Belichick the GM

guppy wrote:It has been fashionable to criticize Belichick the GM for not providing Belichick the Coach with enough talent to capture another Lombardi trophy in the last 10 years. 



Its a fair point.  There have been many drives he dubbed and didn't make it past the Ladies Tee.  Adalius Thomas, Albert Haynesworth, Chad Ochocinco, Joey Galloway, Chad Brown, Chad Jackson, Brandon Tate, Ras-I Dowling, Jermaine Cunningham, Terrance Wheatley, and Darius Butler.  Oh, almost forgot...Tim Tebow.  (Do I throw Danny Amandola in here too?)


But lets give some credit where credit is due.  BB the GM turned it around this year, at least with free agents and trades, if not so much with draft picks.  Prior to the season these unrestricted free agents were either signed or re-signed:  Brandon Browner, Darrelle Revis, Brandon LaFell, Julian Edelman, Patrick Chung, and Ryan Wendell.  He traded Pro Bowl Guard Logan Mankins for TE Tim Wright (oh, the horrors).  Wright is young and he now has 6 TDs in a backup role.  He signed Jonas Gray to the practice squad.  Colt fans I'm sure will remember the name Jonas Gray.  During the season he traded for linebacker Akeem Ayers who provides a needed pass rushing presence.  He traded for LB Jonathan Casillas who has been steady against the run and on special teams.  He signed free agent Alan Branch as a big body run stuffer on the D Line.  And he signed free agent LaGarrette Blount after he cleared waivers when any other team could have signed him, and he provides impact at the running back position with a nose for the end zone.

As far as drafting is concerned, the top 2 picks appear to have been done with a long term approach in mind.  Dominic Easley (injured and will take time), and Jimmy Garoppolo (the heir apparent?) are assets for the future.  But rookie center Bryan Stork is playing and holding his own on the O-Line.



Of course Belichick has not done all this all by himself.  Is it a coincidence that just after the New York Daily News had an article that said that the Jets should hire Patriots Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio to be their new GM that the Patriots extended Caserio through 2020?  LOL.  Draw your own conclusion.




So, at least for this year, Bill Belichick the Coach says a grateful "thank you" to Bill Belichick the GM for doing an A+ job of reloading.... at least well enough to get 12 wins and the No. 1 seed in the AFC.  So there is that.


Just giving a little credit where credit is due.



He's had, for him, a good year. Except for Wendell. The guy is junk. Doesn't belong in the league. To quote the quarter back on my highschool team when I was a sophmore, upon learning that I was his starting LT, "I don't know what the f*ck they see in you.".

George1963 wrote:

He's had, for him, a good year. Except for Wendell. The guy is junk. Doesn't belong in the league. To quote the quarter back on my highschool team when I was a sophmore, upon learning that I was his starting LT, "I don't know what the f*ck they see in you.".


Speaking of left tackles, they might be saying something similar about Nate Solder soon if he doesn't get quicker or tougher or both.  The O-Line was garbage the first quarter of the year.  Then they were good through the middle of the year.  Now they appear shaky again.  I'm a little worried.

guppy wrote:

George1963 wrote:

He's had, for him, a good year. Except for Wendell. The guy is junk. Doesn't belong in the league. To quote the quarter back on my highschool team when I was a sophmore, upon learning that I was his starting LT, "I don't know what the f*ck they see in you.".


Speaking of left tackles, they might be saying something similar about Nate Solder soon if he doesn't get quicker or tougher or both.  The O-Line was garbage the first quarter of the year.  Then they were good through the middle of the year.  Now they appear shaky again.  I'm a little worried.

guppy wrote:It has been fashionable to criticize Belichick the GM for not providing Belichick the Coach with enough talent to capture another Lombardi trophy in the last 10 years. 



Its a fair point.  There have been many drives he dubbed and didn't make it past the Ladies Tee.  Adalius Thomas, Albert Haynesworth, Chad Ochocinco, Joey Galloway, Chad Brown, Chad Jackson, Brandon Tate, Ras-I Dowling, Jermaine Cunningham, Terrance Wheatley, and Darius Butler.  Oh, almost forgot...Tim Tebow.  (Do I throw Danny Amandola in here too?)


But lets give some credit where credit is due.  BB the GM turned it around this year, at least with free agents and trades, if not so much with draft picks.  Prior to the season these unrestricted free agents were either signed or re-signed:  Brandon Browner, Darrelle Revis, Brandon LaFell, Julian Edelman, Patrick Chung, and Ryan Wendell.  He traded Pro Bowl Guard Logan Mankins for TE Tim Wright (oh, the horrors).  Wright is young and he now has 6 TDs in a backup role.  He signed Jonas Gray to the practice squad.  Colt fans I'm sure will remember the name Jonas Gray.  During the season he traded for linebacker Akeem Ayers who provides a needed pass rushing presence.  He traded for LB Jonathan Casillas who has been steady against the run and on special teams.  He signed free agent Alan Branch as a big body run stuffer on the D Line.  And he signed free agent LaGarrette Blount after he cleared waivers when any other team could have signed him, and he provides impact at the running back position with a nose for the end zone.

As far as drafting is concerned, the top 2 picks appear to have been done with a long term approach in mind.  Dominic Easley (injured and will take time), and Jimmy Garoppolo (the heir apparent?) are assets for the future.  But rookie center Bryan Stork is playing and holding his own on the O-Line.



Of course Belichick has not done all this all by himself.  Is it a coincidence that just after the New York Daily News had an article that said that the Jets should hire Patriots Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio to be their new GM that the Patriots extended Caserio through 2020?  LOL.  Draw your own conclusion.




So, at least for this year, Bill Belichick the Coach says a grateful "thank you" to Bill Belichick the GM for doing an A+ job of reloading.... at least well enough to get 12 wins and the No. 1 seed in the AFC.  So there is that.


Just giving a little credit where credit is due.


Reading through this again, just about every move you're lauding him for was to try to correct a previous mistake.
I've never been a big fan of giving a guy a medal for putting out a fire that he set.
Just sayin'.

George1963 wrote:

guppy wrote:

Just giving a little credit where credit is due.


Reading through this again, just about every move you're lauding him for was to try to correct a previous mistake.
I've never been a big fan of giving a guy a medal for putting out a fire that he set.
Just sayin'.


Well, nobody bats 1.000.  But after you wiff, you need to make contact with the next pitch and put it in play.  So I guess what you're sayin, just in a different way, is that BB does the most with less.  Despite his many "mistakes" picking players, how else would he still somehow manage to accomplish the following:

- A winning percentage of .657  which ranks third in NFL history among coaches with 150 or more wins, trailing only George Halas (.682) and Don Shula (.666).

- Won more regular-season games (126) and more games overall (140) during a 10-year stretch (2003-2012) than any other head coach in NFL history.

- The only coach to win 3 Super bowls in the post 1993 salary cap era.

- Nine head coaches have won 3 or more championships since the league began post season play in 1933.  They are:
Bill Belichick..............New England Patriots
Paul Brown..................Cleveland Browns
Weeb Ewbank.................Baltimore Colts, New York Jets
Joe Gibbs...................Washington Redskins
George Halas................Chicago Bears
Earl (Curly) Lambeau........Green Bay Packers
Vince Lombardi..............Green Bay Packers
Chuck Noll..................Pittsburgh Steelers
Bill Walsh..................San Francisco 49ers

(Don Shula not a member of this club)  Excluding BB, all other members of this group are in the HOF.  My guess is that none of them batted 1.000 all the time picking players.


So I guess what you're sayin is that despite the fact that he might start a fire here or there, he's pretty damn good at putting them out too.