What is BB's biggest mistake as head coach/GM of Patriots?

[goheels22002]

-Not giving Brady an extension
moving on from Brady wasn't a mistake because the guy wanted out of New England and if he stayed he would have continued to sulk and take up a good portion of the salary cap. At some point it was gonna be time to cross that bridge to move on for him Belichick took a year to get the salary cap straight and get a QB in a draft that was one of the the deepest top half of the draft for QBs ever.

-Trading Garoppolo
he won another SB from sticking with Brady and trading Garoppolo. Is winning SBs now a mistake?


-Not playing Malcolm Butler
There was clearly something that happened that made him unplayable.


-Not drafting Lamar Jackson
That wasn't a mistake, he wasn't a fit and wouldn't be able to run the system. Him sitting behind Brady for a couple of years would have been pointless because you would have had to implement another system. Ravens had to fire their OC after Jackson's fist year and bring in the guy that made Kaepernick and Tyrod Taylor. Michel helped win a SB.

-Trading Chandler Jones
Trading a guy for a draft pick that became an anchor for your OL for 3 straight SB appearances is not a mistake. It's the opposite.

Five personnel issues in 20 years is pretty damn good. I only agree with two of your issues, BTW - Malcolm Butler in the Super Bowl and trading Chandler Jones.

The true answer to the poll? "Ray Lewis killed a guy."

 

[Rob0729]

Not checking with the league before taping the Jets does stand out. We all know what the fallout was of what became Spygate

He knew it wasn't allowed by the league. Let's be real. But there was no way that Belichick was going to know how much this would have snowballed. Teams have cheated and far worse than Spygate. There was so much jealousy and hatred for the Patriots that it spiraled into a national controversy.

It was definitely a mistake. But there was no way to know it would have turned into such an issue.

 

[Rob0729]

All GMs make mistakes. Ours is the greatest ever, because he's made the LEAST, comparably. BB is so great, a commissioner was hired specifically to harass and cheat our team for ego and financial reasons for the owners.

Belichick isn't the greatest GM ever. Ozzie Newsome is far better than he is. Belichick is the best head coach ever and a good GM.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

That one game with Brady throwing to Antonio Brown showed what might have been. Instead, Brown's text messages and Kraft's Spagate combined to cost the Patriots a key receiver that might well have kept Brady happy and productive. Instead a pissed-off Brady and a bunch of dead money (and traded/forfeited draft picks) ended the Brady era.

 

[NewEraWithMac]

Belichick isn't the greatest GM ever. Ozzie Newsome is far better than he is. Belichick is the best head coach ever and a good GM.

Ozzie Newsome and his one ring? Are you serious? What's next, Ted Thompson or John Schneider are better?

He was terrible since 2013. He forgot to sign Flacco going into the 2012 postseason. He's the very reason why these QBs now make 40 mil per or Kirk Cousins makes 28 per. Flacco had him over a barrel. It's a big reason why Baltimore has been masking their overrated teams and how they missed the postseason in 2015, 2016 and 2017. And, then he was fired over it. This is better than BB? Laughable.

Newsome can't hold BB's jock. No one can. Newsome is lucky BB got Kokinos an extra pick in the '96 draft for Ray Ray. I give him credit for drafting the great Ed Reed, though. And, if you want a GM who REALLY can't draft WRs, that was Ozzie Newsome. He was horrible. Torrey Smith was his best in his 15 years of being the GM.

How many dynasties has Ozzie built anyway?

 

[TomPatriot]

Where's the option of hiring the wrong offensive coordinator in 2005.

.

************. You have a serious issue. You need help.

Since you're always on about McDaniel, which available offensive coordinator would you select to replace him?

 

[NewEraWithMac]

That one game with Brady throwing to Antonio Brown showed what might have been. Instead, Brown's text messages and Kraft's Spagate combined to cost the Patriots a key receiver that might well have kept Brady happy and productive. Instead a pissed-off Brady and a bunch of dead money (and traded/forfeited draft picks) ended the Brady era.

