Bill Belichick: Matt Patricia Has Been a 'Very Valuable Resource' for Patriots

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick praised the work of Matt Patricia after the former Detroit Lions head coach returned to the organization this offseason. 

Belichick said in an interview with Patriots color analyst Scott Zolak that Patricia has "been really a very valuable resource, confidant, somebody to talk to who's been through the same things that we've been through." He added that Patricia's experience both as an assistant and head coach "has been extremely valuable."

ESPN's Mike Reiss reported in March that Patricia's role "should continue to evolve" behind the scenes and that this offseason he helped to "finalize contracts (his name appears on some of them) with free agents and [get] involved in negotiations in certain spots as a salesman of sorts."

There's no sugarcoating how poorly the 46-year-old did during his spell with the Detroit Lions.

The team went 13-29-1 under his watch and owned one of the NFL's worst defenses in 2019 and 2020 despite Patricia specializing in defense before taking the job. Writing for Bleacher Report last November, Kalyn Kahler also examined how he was unsuccessfully attempting to bring the "Patriot Way" to the Lions.

Perhaps Patricia is better suited for a coordinator role in the NFL. History has shown that working alongside Belichick for a period of years isn't necessarily a surefire indicator as to whether somebody is fit to lead a team.

If he wants another shot to be a head coach, then returning to New England might be a way for Patricia to improve his stock.

Josh McDaniels didn't make it two full seasons as coach of the Denver Broncos before his ouster in 2010. After having once again assumed the role of offensive coordinator for the Patriots, McDaniels was on the verge of becoming the Indianapolis Colts head coach before abruptly backing out in 2018.

Depending on how Patricia's duties within the organization grow, it might not be too long before he's floated as a candidate for various coaching vacancies around the NFL.