He could have got out in front of it and not had to make an either or decision, you act as if Belichick had just 2 options, he did not. Last season I bet you were suggesting Brady’s pains with the WRs were short term like a surgery as well, to this day, the problems still exist with the WRs, so guess he is on the long-term recovery program for that surgery, huh. We nickel and dime players like Mankins so we can blow money on players like Amendola, Arrington, and Wilson, etc.
As it stands now, Belichick has replaced 51 of 53 players in his [ non re-building] effort in the 4 going on 5 years since the original Superbowl players got old, were traded, or retired. BB literally has reconstructed the team,
as if it were an expansion Team, and he has never produced less than a double digit winning season and Playoff appearance.
The Offensive line was the first squad partially rebuilt 4-5 years ago. He invested marginally in it drafting a LT/RT candidate in the Second round that all the Junior GM Draftniks here questioned. But he and Dante were correct. Vollmer was a bullseye that has played well in spots as a LT; and has gone to the Probowl as a RT. If Matt Light had left earlier, SeaBass would have started at LOT, and done well. BB also jiggled with some marginal UDFAs on the interior.
BB then spent his resources rebuilding elsewhere. The TE, RB, DL, LB, CB and WR positions were addressed, and BB invested a high First for Light's replacement.
Last year, the O-line gave up an enormous, and wholly unacceptable 40 sacks. No one of the Mediots, nor most fans were looking, mesmerized by the supposed rookie WR issue. But BB saw, and decided drastic surgery was needed, in the off season and in 2014.
I suspect but can't prove, that BB planned and expected to replace only Wendell at C, and Connolly at RG, and get some more depth, probably from Dante's pet projects; and defer doing anything about Mankins until 2015 or 2016. His draft actions for Stark, C, and Flemming T/G, seem to point in that direction.
I suspect but can't prove that the Bucs Trade Offer was unexpected and unplanned. But BB took it, fully knowing that all the planning was thrown in a ****ed hat and that the rebuilding would prove tough(er).
Overall BB has to be a masterful Coach; and juggler,
par excellance. Not even Paul Brown, his hero, could create an instant winner the first year with his expansion Bengals, like he did with his namesake Browns when the AAFC was formed.