The Patriots brought back Matt Patricia to work as a coaching assistant after the Lions let him go.
A former member of Patricia’s staff in Detroit has apparently followed him to New England.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports Billy Yates has been working with the Patriots’ staff in recent weeks and will likely stay on for the 2021 season. Yates was the Lions’ assistant offensive line coach in 2020 after spending 2018 and 2019 on the staff in the William Clay Ford minority coaching assistantship, helping out on defense.
It’s unclear as of yet what Yates’ role will be for New England.
A former pro offensive lineman, Yates appeared in 22 games for the Patriots from 2004-2008, starting 11. In all, Yates played 41 games with 14 starts for Miami, New England, and Cleveland from 2003-2010.