Post by Rey Kahuka on Mar 25, 2020 13:43:09 GMT
Then again, he’s usually picking (first round at least) between 28 and 32. If he had a top 5 pick he’d probably get it right more often than not...
Can I take time out to remind people I don't think Belichick is a total hack? I only think the defense is consistently overrated (since 2005-06ish, anyway), as is his impact on winning as compared to Brady's presence. I still agree with Belichick's overall team building philosophy; don't put all your eggs in one basket, value player versatility over greatness at one particular aspect, don't overpay for one guy when a group of 'lesser' players can still do a passable job. (We're about to find out if that philosophy even works without an all time great QB, but I don't disagree with it in theory.) Don't overpay for past performance. I don't even disagree with his stance on Brady, I just wish he wasn't a dick about it. What happens if you give Brady a ton of money and he really has gone off the cliff? It's uncharted territory, and the league is moving toward mobile QBs. I respect walking away from a 43 year old QB, but the way it went down was a slap in the face to Brady.
Belichick also deserves credit for letting Brady loose on the league instead of trying to use him as a game manager. Once the Colts whined about being manhandled by the Patriots and the NFL changed the rules to help them, he saw where the league was going. He let the offense become the focal point of the team and Brady put up video game numbers for years. He's always willing to reevaluate what works toward winning; so was Brady, which is why they did so much of it.
Belichick had the balls to stick with Brady over Bledsoe. He drafted Gronk despite his injury history. He drafted Edelman, Hightower, Mayo, Mankins, McCourty, etc. He can find good players; the question is can he get them to buy in without Brady?
All that said, I don't love Trevor Lawrence. It seems like he makes a lot of bad reads but gets away with it because the talent around him is so great. I don't see Belichick making a wild trade for a #1 pick (and as much as I think he's overrated, I really don't expect us to be literally the worst team in the league next year), so I don't think it matters. I just want us to be competitive. You're not going to get two GOATs in a row, so I don't see titles anytime soon. Just be competitive. I don't want to go back to what we were in most of the 80s and early 90s (or you know, Belichick's first season + the first two weeks of 2001 with New England).