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Patriots start offseason on the right foot, fire Dave DeGuglielmo

By Connor Fulton

Jan 16, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA;New England Patriots offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo talks to his players as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half in a AFC Divisional round playoff game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA;New England Patriots offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo talks to his players as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half in a AFC Divisional round playoff game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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Patriots start offseason on the right foot, fire offensive line coach

Jan 16, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA;New England Patriots offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo talks to his players as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half in a AFC Divisional round playoff game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA;New England Patriots offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo talks to his players as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half in a AFC Divisional round playoff game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

The New England Patriots have started the 2016 offseason by directly addressing the issue that plagued them in the AFC Championship Game: the offensive line. In response to Tom Brady suffering one of the biggest beatings of his career, the Patriots have fired offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo. Ian Rapoport was the first to break the news:

One could argue that DeGuglielmo wasn’t deserving of being fired, as he piloted the Patriots’ offensive line to Super Bowl XLIX glory in his first year as offensive line coach after the retirement of Dante Scarnecchia. Over the course of the 2015 regular season and the Divisional Round win over the Kansas City Chiefs, DeGuglielmo earned praise for mixing and matching an injury-riddled unit.

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However, the damage done against the Denver Broncos on Sunday was inexcusable in the eyes of the Patriots’ brass. Brady was hit so hard and so regularly that he visibly altered his play in anticipation of getting thwacked again by Von Miller or DeMarcus Ware.

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This news broke about 24 hours after the painful loss in the Mile High City, indicating that the Patriots are wasting no time in addressing the shortcomings of the failed 2015 season. Look for the Patriots to add at least one more offensive lineman in the 2016 NFL Draft, at least for depth purposes.

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As for DeGuglielmo, he ought to land on his feet somewhere in the NFL before too all long. He’s a solid assistant coach who chose the wrong week to have his worst career game. After all, Bill Belichick disciples are always in high demand.

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