Bill Belichick Press Conference 7:30am (1/8/24)

[Boston Boxer]

Leaving with 0 accountability sounds about right for Bill

are you stupid or just dumb?

 

[RobertWeathers]

Agree other than Steve…he’s going wherever Dad is.

Maybe but likely

Personally I want Flo. Covington might also warrant consideration.

 

[Real fan 02]

I saids if you're making decisions based on empty seats, you're going to have a lot more empty seats.

Forget the empty seats, clear your mind, figure out what to do to help the Patriots win a Super Bowl, because that short-sighted thinking ("Don't just stand there, do something!!") is sure to cause more empty seats.

Got it. Read it wrong silly me. LOL but I agree. Agree getting back to becoming a superbowl team again is the goal and what the pedigree of this franchise has been about. This needs to start now! Your on the clock Mr. Kraft! Never mind Bill, never mind players, this starts with RK himself. He needs to make a stand so then everything else can fall back in line.

 

[Bill Lee]

This assumes that Bill was ever going to have a graceful exit that wasn't on his terms. Bill probably never cared about a nice mutual parting of ways unless it was him deciding he was retiring

I would agree under normal circumstances, but we've been reading that Bill's firing was a done deal since the London game onwards.

IMO if this was really the case BB would have accepted it by now and would be setting things up for a graceful exit and "on to the next gig".

Since he's not doing that, I conclude the opposite, he feels he's not going to be fired.

 

[Rob0729]

Wickersham's report is the wrong one.

You think the San Francisco GM lied when he called Belichick to trade for Brady and Belichick laughed in his face?

Lynch said that Belichick wouldn't even listen to any offers for Brady. It was Garoppolo he was willing to trade. Not the reverse. Wickersham's story flies in the face of everything Lynch said on the record. Wickersham was also wrong on much of Deflategate as well.

Let's not forget a few other factors here. The Patriots offered $25m. If Brady was adamant about $35m, then why did he accept $25m (the same as the Patriots money) at Tampa? He got more years, but the yearly was the same.

And lastly, prior to the 2019 season Brady showed up on Stephen Ross's boat hoping to join the Dolphins while he was still under contract with the Patriots. He should thank Flores for having morals and ethics because if Brady joined the Phins, he would've been written off in New England the way Clemens was.

Do you honestly believe that Belichick didn't get wind of that?

If I were Flores trying to make my way as a HC in the NFL, I would absolutely make sure that Belichick (HC of my archrival) heard about it somehow.

There is no way that Belichick didn't know that Brady wanted to join the Dolphins.

Did Belichick say no about trading Brady because he wanted to keep Brady or he knew Kraft wouldn't let him trade Brady? Wickersham's article could still be true. If Kraft told him to trade Garoppolo and not Brady, wouldn't it make sense that Belichick would "laugh" at Lynch when he called about Brady and then offer up JimmyG?

It is well documented that Brady and Belichick's relationship soured at the end. They were fighting over Alex Guererro. Brady was very open how he thought the offensive talent sucked. Even when Belichick drafted Jimmy G, he was talking about Brady's career ending and that they needed to look to life beyond Brady. And that was what? 2015?

 

[Free_Pacman]

Kraft owes BB his full contract, so quitting is out of the question.

Belichick earned every dime.

In the words of my other favorite sports head coach, Jim Calhoun, “Not a dime back.”

 

[RobertWeathers]

there is no way I would hire Josh McPredictable Daniels as the OC and let Judge or Achord stay at ST
this offense needs new blood from someone who has no history with the pats

He did a nice job with Mac in 2021.

We know what he does with a GOAT.

As a HC he is brutal.

As an OC he is above average.

 

[JohnJH]

4-13 and 5-6 years of disastrous personnel decisions. He WAS the GOAT but sadly not at age 71

GOAT HC/Defensive Coordinator, YES. Building a team through the draft and otherwise, NO.

 

[RobertWeathers]

In the words of my other favorite sports head coach, Jim Calhoun, “Not a dime back.”

Loved Calhoun.

and yes......he deserved every penny

 

[upstater1]

What rule is that? I don't think that's the case. If I am wrong though please let me know.

My takeaway is that Bill does not necessarily want to leave and he is going to talk to Kraft about it today. They will probably talk several times and what happens is anyone's guess. Until then we should just go with the flow.

It's the rule that prohibits lateral moves, but allows them for promotions.

