Concerns about Patriots star fitting Alex Van Pelt's offense might be valid

Since Josh McDaniels left the Patriots after the 2021 season to become the Raiders' next head coach, the team has struggled to find a proper replacement for the offensive coordinator position. It was immediately apparent that Bill Belichick didn't have a solid plan for McDaniels' inevitable departure, so he put Matt Patricia in the role despite his lack of experience working with the offense.

That was a known disaster before the regular season began, and throughout the 2022 season, it was abundantly clear that the preconceived concerns were justified and proven correct.

The following season saw Belichick seemingly take the position more seriously. He conducted several interviews for the role and eventually re-hired Bill O'Brien, which seemed like a great decision at the time. He had a previously successful run as the OC with the Patriots, so there were expectations that would continue.

Unfortunately, it didn't, and the Patriots were forced to find another replacement this offseason. Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf ultimately went with Alex Van Pelt, receiving a mixed reaction from those in New England.

But based on his success with Jacoby Brissett and the run game, both of which are expected to be the focus of the Patriots offense, it seemed like a great match.

However, concerns have emerged regarding one rising start of the offense and how Van Pelt's play calling might not suit him, which is not ideal for a player expected to become a leading part of the offense.

Concerns about DeMario Douglas' fit within Alex Van Pelt's offense might be valid

In a piece published last week, Chad Graff of The Athletic analyzed what he believes are valid concerns surrounding Douglas' future under Van Pelt. He states that because Van Pelt has historically utilized " more downfield passing and jumbo packages” that Douglas won't have a chance to build upon his impressive rookie season.

Since he was a breakout star of the 2023 season, becoming the most reliable option for Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, which then made him lead the team in receiving yards, it would be a significant blow to the developing offense not to have him adequately integrated into the new scheme.

"Van Pelt’s offense doesn’t utilize three-wide-receiver sets as much as other teams, meaning the Patriots are likely to often have just two receivers on the field. It’s still unclear if coaches think Douglas is good enough to be one of those two receivers (as something more than a pure slot option)."

Slot receivers have been historically loved in New England under Bill Belichick, likely explaining why Douglas was drafted by the head coach in his final year with the team. He's a smaller player at just 5'8" and 192 pounds, but he proved to be a tough and dependable option last year despite the unfavorable circumstances.

Graff believes that certainly counts but says, “For most teams, the slot receiver is a de facto starter because most teams base things out of 11 personnel with three receivers on the field. But Van Pelt has hinted that’s not what the Patriots are going to do.”

If that's accurate, there's not much for Douglas to do, as he can't change his size or dramatically alter his skillset.

The concern regarding a potential lack of fit for the receiver appears to be valid, and imagining a young Patriots offense without taking advantage of the type of player Douglas is might be just as problematic. He was far too good as a rookie just to throw him to the bench for most plays, so hopefully, Van Pelt will recognize what he has with Douglas and rework the offense enough to include him in more plays.

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