I don't get the Spagate connection. Basically, Goodell is a cheater. If any other team signed Brown, no one would have said a word like we're seeing in TB.

Owners were fearful NE got better on offense and with the #1 D, they knew what it might mean so Goodell blackmailed Kraft again over the idea Brown was cut by the Raiders due to his legal issues and unstable behavior. BB was also on record as being ok with trying to manage him but he only played 1 game.

What changed in Brown's situation in NE and now in TB? Answer? Nothing other than Goodell cheats. This is like saying another owner's issues off the field should allow the commissioner to do things.

Why didn't Goodell force the Colts to cut Harrison after his street shooting attempted murder of a child back in 2006 and when Irsay was popped for pill and a suicide of a hooker in a hotel room? I mean, these owners all have something and Goodell could technically use those incidents as a way to wield any kind of power, but he only applies this to our team.

The bottom line is, Goodell is a cheater.

 

[Ivan]

Where's the option of hiring the wrong offensive coordinator in 2005.

.

NEM

 

[MahomestoKelce]

In hindsight, the answer would have to be benching Butler. Or at least not playing him once it was obvious the defense couldn't make stops.

But...nobody truly knows what happened there.

If the Patriots win that game its not talked about as much. Or maybe not at all.

 

[TomPatriot]

I think we have hashed through the past enough. In terms of 2021, here is what I am frustrated with:

1) Trading Sony. When we traded Sony, I said I did not like the trade. Thought it was a bad idea to trade Sony for a 4th round pick when he was having a very good TC and the focus of our team was going to be to run the ball. I was concerned about having a rookie behind Harris and a second year player in Taylor who barely saw the field last year. I am worried about Harris carrying the ball too much and getting hurt. Sony would have added more value to our team this year than getting a 4th next year.

2) Letting Thuney walk - a player we drafted and developed who was an anchor for us because "the cap" even though we spent $150 mil on FAs and we trade for Brown who the Raiders were happy to part ways with given he hurt his calf for them and missed multiple games last year. So what happens in week one? Brown goes down with the calf and now we are our 3rd or 4th right tackle?

3) Gilmore - our best defensive player who is sitting for 6 games because Bill did not want to give him a few extra million because "the cap." I am fearful now when we play the Saints, Bucs and Cowboys over the next few weeks. Our secondary is just not very good and we are getting very little pass rush on top.

1) So which back would you have cut to keep Michel?
2) Which 2-6 players (depending on salary) would you have traded/released to keep Thuney?
3) Gilmore doesn't want a few extra million. He wants a long-term deal at least equal to the Howard/Ramsey deals. Where's the cap space coming from? He's also 31, injured and hasn't played since last year. How do we know the Pats know they are getting Stephon Gilmore circa 2019?

 

[TheRainMaker]

1) So which back would you have cut to keep Michel?

Bolden. That's a no brainer.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

All the more reason why Butler would have solved a lot of problems. He was a good tackler, those other guys weren't. Bill set them up to fail. When Bill saw that they couldn't stop anything you make adjustments and that didn't happen. Like I said... 1 or 2 stops on third down from Butler flip the outcome. That's it. HE didn't have to be Deion Sanders that game.

So, you have to believe one of two things:

1. Belichick, who's said "It's hard to win a Super Bowl, even when everything goes right," deliberately tied one hand behind his back in SB52.
2. For whatever reason, Belichick decided that putting Butler on the field would reduce their chances of winning.

While I think we clearly want an explanation as to why BB felt that way, (2) seems like the more logical answer.

 

[NewEraWithMac]

He knew it wasn't allowed by the league. Let's be real. But there was no way that Belichick was going to know how much this would have snowballed. Teams have cheated and far worse than Spygate. There was so much jealousy and hatred for the Patriots that it spiraled into a national controversy.

It was definitely a mistake. But there was no way to know it would have turned into such an issue.

Exactly.

I don't think they knew the actual depths of WHY Goodell was hired. I think they knew the rule changed on Goodell's first day of work (9.6.06), with the memo sent out, so they knew they were targeted. I would imagine Belichick read that and kinda smiled but also rolled his eyes at how childish it is.

