Nick Caserio
The director of player personnel has been the wide receivers coach once before, and I’m not sure many people remember that. To jog those memories, in 2007, yes, the record-setting year, Nick Caserio was coaching. It was another time of transition, similar to the one we’re seeing now. Eric Mangini had just left to become the New York Jets head coach, and he took Brian Daboll, then wide receivers coach, with him. Caserio stepped up and took a coaching role for the first time since 2002.
Obviously, no one is giving the credit to Caserio for the success of the 2007 New England Patriots. With Randy Moss and Wes Welker, the group probably wasn’t very difficult to coach. However, Caserio does deserve some credit for that. Whatever work he did must have helped, even if it was in the smallest way.
Caserio isn’t likely to step away from the player personnel department this time around, but he could pick up the extra responsibility. We have seen time and time again just how often coaches are doing more than their job may require them to. Heck, Bill Belichick was essentially the defensive coordinator last year.
Caserio could, again, bring another innovative mind to the position group. He has some experience coaching some of the best of all-time that he can bring to practice and meetings. And, it’s not like he’s not around. Every training camp we see him helping out on the field, throwing and catching passes to receivers. It’s familiar to him, and we just may see him make a return to the sidelines.
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