Colin Cowherd: Belichick 'Too Much Say' in Patriots' Draft!

Have the New England Patriots given coach Bill Belichick too much power? Colin Cowherd recently explained why he believes Robert Kraft should step in.

Is coach Bill Belichick holding back the New England Patriots and, specifically, quarterback Mac Jones?

When comparing the Patriots to the Philadelphia Eagles following their Sunday's 25-20 loss, that is the conclusion Fox Sports' sports talk show host Colin Cowherd recently came to.

"In New England, Belichick has too much say in drafting, and New England may finish third or fourth in their division, but the question about Mac Jones in New England is, 'do we have a franchise guy?' I think he is the franchise guy," Cowherd said this week. "I think if Tom Brady didn't play in that division, people would be more satisfied. But again, this is a team that needs speed, and they drafted two kickers and three offensive guards. I think Robert Kraft has to step in and just take the drafting role for Bill Belichick away; it's not what he's good at. They need far more speed."

Cowherd went on @TheHerd today and made the case that Mac Jones IS the guy, but being failed by Belichick.

“The Patriots need speed, and they drafted 2 kickers and 3 offensive guards. I think Robert Kraft has to step in and take the draft away from BB.” pic.twitter.com/2GufcVRmG7

— BrycenNFL 👑 (@BrycenNFL) September 11, 2023

Cowherd then points to the situation that Jones has been put into since being drafted by the Patriots at No. 15 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft: 

• Replacing Brady, arguably the greatest player of all time 
• Playing under Matt Patricia as the de facto play-caller

As for Cowherd's criticisms of Belichick, the general manager, it is a view many fans expressed over the offseason. Getting Jones more help by adding playmakers seemed to be a glaring need after a season where the Patriots were one of the worst offenses in the league. 

And while the Patriots did sign receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki in free agency, the prevailing take was they needed more. That take became hard to argue against after Sunday's loss to the Eagles, where Smith-Schuster was on the sidelines at key points of the game, forcing Jones to rely on his unproven and inexperienced rookies like Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. 

Yet, taking away the drafting responsibilities from Belichick could also have the consequences of missing out on players like Kyle Dugger and Michael Onwenu, who have turned into starters, to say the very least. 

You hit on some, and you miss on some. That is the nature of the business when it comes to the draft, and it seems the misses of Belichick are being weighed more heavily than the hits.