Belichick Bye! It's Time to Start Over in New England
The New England Patriots have one win. It’s October 10, and the New England Patriots have one win. And that one was over the struggling New York Jets.
One and four. Currently in place to have the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Not only that, but head coach/general manager Bill Belichick is 71 years old with no quarterback of the future, a bad offensive line, and a defense that has failed to adapt to the modern NFL game of speed and playmakers.
The good news is that the Patriots are estimated to have around $80 million in cap space next year, but who wants to play for a cranky old man and a noodle-armed quarterback?
It’s time to break up the Patriots.
With a losing record all but in sight for a second-straight year—and for the third time in the last four years—we’re offering our services to the Kraft Family. What would it take to get the Patriots back to at least competing in the AFC East just five years after winning a Super Bowl?
It starts at the top.
The Head Coach
Belichick has been the de facto general manager, as well as head coach, since arriving in New England for the 2000 season. Belichick built those early Patriots with smart, veteran free agent signings and draft classes that focused on the trenches with Richard Seymour, Matt Light, Ty Warren, Dan Koppen and others joining the team in Belichick’s first three drafts.
He also drafted that Tom Brady kid in the 2000 sixth round.
But lately the Patriots’ drafts haven’t been good. And the head coach can no longer cover up poor general manager moves with an all-time great quarterback and tight end on offense.
To be fair, there have been selections of good players, but the Patriots are no longer building a competitive team. Christian Gonzalez and Keion White look like really good players at premium positions in their rookie seasons, but the depth chart is full of too many question marks that are the result of poor drafting. And that’s on Belichick.
Is he the greatest coach of all-time? Probably so, but it’s clear that since Brady left that Belichick needed him. And that’s okay. Bill Walsh needed Joe Montana. Chuck Noll needed Terry Bradshaw. Andy Reid needs Patrick Mahomes. And vice versa. But fixing the Patriots means a do-over at head coach, a legitimate general manager, and a retooling of the roster.
We’re doing that now.