Ben Johnson could force Patriots to make difficult decision with interview update

The moment the New England Patriots announced the firing of Jerod Mayo, it seemed as if it was only a matter of time before the team brought Mike Vrabel back into the fold. After all, why else kick a coach to the curb after just one season, let alone one who's called New England home for the better part of two decades? Now, though, en Johnson's entrance into the mix could throw a serious wrench into what seemed like a slam-dunk coaching search.

Vrabel is scheduled to meet with team officials in person on Thursday, while Johnson's interview will occur virtually on Friday. Johnson is still in the midst of trying to power his Detroit Lions offense to a Super Bowl run. Vrabel, in sharp contrast, is now unemployed and unfettered when it comes to the interview process.

Vrabel won three Super Bowls with the Patriots as a player, which makes him an attractive candidate to the franchise's higher-ups. That does not necessarily make him the perfect fit to be the team's next head coach. New England's biggest priority should be finding someone who can get the most out of young quarterback Drake Maye — which is where Johnson comes into play

Patriots have tough choice to make between Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson

Johnson is widely regarded to be one of the most innovative offensive minds in the NFL. He's helped Jared Goff go from a high-profile draft flop to a potential Super Bowl-winning quarterback. And Maye might have even more talent; it's tantalizing to consider what sort of playbook Johnson could build around the Patriots' young signal-caller.

Hiring Vrabel would give the Patriots another defensive head coach. He would need to hire a talented offensive coordinator to manage the other side of the ball. Vrabel has a good track record of being able to hire that kind of talent, but it's always a risk to give so much responsibility to a coordinator.

Johnson would need do to the same on the defensive side of the ball. That's risky as well, but Maye is the team's most valuable asset and he happens to be an offensive player. That's why the Patriots need to consider the Lions' offensive coordinator before taking the "safe" route with Vrabel. And it looks like they'll need to make that decision sooner rather than later, as Vrabel likely won't wait around for a decision anda Johnson won't be fully available until possibly February.