Boutte available for trade?

[Wozzy]

Fact is that Belichick always ran the show, you have ZERO evidence of Eliot Wolf ever overruling him, but you keep pretending you do, while never actually showing it. On one hand you cite Bob Kraft's statement of what he hoped would happen as " proof," while on the other calling him a liar. So which is it, is he a liar, or a reliable source of information?

"Uh uh uh uh he's both, he's a reliable witness and a liar." -Wozzy

You telling us an employee had power over the team owner is some funny sht.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

The discussion is about who made the final decisions, if that doesn't interest you then don't weigh in on it. You said you don't care, so don't care. I know who was in control.

You were in the room?

 

[Huckleberry1]

You telling us an employee had power over the team owner is some funny sht.

You saying he didn't? Are you that ignorant? Everyone knows that Kraft gave up high draft picks and complete control of football operations to Belichick to get him to come to New England. If you want to play make believe and pretend otherwise, which you actually very practiced at, then you go ahead and do that. You will be doing so at the cost of any sliver of credibility you may think you have left, but by all means you go ahead and go there.

What a dipshit.

 

[Huckleberry1]

You telling us an employee had power over the team owner is some funny sht.

Once again, when challenged to provide proof of your claims you respond with weak **** like this.

 

[Wozzy]

You saying he didn't? Are you that ignorant? Everyone knows that Kraft gave up high draft picks and complete control of football operations to Belichick to get him to come to New England. If you want to play make believe and pretend otherwise, which you actually very practiced at, then you go ahead and do that. You will be doing so at the cost of any sliver of credibility you may think you have left, but by all means you go ahead and go there.

What a dipshit.

The owner has ultimate power.

You arguing otherwise sounds like you sort your crayons by taste.

 

[rkarp1]

The owner has ultimate power.

You arguing otherwise sounds like you sort your crayons by taste.

it's been said to you multiple times
Bill had control of the organization, contractually
if RK took away that control, he was in breach of his contract with Bill, and Bill would have been a free agent
Bill said outright at the end, he was willing to give up total control to stay with the Pats, or with his new team.
if Bill is saying he would relinquish total control, how is that collaboration?

Bill Belichick under contract, would take lesser role in personnel matters stay with Pats | FOX Sports

Bill Belichick, who confirmed he remains under contract with the Patriots, is open to letting someone else handle personnel duties if it benefits the organization.

www.foxsports.com

 

[captain stone]

Ownership should've told Bill to find another experienced executive/advisor when Floyd Reese retired after the 2012 season.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Ownership should've told Bill to find another experienced executive/advisor when Floyd Reese retired after the 2012 season.

Without the majority of the core drafted during Reese's time, the Pats do not win another Super Bowl after the 2004 season. Had they drafted in 2009-2012 like they did 2013-2019, Tom Brady would've left well before 2020.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

it's been said to you multiple times
Bill had control of the organization, contractually

Thanks for posting the article. The article says details of BB's contract has never been released and he is the "de facto" general manager (not contractual like you claim). The article disproves what you posted. Did you read the article?

The details of Belichick's contract have never been released publicly.

As to possibly giving up his role as the team's de facto general manager with final call on personnel matters

 

[Huckleberry1]

You telling us an employee had power over the team owner is some funny sht.

Once again, when challenged to provide proof of your claims you respond with weak **** like this.

The owner has ultimate power.

You arguing otherwise sounds like you sort your crayons by taste.

Belichick was given full control of football operations by Kraft and you know it.

 

[Huckleberry1]

The owner has ultimate power.

You arguing otherwise sounds like you sort your crayons by taste.

Better To play with crayons than to be a liar.

 

[rkarp1]

Thanks for posting the article. The article says details of BB's contract has never been released and he is the "de facto" general manager (not contractual like you claim). The article disproves what you posted. Did you read the article?

The details of Belichick's contract have never been released publicly.

As to possibly giving up his role as the team's de facto general manager with final call on personnel matters

When he was hired in 2000, team owner Robert Kraft granted him full contractual autonomy and final say over all football operations and player personnel decisions. This dual arrangement effectively made him both the Head Coach and General Manager, a rare level of absolute authority in the modern NFL. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Key Details of the Contract Structure
Because Patriots contracts are kept intensely private, the specific wording remains a closely held organizational secret. However, NFL insiders, team statements, and Belichick himself have confirmed how the power structure operated: [1, 3]

• Roster Control: Belichick held contractual authority over the 53-man roster, draft selections, trades, and free-agent signings for over two decades. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• The "Final Say" Clause: In his final end-of-season press conference in January 2024, Belichick publicly acknowledged this structure, stating, "If somebody's got to have the final say... however that process is, I'm only part of it," while signaling he would be contractually open to giving up that final authority if he stayed. [1, 2]
• The Ultimate Boss: While Belichick possessed final say over football operations, Robert Kraft always maintained corporate veto power as the franchise owner. In the final years of the dynasty, Kraft increasingly exercised his ownership authority over specific staff and roster decisions before the two ultimately parted ways.
  
  

The "final say clause" is a contractual provision that grants an individual absolute, overriding authority to make the final decision on a specific business or football matter, regardless of dissenting opinions from other executives. [1]
In the NFL, this clause is the holy grail of organizational power, usually dictating who controls the roster, draft picks, and coaching staff.

