How is BB as a Personnel Guy?

[Oswlek]

He's outstanding. Next question?

 

[archstanton543]

HE SUCKS, MIKE! SUCKSUCKSUCK!

 

[Huckleberry1]

He sucks. We have several posters here that could GM circles around BB.

Right on the money. This team is the culmination of all of his mistakes, just as last year's was.

 

[nabwong]

BB would be better if the NFL and 31 other teams aren't working against him.

 

[Bill Lee]

All that matters is that Belichick populate the team with the players who best play HIS brand of football, in terms of style and philosophy of players

I agree, and will say that HIS brand of football is flexible. For instance you don't see BB diverting tons of resources to WR, but when a Randy Moss becomes available cheap, he grabs him.

As for Fells, the guy caught 4 ****ing passes in NE. Give me a break. He had 16 catches last season for the Giants and was healthy, starting 9 games and playing in all 16. Let's not pour one out over him because he caught 3 passes for 27 yards last night. We're not going to die from that loss of production.

The point I was trying to make was that Fells wasn't good enough to stick here but is good enough to start elsewhere, so your points and mine are in agreement. It's a pretty good sign of your skill as a GM if your cast offs are good enough to start elsewhere.

 

[Miguel]

BB does not have to be perfect as a GM for the Pats to succeed. He just has to be better than most other GMs.

He has not been perfect while also being better than most other GMs.

 

[The Gr8est]

I agree, and will say that HIS brand of football is flexible. For instance you don't see BB diverting tons of resources to WR, but when a Randy Moss becomes available cheap, he grabs him.

The point I was trying to make was that Fells wasn't good enough to stick here but is good enough to start elsewhere, so your points and mine are in agreement. It's a pretty good sign of your skill as a GM if your cast offs are good enough to start elsewhere.

To be fair, Daniel Fells was seemingly never healthy the entire time he was with the Pats.

 

[aluminum seats]

Honestly, the results speak for themselves. You don't have essentially an automatic ticket to the championship game every year with a great QB/coach only. Although it helps.

Belichick has:

--Navigated the draft extremely well, consistently generating additional draft picks with the (correct) theory that volume of picks is essential w/drafting being such an inexact science.

--Been masterful is knowing when to let guys go, both to avoid dead weight on the team and for accumulating compensatory picks. The fact that he's made so many "controversial" cuts with it so rarely coming back to hurt the team is amazing.

--Consistently made in-season pick-ups of under-the-radar guys who end up being key components on winning teams. Countless examples.

On the negative side, he'll miss on some picks, as everyone will--particularly in the WR & CB areas. There will be occasional missteps. But on the whole, he is excellent.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

Belichick must be pretty damn good to find someone like this^^

 

[TommyD4207]

I love the answers in this thread, because it counters the dumb narrative out there.

Belichick hits more than he misses, and is amazing when it comes to players 23-53. "Next man up" actually means something when the "next man" can competently fill the role.

No team hits on every pick. No team is even close. As of yet, Belichick has not completely whiffed on a first rounder, and has built teams that have gone to 6 Super Bowls.

The ridiculous expectation that Belichick is supposed to nail every single draft pick is laughable on its face.

 

[fnordcircle]

Scientists have not yet been able to figure out why the Patriots have unprecedented success despite the thoroughly documented failures that mar every moment of his career and are documented in every Patsfans draft thread.

It's a mystery which may unravel the very laws of nature.

 

[Mack Herron]

Flying under the radar with low cost/high value FA targets it is difficult not to notice that Dion Lewis might be the only FA more valuable than David Andrews, and I'm not sure about that one. Our offense would be very different without those two guys. Sheard has been a terrific addition and I don't think we've seen the best of him yet. Incomplete grade on Tarell Brown but I think he was a great signing as well.

 

[rookBoston]

What I find exceptional us the fact that BB the GM traded Bledsoe (in the division), traded Seymour, traded Branch, traded Vrable, traded Moss, traded Mankins, released Milloy, released McGinest, let Wilfork walk, let Welker walk, let Revis walk, let Talib walk, let Vinatieri walk...and you know what, it turned out he was right every time.

The few guys who stayed their full careers, like Light, (Troy) Brown, Bruschi stayed because they were willing to play at the Belichick price.

BB has resuscitated many careers, including guys like Corey Dillon, Harrison, Ayers, Revis...and created stars out of trash heap guys who history would have forgotten, otherwise, like Ninkovich, Dion Lewis, Welker, Woodhead, Vrabel, Izzo...and turned undrafted guys into household names, like BJGE, Malcom Butler, Andruzzi.

I think it is a mistake to judge BB the GM based on his batting average, because talent is a hit and miss thing. His technique isn't to make every single pick count. His technique is to take advantage of opportunities to improve the team, scout everyone, look under every stone, and kiss a lot of frogs. He is panning for gold, and digging through a lot of gravel to find it. Batting average may actually be quite low, but the results speak for themselves.

The best thing you can say for him is that when he sees a diamond in the rough, he recognizes the upside and nurtures it. Jamie Collins was a "who?" draft pick. Cassell, Edelman, David Andrews, Tom Brady, Matthew Slater, Stephen Neal. Takes some imagination to see the potential.