The Patriots confirmed on Tuesday that they have interviewed Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton for the head coach vacancy in New England.
The fans’ reaction to the news was exactly as you’d expect: unsurprising and unflattering.
Many immediately assumed the Patriots interviewed the pair simply to fulfill their Rooney Rule obligation. While New England did, in fact, execute the requirement by meeting with two diverse external candidates, fans were not buying that the team was giving either candidate a true look.
Some fans thought Leftwich could be an intriguing choice to lead the Patriots next season
If the fans weren’t commenting on New England’s attempt to circumvent the process, they were begging the Patriots to hire either Mike Vrabel or Ben Johnson now.
The Patriots reportedly will interview Vrabel on Thursday and have requested an interview from Johnson. The Lions have given Johnson a small window to conduct interviews for vacancies before Detroit’s playoff push, and he is expected to meet with New England virtually during that time.
Vrabel has a history with the Patriots franchise, winning three Super Bowls as a player, and he has experience calling the shots as a head coach. However, Johnson has a ceiling that hasn’t even come close to closing as one of the most creative offensive minds in the game.
The Patriots would be lucky to land either Vrabel or Johnson, but several reports indicate New England has its sights set on Vrabel. Is Robert Kraft making the same mistake he made with Jerod Mayo by not taking the process seriously?
