Capers and Seely next to go?

Belichick may be facing significant staff overhaul

Josh McDaniels isn't the only coach leaving the Patriots behind. Both special teams coach Brad Seely and special assistant/secondary coach Dom Capers aren't expected to return to the team in 2009, according to an NFL source.

Seely, 52, has directed the special teams for the last 10 seasons, one of the few holdovers from Pete Carroll's staff. Patriots coach Bill Belichick has annually lauded him as one of the best special teams coaches with whom he's worked.

Meanwhile, Capers will end up spending just one season with the club. Denver-area newspaper reports indicated that Capers, a 23-year NFL veteran, was a candidate to join McDaniels's staff in Denver. McDaniels said yesterday in his introductory press conference that he hadn't spoken with Capers, although that doesn't mean the two couldn't meet up again in the Mile High City.

The same presumably would be true for Seely and McDaniels.

The Seattle Seahawks previously had expressed interest in Seely.

The defections are significant, as Belichick will have to revamp some key areas of his staff.

The Patriots place a heavy emphasis on special teams, whether it's devoting extra practice time to the kicking game, or having top players playing on those units. Under Seely, who just concluded his 20th NFL season, the Patriots had the league's third-ranked kickoff-return unit in 2008. They started, on average, at the 30.5-yard line.

On an individual basis, one of Seely's top accomplishments in New England was helping develop kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who joined the team in a difficult situation, stepping in for the iconic Adam Vinatieri. In just his third season, Gostkowski was named an All-Pro this year.

Part of what made Seely so valuable was his ability to piece together successful special teams units even when the Patriots were struck by a string of injuries.

As for Capers, his hiring was considered a coup when he joined the club in February 2008. Belichick pointed out that it is not often an opportunity arises to hire a two-time NFL head coach. Capers's background with different variations of the 3-4 defense - which the Patriots run - also was considered a positive.

Unlike with Seely, it was a bit more difficult to gauge Capers's impact. The Patriots' secondary struggled for stretches of the 2008 season, although part of that might have been more personnel-based.

Capers is a two-time Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers Association Assistant Coach of the Year.

Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com.