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Belichick is the best coach in the modern era. For the last 11 years, we have at least tied for the division EVERY YEAR. The overall talent of the team has been maintained as different units are re-invented and re-stocked each year.
But every team has weaknesses. What are those of Belichick?
1) THE UNWILLINGNESSES TO BRING IN TOP COACHES OR PAY TO KEEP THEM
Belichick is the developer of coaches. That's fine. However, do you all think that we have the top set of coaches and coordinators in the nfl or even close? Dante has chosen not to go. He is awesome. Belichick cannot do it all. He no longer tries. He has learned to delegate. There needs to be better quality coaches to delegate to.
I think that we need more coaches and better coaches.
2) DRAFTING AND DEVELOPING WIDE RECEIVERS
I guess that this isn't an issue as long as Josh can work with the vets that are brought in. Belichick has chosen to have an annual veteran wide receivers tryout. However, it would seem that at least occasionally we would draft and develop a wide receiver. Edelman is the closest we've come.
3) *** SECURING, DRAFTING AND DEVELOPING DEFENSIVE BACKS ****
3a) The combination of college SCOUTING AND DRAFTING secondary talent has been monumentally unsuccessful. There are many ways to secure talent. Belichick has chose the draft as the way to find defensive players. We need to draft better talent. Perhaps, the strategy of believing that top corners and safeties is found after pick 20 is flawed. Perhaps we need to trade up.
3b) We use lots of our top draft choices on talent, some generally accepted as top talent, some thought to be mid-level talent. It is the coaching job to develop players. We can develop offensive, lineman, running backs, defensive linemen and linebackers. Why can't we DEVELOP defensive backs. What is the system for development. Do we have enough coaches? Are they good enough? In any game, it the players fault for not executing. In the long run, top coaching will develop better players than mediocre talent. Much is made of the fear teams have of Belichick's coaching. Perhaps, he need to put his arrogance aside and hire better help. Alternatively, he should spend lots of time in the trenches as secondary coach, training the coaches and the players.
3c) Perhaps we need to spend some money on higher value (priced) FREE AGENTS. If, as for wide receivers, we are unable to draft and develop talent, perhaps we need to buy it. This is an expensive choice, but it can work. Perhaps, we need to bring in more and better mid-level free agents or old vets. Otis Smith and Leigh Bodden come to mind. Gregory might actually fit this bill.
BOTTOM LINE
I think that we are now addressing the quality of safety reasonably well. It is really difficult to find safety talent. Obviously, getting rid of Sanders and Meriweather early has haunted us. HOWEVER, Wilson is a major addition. Gregory is an OK addition. Chung is not a keeper, but he is not a bottom of the barrel safety either. For next year, we'll bring in a couple of safeties to compete with Gregory and Ebner. This transition is in good shape talentwise. Coaching is another issue entirely. And yes, Moore is an OK emergency safety.
At corner, we don't know where we are. Obviously, the addition of a shut-down corner would make this a much better unit; but that is true of every team. Arrington is OK as a fine backup #4 corner and dime. I think that the question for 2012 is the development of Dennard and Dowling. McCourty, Dennard and Dowling are not anywhere near an average set of corners, but they could be good enough by year's end.
But every team has weaknesses. What are those of Belichick?
1) THE UNWILLINGNESSES TO BRING IN TOP COACHES OR PAY TO KEEP THEM
Belichick is the developer of coaches. That's fine. However, do you all think that we have the top set of coaches and coordinators in the nfl or even close? Dante has chosen not to go. He is awesome. Belichick cannot do it all. He no longer tries. He has learned to delegate. There needs to be better quality coaches to delegate to.
I think that we need more coaches and better coaches.
2) DRAFTING AND DEVELOPING WIDE RECEIVERS
I guess that this isn't an issue as long as Josh can work with the vets that are brought in. Belichick has chosen to have an annual veteran wide receivers tryout. However, it would seem that at least occasionally we would draft and develop a wide receiver. Edelman is the closest we've come.
3) *** SECURING, DRAFTING AND DEVELOPING DEFENSIVE BACKS ****
3a) The combination of college SCOUTING AND DRAFTING secondary talent has been monumentally unsuccessful. There are many ways to secure talent. Belichick has chose the draft as the way to find defensive players. We need to draft better talent. Perhaps, the strategy of believing that top corners and safeties is found after pick 20 is flawed. Perhaps we need to trade up.
3b) We use lots of our top draft choices on talent, some generally accepted as top talent, some thought to be mid-level talent. It is the coaching job to develop players. We can develop offensive, lineman, running backs, defensive linemen and linebackers. Why can't we DEVELOP defensive backs. What is the system for development. Do we have enough coaches? Are they good enough? In any game, it the players fault for not executing. In the long run, top coaching will develop better players than mediocre talent. Much is made of the fear teams have of Belichick's coaching. Perhaps, he need to put his arrogance aside and hire better help. Alternatively, he should spend lots of time in the trenches as secondary coach, training the coaches and the players.
3c) Perhaps we need to spend some money on higher value (priced) FREE AGENTS. If, as for wide receivers, we are unable to draft and develop talent, perhaps we need to buy it. This is an expensive choice, but it can work. Perhaps, we need to bring in more and better mid-level free agents or old vets. Otis Smith and Leigh Bodden come to mind. Gregory might actually fit this bill.
BOTTOM LINE
I think that we are now addressing the quality of safety reasonably well. It is really difficult to find safety talent. Obviously, getting rid of Sanders and Meriweather early has haunted us. HOWEVER, Wilson is a major addition. Gregory is an OK addition. Chung is not a keeper, but he is not a bottom of the barrel safety either. For next year, we'll bring in a couple of safeties to compete with Gregory and Ebner. This transition is in good shape talentwise. Coaching is another issue entirely. And yes, Moore is an OK emergency safety.
At corner, we don't know where we are. Obviously, the addition of a shut-down corner would make this a much better unit; but that is true of every team. Arrington is OK as a fine backup #4 corner and dime. I think that the question for 2012 is the development of Dennard and Dowling. McCourty, Dennard and Dowling are not anywhere near an average set of corners, but they could be good enough by year's end.
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