How the Clause Works in Practice
In most standard NFL franchises, power is divided between a Head Coach (who manages the players and on-field strategy) and a General Manager (who handles the budget, contracts, and roster construction).
When a coach or GM has a "final say clause" written into their contract, it completely alters that dynamic:

• Overriding Veto Power: If the scouting department and the front office want to draft Player A, but the individual with final say wants Player B, Player B is selected.
• Roster Control: It grants explicit authority over the 53-man roster, active/inactive lists on game days, trades, and free-agent signings.
• Coaching Staff Autonomy: It guarantees the head coach can hire or fire coordinators and assistants without needing approval from a General Manager.

Case Examples in the NFL
While absolute authority was more common in earlier eras, only a select few modern coaches have successfully negotiated this clause into their agreements:


Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): Belichick famously held this contractual power from 2000 until his departure in 2024, serving as both head coach and de facto general manager. He referenced this during his final Patriots Press Conference, acknowledging that while he relied on a massive team of scouts, his contract dictated that someone had to have the ultimate "final say". [1, 2]

---

Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): When Reid was originally hired by the Philadelphia Eagles, he held final say over personnel. In Kansas City, he maintains a massive voice, though he works in a highly collaborative partnership with GM Brett Veach.

---

Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): During his long tenure in Seattle, Carroll was contractually the Executive Vice President of Football Operations, granting him final authority over GM John Schneider.

The One Exception: Ownership Veto
It is important to note that a "final say clause" only applies to the football operations employees within the building. It never supersedes the franchise owner. Because the owner signs the paychecks, they retain ultimate corporate veto power and can step in to block a trade, force a signing, or terminate the contract of the person holding the final say clause. [1]

 

[rkarp1]

waiting for Wozzy to post the above is word salad and no one could understand it
in 1....2...3....

 

[sb1]

Bill might have consulted a collaboration but in the end all decisions were his and his responsibility alone. Same as leadership in any organization.

Can’t absolve Bill of bad decisions while at the same time give him all the credit for the good ones.

And it’s a weird hill to die on people insist that drafting Mac Jones wasn’t Bill’s fault. The pick at 15 was fine. I preferred a trade up for Micah Parsons but they had the need at QB and they didn’t give up anything or move up to get him.

The coaching Jones got was not fine. Bill was a lousy HC at the end and it showed.

 

[moosekill]

When you simply ai something and repost it, it doesn't make it correct or accurate, it doesn't make in wrong either. Posting big long ai generated crap doesn't really help and at this point no one really gives a flying ****.

Bill had control for years. At the end that control was somewhat tempered. We will never really know who was completely in control at the end, and who gets the most blame, but the people who think this should have gone on forever are idiots. The 20 year run the patriots had was an incredible feat and everyone involved should be first ballot hall of fame inductees. They figured it out, and often won despite the nfl cheating at times to hamper their success.

 

[sb1]

Bill Belichick drafted Mac Jones, period. The idea that Wolf him drafted is pure delusion, No one ever overruled Belichick on any player at any position, let alone at quarterback,

Yes Bill is responsible for drafting Mac Jones. Nobody else.

Bill was also responsible for hiring Matt Patricia as his OC which turned out to be a major factor in Jones faceplanting in NE. Any other QB would have ended up the same way with that kind of coaching.

 

[rkarp1]

When you simply ai something and repost it, it doesn't make it correct or accurate, it doesn't make in wrong either. Posting big long ai generated crap doesn't really help and at this point no one really gives a flying ****.

Bill had control for years. At the end that control was somewhat tempered. We will never really know who was completely in control at the end, and who gets the most blame, but the people who think this should have gone on forever are idiots. The 20 year run the patriots had was an incredible feat and everyone involved should be first ballot hall of fame inductees. They figured it out, and often won despite the nfl cheating at times to hamper their success.

wow
impressive
you beat Wozzy top the punch

 

[Wozzy]

it's been said to you multiple times
Bill had control of the organization, contractually
if RK took away that control, he was in breach of his contract with Bill, and Bill would have been a free agent
Bill said outright at the end, he was willing to give up total control to stay with the Pats, or with his new team.
if Bill is saying he would relinquish total control, how is that collaboration?

Bill Belichick under contract, would take lesser role in personnel matters stay with Pats | FOX Sports

Bill Belichick, who confirmed he remains under contract with the Patriots, is open to letting someone else handle personnel duties if it benefits the organization.

www.foxsports.com

Not you, not anyone in the media ever saw Bill’s contract. This is a load of crap developed in the warped minds of haters like yourself.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

When he was hired in 2000, team owner Robert Kraft granted him full contractual autonomy and final say over all football operations and player personnel decisions. This dual arrangement effectively made him both the Head Coach and General Manager, a rare level of absolute authority in the modern NFL. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

None of those articles say "full contractual autonomy and final say". The articles say "full autonomy" and "de facto general manager". It is complete conjuncture on your part that there was a final say clause, or any clause, in BB's contract. One of the latest articles specifically says, "The details of Belichick's contract have never been released publicly."

I assume since you posted so many articles and none of them, that I can find, support your conjecture of full legal contractual autonomy, that we don't know if it is true or not. You wrote a very long post guessing a lot.

 

[rkarp1]

None of those articles say "full contractual autonomy and final say". The articles say "full autonomy" and "de facto general manager". It is complete conjuncture on your part that there was a final say clause, or any clause, in BB's contract. One of the latest articles specifically says, "The details of Belichick's contract have never been released publicly."

I assume since you posted so many articles and none of them, that I can find, support your conjecture of full legal contractual autonomy, that we don't know if it is true or not. You wrote a very long post guessing a lot.

final say was spoken by Bill