New England Patriots Bill Belichick praises Josh McDaniels

New Engalnd Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said he is happy in New England and isn’t thinking about head coaching positions or anything beyond a Super Bowl this season. I want to highlight some quotes I found from Belichick on CSNNE that praise McDaniels, just to keep things in perspective and serve as a reminder to the solid job McDaniels has done for the team this season.

First off, Belichick told insider extraordinaire Tom E. Curran, “I do think that the end of the season last year was important, was good, because it gave him an opportunity to interact and see and be involved with first-hand where we were with some of those guys, Some of them weren’t here when he was here before.”

That experience was definitely valuable for both McDaniels and the Patriots as a whole, and it allowed the transition into the offseason, training camp, and 2012 regular season to be seamless for the offense. That sort of leg-up is invaluable for a team, and the value of having McDaniels during the playoff run was a good help for both the present and future of the Pats. I like Bill O’Brien, but I’ve always valued McDaniels’s offensive expertise more than O’Brien. But there’s no doubting that O’Brien has the advantage when it comes to head coaching success.

Anyway, the most important quote was the praise Bill Belichick showered on his offensive coordinator, “Josh, he does a good job in all areas. Player evaluation, scheme, technique, playcalling. He’s done a good job. I’ve been really fortunate with Charlie (Weis), Josh, Billy O’Brien. We’ve had really good offensive coordinators here along with the rest of the offensive staff because they all work together on it. There’s a lot of things that they all contribute in addition to the coordinator. (Josh) has done a solid job for us, as all the assistants have.”

I get a little annoyed when I hear about the lack of success Patriots assistants have outside of New England, because the whole purpose of having assistants is to, well, assist in running that portion of the team. Those three guys (Weis, McDaniels, O’Brien) have been perfect in that role, and those three have had success in other stops as either offensive coordinators or, in O’Brien’s case, as a head coach.

Josh McDaniels may not be head coaching material even if Michael Lombardi reportedly thinks so (referencing the Cleveland Browns rumors), but he is a good offensive coordinator in this league and fits the Patriots perfectly. The continuity he has brought to the table has been crucial for this team, and I can put up with him being “too cute” sometimes given the good he brings to the table for the Pats.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.