The Bill Belichick coaching tree is still one of the biggest in pro football. However, another underrated tree is growing in New England, and that stems from the quarterbacks that have backed up Tom Brady.
Brady, long one of the NFL's best, has had plenty of QBs play behind him in his career. Recently, a few of these former depth players have landed notable coaching jobs. Zac Robinson's hiring by the Rams marked the third former Pats QB draft pick that got a significant NFL promotion, as Pro Football Weekly's Eric Edholm points out.
Robinson was a former seventh-round pick by the Patriots in 2010. He didn't end up making the team, but he hung around the NFL as a practice-squad guy on the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, and Cincinnati Bengals for a few seasons.
Kevin O'Connell was a third-round pick by the Patriots in 2008. He spent just a single season on the team and had brief stints with four other NFL teams. O'Connell was promoted by the Washington Redskins and will serve as their offensive coordinator.
Kliff Kingsbury also spent a single season on the Patriots after being a sixth-round pick in 2003. He has been in coaching since 2008 and recently took over as the Arizona Cardinals' head coach.
It's unlikely all of this is just coincidence. The Patriots may have specifically been targeting QBs with bright offensive minds and good leadership skills. Or, the teams hiring these former players could have been intrigued by their experience in New England's successful system. Either way, it's interesting to see three former Patriots- and Brady-connected QBs get promoted to significant positions in one offseason.
New England Patriots
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