Patriots coaches headline list of possible HC candidates around the NFL

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and defensive assistant Brian Flores are suddenly hot commodities on the NFL head coaching market.

According to a report compiled by Boston.com, there are a number of NFL teams interested in the services of either Patriots offensive mastermind Josh McDaniels or rising defensive star Brian Flores. Some teams are even interested in both of them.

Assistant coaches for playoff teams on bye are fair game: NFL rules allow them to be interviewed by interested clubs, so long as those conversations are all wrapped up before Wild Card Weekend finishes.

The Cincinnati Bengals requested a sit-down with McDaniels, while the Miami Dolphins and the Denver Broncos both did the same with Brian Flores. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have all been reportedly in contact with both Patriots coaches in some capacity, and have varied levels of interest in either one of them (or both).

McDaniels is of course well-versed in this coaching carousel. After having previously served as head coach of the Denver Broncos for a little less than two full seasons, McDaniels famously accepted the vacant HC job for the Indianapolis Colts last offseason, only to have a last-minute change of heart and return to New England and his old post of offensive coordinator.

While it might seem strange that an NFL team would be willing to trust McDaniels again, the fact remains he is one of the brightest minds in the game today. If he wants another shot at being a head coach somewhere, his talent alone is enough to probably grant him that opportunity.

Flores, on the other hand, will be making the interview rounds as a first-timer. Unofficially viewed as the team’s defensive coordinator (and tasked with filling in for the departed Matt Patricia), Flores has done a decent-enough job retooling the defense and molding them into one of the top ten groups in the NFL in terms of points allowed.

Either one of their departures would represent a significant loss to New England’s infrastructure this offseason.