Vrabel is an adept defensive-mind, one that is a great in-game tactician. While he favors the other side of the ball from Maye, Vrabel has a keen eye for coaching talent and would give him the support that he needs.

If the New York Giants job opened up as well, I would be hard-pressed passing on New England here.