Should New England Patriots Fire 'GM' Bill Belichick?
Now, more than any other year this century, the New England Patriots are at a crossroads. Four years following the departure of the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, the Patriots have made the playoffs just once, and judging by the 1-3 start to this season they don't seem particularly close to making it again.
So, where does the blame lie? Many are already placing it at the foot of coach Bill Belichick. Coming into the season, whispers of the 71-year-old being on the hot seat were starting to pick up, and following the worst loss of his 29-year coaching career that sentiment will ramp up.
While it is hard to deny that many of the Patriots' failures belong to Belichick, that doesn't mean his tenure as coach has to end. Rather, it may be time for the Patriots to fire Belichick, the general manager.
The legendary coach is still highly regarded as one of the game's greatest minds. And outside of last season, coaching hasn't seemed to be a problem. Even in the post-Brady era, the Patriots' defense continues to reap the rewards of Belichick's defensive mind. It has been the offense that has struggled after Brady, and the main culprit seems to be a lack of talent; in the majority of other NFL teams, the problem goes to the general manager, except for the Patriots, which goes to Belichick.
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Belichick was indeed the architect of those Super Bowl-winning Patriots teams. However, it can also be said that the same architect has failed to replicate his success. During the "dynasty," the Patriots consistently found key contributors through the NFL Draft; whether it was with their first-round pick or an undrafted free agent, they usually found someone.
Recently, the Patriots have seemed to have lost that. Look at the 2019 draft class, where N'Keal Harry was the first-round pick. Not a single pick from that class remains on the Patriots roster after the release of former third-round pick Yodny Cajuste this offseason. The jury is still out on picks like quarterback Mac Jones and receiver Tyquan Thornton, who is trending toward being added to the list of "misses."
But it isn't just drafting that could be considered a problem; the Belichick player acquisition model can also be blamed. The Patriots coach said it himself this offseason that they've been among the bottom of the league in cash spending over the last few seasons. Outside of the 2021 offseason, where the Patriots $163 million in free agency, they haven't exactly splashed the cash on big signings.
For an offense throwing the ball at one of the higher rates in the league, the Patriots don't have a star receiver, nor has it seemed that they've been aggressive in trying to get one. While they did add JuJu Smith-Schuster this offseason, they weren't "aggressive" enough to land DeAndre Hopkins, according to reports, despite having the money to sign him.
These problems with the acquisition of personnel all belong at the doorstep of Belichick, the general manager. While it is hard to argue Belichick hasn't quite set himself up to success, it is his role as the front office executive that seems to be broken, not his coaching.