The Patriots can't prevent a coach from getting a job elsewhere if he's being promoted.

If Belichick is no longer the Head Coach in New England, he can go anywhere freely because it is a promotion.

 

[JohnJH]

I am not sure why people think this makes a trade out of the question. If BB is not amenable to a trade and tries to force his firing, Kraft will just sit him down and make him stay home for a year rather than lose him for nothing. BB only has a few years left, he's in his 70s. It's in his interest to work with Kraft on a trade.

If bill wants to coach even if it's elsewhere, Kraft can right demand compensation. Or, Have Bill sit out the remainder of his contract. I'm not saying that the right thing to do, I'm just saying that it can be done.

 

[JohnJH]

Absolutely agree. I'm definitely ok with Vrabel he's a leader if mean and not scared to challenge guys to make them better. The feeling I get is RK and BB talk things out but decides it's probably best to part.

I would only even consider Vrabel if we don't have to give up any compensation. We need the draft capitol.

 

[The Gr8est]

GOAT HC/Defensive Coordinator, YES. Building a team through the draft and otherwise, NO.

If there is any reshuffle regarding GM and roster building, the one thing a smart GM should absolutely allow BB to continue doing, it is choosing the UDFAs to bring onboard, they might even allow BB to make all picks in the 6th and 7th rounds.

 

[JohnJH]

I’m not a fan of the idea of Josh as HC at all…BUT I can absolutely see Kraft liking the idea.

QB Coach, maybe. OC, NO!

 

[festy1986]

are you stupid or just dumb?

Your question is redundant and needs to be reworked. You're a bit touched obviously.

 

[upstater1]

Did Belichick say no about trading Brady because he wanted to keep Brady or he knew Kraft wouldn't let him trade Brady? Wickersham's article could still be true. If Kraft told him to trade Garoppolo and not Brady, wouldn't it make sense that Belichick would "laugh" at Lynch when he called about Brady and then offer up JimmyG?

It is well documented that Brady and Belichick's relationship soured at the end. They were fighting over Alex Guererro. Brady was very open how he thought the offensive talent sucked. Even when Belichick drafted Jimmy G, he was talking about Brady's career ending and that they needed to look to life beyond Brady. And that was what? 2015?

The fact that he laughed at Lynch and wouldn't even consider it is telling, no?

I mean, he didn't even allow Lynch to say, "Bill, we'd like to offer you our next 5 first round draft picks!" Maybe then Belichick would've run it up the ladder to Kraft. Instead Belichick laughed at him and said no.

Wickersham is a proven liar from Deflategate.

You didn't answer about Brady showing up on Ross's boat in 2019.

 

[JohnJH]

If there is any reshuffle regarding GM and roster building, the one thing a smart GM should absolutely allow BB to continue doing, it is choosing the UDFAs to bring onboard, they might even allow BB to make all picks in the 6th and 7th rounds.

That would not be unacceptable.

 

[Free_Pacman]

If bill wants to coach even if it's elsewhere, Kraft can right demand compensation. Or, Have Bill sit out the remainder of his contract. I'm not saying that the right thing to do, I'm just saying that it can be done.

Is there any evidence that it’s even legal for Kraft to force Belichick to sit out? How could the Patriots have two contacted head coaches? Seems very doubtful that that’s possible.

At the very least, NFL owners can’t block promotions. Seems to going from a pseudo-suspended HC to an active HC for another team would be a promotion.

I have very high doubts that Belichick couldn’t go to any team he wanted without compensation to the Patriots in that scenario; the only question id have is if Belichick would get his final year compensation from the Patriots.

 

[Ross12]

It's the rule that prohibits lateral moves, but allows them for promotions.

The Patriots can't prevent a coach from getting a job elsewhere if he's being promoted.

If Belichick is no longer the Head Coach in New England, he can go anywhere freely because it is a promotion.

Mm.... that seems like a liberal application of the rule. I don't know if it would work that way in this scenario. But I also can't say it wouldn't. I see the logic.

 

[upstater1]

If bill wants to coach even if it's elsewhere, Kraft can right demand compensation. Or, Have Bill sit out the remainder of his contract. I'm not saying that the right thing to do, I'm just saying that it can be done.

Nope. There's an NFL rule prohibiting teams from preventing former coaches from being hired elsewhere. It can only be done if the move is lateral.

In this case, once the Patriots hire a new head coach, the move would not be lateral.