Schefter: Bill Belichick & Patriots to Part Ways

[lancerman]

Can't say I've seen it often, cause i don't follow other team's 'coaching transitions' but how often does an outgoing coach get a press conference with the owner with them publicly saying they are 'mutually parting ways', This is pretty damn rare is it not? Must be hard for BB after saying what he did publicly about being under contract and willing to reduce his role.

Makes me wonder what was going on there, I don't think Robert kept him completely in the dark about his wishes or the way the wind was blowing. It only makes this more of a lie than we already know it was. Also, for a guy who doesn't talk much to the media, it seems like he was almost trying to use it to pressure Kraft to keep him. Which is very odd.

The truth is he probably didn't want to leave, Kraft already decided and there was no middle ground that would be tenable for Bill as it would require way too much of a power dump.

I wouldn't even be surprised if this whole thing was worked out over the last few days with them exploring the ideas of a trade and Bill telling Kraft "I'll make it amicable and we can work out a nice way to end this if you drop the trade idea and let me go and pay me out my final year".

 

[VrabelJr]

We need athletes on offense. We need a modern offense and a QB with the physical skills to run it. It was time.

This is just a modern day meme.

 

[Jlaff]

Kraft at the end of conference says thank you all for being part of this celebration. What? Lol

He's a drunk midget idiot.

 

[203Pat]

I really hope he doesn't coach too much longer because I want to hear more from him when his guard is down to some extent. People close to him talk about how funny and quick witted he is and you can see it sometimes when he is doing a Patriots HOF speech for someone getting inducted. I would love to hear him recap stories throughout the years and just get the real Bill when he doesn't have to be "We're on to Cincinnati" Bill anymore.

 

[50-yard-line]

When you have the second worse record in the league. You hit rock bottom. Doesn't mean you cannot stay at rock bottom for years.

Disagree. there are many reasons teams have the records they have - injuries is a big one, and this year's team was savaged by injuries to the OL in particular.
A QB "breaking" will doom a team (David Carr on Houston, for example). Mac Jones cost the Patriots more than a couple of games this year. It's a middling squad with plenty of young potential and missing a few key ingredients.

 

[203Pat]

This is just a modern day meme.

You can pine for the days of fullbacks, I-formation, and quarterbacks throwing for 125 yards a game but those days are gone. It is basketball on grass now. You need guys that can win one on one matchups. You need speed and motion behind the line of scrimmage. You need to evolve.

 

[NE_Zealot]

Salute to the hoodie for building a dynasty here with Tom. Will always be fondly remembered here. Go break Shula’s record!

 

[upstater1]

You'd have to assume Judge, Achord, Brown, and both Belichick's are gone.
And unless BOB stays as HC or OC, most of the offense asst. coaches too.

It's confusing that they're hiring Mayo.

I thought Vrabel would bring his staff over with him.

I thought Mayo would be joining Belichick.

Now that there are two homes for the staff, it looks like both destinations are going to be weaker for it, at least on the defensive side.

Covington may stay with Mayo, but Pellegrino will go with Belichick.

On offense it just depends on O'Brien, McDaniels and where both end up. Im sure some Raiders staff is being let go, and they'll probably join up with McDaniels. But are the Krafts going to run out O'Brien again next year? It's their decision.

I'm fairly shocked that no one has asked the obvious question yet: do the Krafts think they can salvage Mac Jones with another QB coach and OC?

You all aren't wondering about that?

 

[Hammer of Thor]

I really hope he doesn't coach too much longer because I want to hear more from him when his guard is down to some extent. People close to him talk about how funny and quick witted he is and you can see it sometimes when he is doing a Patriots HOF speech for someone getting inducted. I would love to hear him recap stories throughout the years and just get the real Bill when he doesn't have to be "We're on to Cincinnati" Bill anymore.

Even the “We haven’t many cameras here since Tim Tebow” line in this press conference cracked me up. Would love to hear more from him in the broadcast booth, but we know he’ll be coaching somewhere instead in the near future.

 

[Santi]

I wouldn't rule anything out. Houston made the playoffs on the backs of basically just a new HC and QB. It's definitely not the norm, so I wouldn't bet on it, but things can turn in the NFL really quickly.

Tbh I didn’t see much to turn around with him here.

Our record doesn’t reflect the quality of the team accurately in my view, defence got their **** together in the second half and with a few offensive weapons in draft/FA, starting with a capable QB, then we could have at least a playoff team.

Wanted to see Bill have 1 more season to have a crack at it with that scenario. I think people are unfair about the last few seasons, he kept us competitive with Mac Jones rookie qb and only this season has been complete ****e. Yes most coaches would be fired for 4-13 but if anyone in NFL history deserved not to be, then it’s him.

Oh well, better bring in someone good and hit the ground running. Don’t want a merry go round of **** HC’s after watching 3 years of **** QB’s and still needing to solve that.

 

[Free_Pacman]

Man, I can’t wait for our new young coach to go for it on 4th and 7 on our own 45 or go for 2 after a 5-yard penalty while we are only down 1! It may be idiotic, but at least it’s going to be fUn!

Also, can’t wait for us to burn high first round picks on wide receivers when we don’t have a QB to throw them ball. Maybe we can be like the Falcons and only draft skill position players in the 1st round! We may suck, but at least we are going to have WeApOnZ!

 

[50-yard-line]

The Pats have been mostly failures in the draft and free agency in recent years. We have maybe a half dozen players to build around. And that may be generous. We have exactly two young players who are potential studs and not actual studs in Barmore and Gonzalez. We are at the beginning of a rebuild. We are at the end of our first failed rebuild and onto the second one.

And in 2001, Belichick had the luxury of picking up a lot older players and hidden gems to quickly to build the team. It was because at the time, teams didn't see the value in these types of players and Belichick did. So he could turn around the Patriots overnight. That ain't happening in 2024.

And Miami turned the #3 pick into three first round picks that they turned into Tyreek Hill, Jalen Waddle, and Bradley Chubb. All of whom were big impacts to the team this year. Hill and Waddle are a huge reason why the Dolphins were so good on offense this year. Why can't the Pats do something similar with their #3?

Because Miami hit lightning in a bottle, mostly due to stupid decisions by other teams.
It wasn't anything Miami's front office "created," it was handed to them. You don't think BB would dump that #3 pick in a heartbeat for the sweetheart deal Miami got?

 

[Free_Pacman]

This is just a modern day meme.

WeApOnZ! I hope our new GM takes after the Falcons and only drafts WeApONz!

 

[203Pat]

Even the “We haven’t many cameras here since Tim Tebow” line in this press conference cracked me up. Would love to hear more from him in the broadcast booth, but we know he’ll be coaching somewhere instead in the near future.

That line was what made me think about that. Just the one liners and some of the back and forth you hear with the players and other coaches in some of the mic'd up and behind the scenes stuff. I really hope when he's done coaching we get some of the NFL Films or 30 for 30 stuff where he sits down and shoots the sh*t with guys like Saban, Brady, and other various people he crossed paths with. I know he has already done a sit-down with Parcells and Saban for different shows but I really want to see it more unfiltered and easygoing with everyone being done with football for a few years.

 

[JayNM]

Some times, curtains fall for a new show to take place

Thank you BB. Ive became a football fan bc of Brady, but it was you who made me fall in love with the sport

Nothing but the best wishes for him, his family and his future teams, if he comes back somehow

 

[Hammer of Thor]

I'm fairly shocked that no one has asked the obvious question yet: do the Krafts think they can salvage Mac Jones with another QB coach and OC?

You all aren't wondering about that?

I’m not asking that question because it is the ultimate sign of terrible ownership meddling, and I don’t want to accuse it of happening or even think about it happening here without proof. You hire the football guys to make football decisions. Kraft’s football player evaluation skills are only slightly better than mine, and that’s not saying a lot because I have none. Kraft‘s job is to make sure he has the best football people running the organization.

 

[The Gr8est]

It's confusing that they're hiring Mayo.

I thought Vrabel would bring his staff over with him.

I thought Mayo would be joining Belichick.

Now that there are two homes for the staff, it looks like both destinations are going to be weaker for it, at least on the defensive side.

Covington may stay with Mayo, but Pellegrino will go with Belichick.

On offense it just depends on O'Brien, McDaniels and where both end up. Im sure some Raiders staff is being let go, and they'll probably join up with McDaniels. But are the Krafts going to run out O'Brien again next year? It's their decision.

I'm fairly shocked that no one has asked the obvious question yet: do the Krafts think they can salvage Mac Jones with another QB coach and OC?

You all aren't wondering about that?

They are hiring Mayo?

When was that reported?

What about Vrabel?

What about a GM?

 

[upstater1]

Because Miami hit lightning in a bottle, mostly due to stupid decisions by other teams.
It wasn't anything Miami's front office "created," it was handed to them. You don't think BB would dump that #3 pick in a heartbeat for the sweetheart deal Miami got?

We haven't even seen Miami do anything yet. Their offense is fun to watch, but the Bills have locked that offense down 2x in a row.

And the Bills are missing a lot of injured guys on D.

Coaches are copying the Bills blueprint. How to disrupt a timing offense. I think I've heard of this blueprint before somewhere.

Anyway, I'd like to see Miami have some playoff success before complimenting them on their turnaround (which took 25 years).

 

[upstater1]

They are hiring Mayo?

When was that reported?

What about Vrabel?

What about a GM?

Curren just said it within the last hour.

I heard it on radio

 

[Hammer of Thor]

They are hiring Mayo?

When was that reported?

Tom Curran’s been banging the drum the last few days that it’s Mayo with Eliot Wolf as his GM and it’s been decided for a while now. Like, he’s been so adamant about this that it should be career ending if he’s wrong (but sadly that’s not how media operates nowadays). Anyway, we’ll see if he’s right.