When Manboobs showed up in Foxborough with a SECOND camera and BB saw it with the NFL seeing it as illegal, I am sure it sent him over the edge. I can't blame him. He's being punished for being great. It's just so childish, but it stems from Goodell and those owners that tell him what to do.

Jets taped Pats' game; Mangini says it was all legal

The Jets were caught videotaping at Gillette Stadium last season and the Pats had that employee removed from the area, according to published reports. Jets coach Eric Mangini said his team received permission to film behind both end zones during the game.

www.espn.com

So, sure, conduct unbecoming by BB in Sept of 2007 is worth a fine, but how is it worth more than what Mike Tomlin did with his sideline antics? But, Goodell lied to make it seem like the punishment fit the violation, which obviously we know it didn't, so he used that to create the obvious aura of "NE cheats", which allows for him to cheat our team at any time. It's funny to me how the public has this completely backwards. You'd think him caught in a federal court lying about Deflategate would have been it. But, nope. People are so jealous, they continue to believe the lies.

I know some honest non-Pats fans who get it and see right through it, but the slander that Goodell has allowed due to his cheating by doling it these kinds of outrageous punishments, is too large a story, so the average fan believes the lies.

Goodell was hired by Woody Johnson aka the latter "volunteered" to vet the commissioner. Tagliabue had enough being in the middle of these political games, so they found a guy who would go further than him.

My issue has been with Kraft and not calling this out more or publicly telling fans that this is WHY Goodell does these things. He could have when he bent over the sink accepting the Deflategate penalty and just let Jonathan run the team, where he could have just stepped aside, but he likes his seat at the big boy table and is addicted to the power of being the owner instead.

 

[NewEraWithMac]

So, you have to believe one of two things:

1. Belichick, who's said "It's hard to win a Super Bowl, even when everything goes right," deliberately tied one hand behind his back in SB52.
2. For whatever reason, Belichick decided that putting Butler on the field would reduce their chances of winning.

While I think we clearly want an explanation as to why BB felt that way, (2) seems like the more logical answer.

Of course #2 is the right answer. He's not going to risk losing by putting a player in who has mentally checked out.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

I don't get the Spagate connection.

Kraft was seriously embarrassed by Spagate - talk of supporting sex-trafficking (which subsequently turned out to be untrue). So once Brown's threatening texts to his ex-GF were revealed it became untenable to keep him here. Nothing to do with Goodell and nothing to do with Bill.

 

[Clonamery]

He's not a bad guy but it's gotten to the point of becoming an unhealthy, unnatural obsession and annoying as hell to the rest of the board.

Not worrying until he moves to AZ.

 

[Patsgofor4]

************. ANOTHER thread about this?

 

[NewEraWithMac]

Kraft was seriously embarrassed by Spagate - talk of supporting sex-trafficking (which subsequently turned out to be untrue). So once Brown's threatening texts to his ex-GF were revealed it became untenable to keep him here. Nothing to do with Goodell and nothing to do with Bill.

Oh, I'd be embarrassed being a billionaire and being in a cheap strip mall parlor like that, too. It was pretty dumb. I am sure his holidays dinners with this kids and grandkids were a hoot.

I am not sure how that ties into NE needing to release Brown, though. The rumor of Brown being guilty of sexual assault is the same today after his payoffs as it was then. He's probably guilty, but he paid off his victims and settled. But, he is allowed to play.

Blackmailing an NFL owner or threatening to do something to an owner over a misdemeanor is ridiculous.

And, I don't put two consenting adults with Kraft on the same level as sexual assault. Kraft's thing is a misdemeanor and assault is a felony. So, if Brown was in the early stages of settling with the victims, why would that make him clean, but only on a different team? I know what the answer is. Goodell is a cheater.

He blocked NE from using him, gave him a suspension, etc, but when Brady left NE, Goodell lifted the suspension because Brady winning elsewhere hurts NE and makes NE look bad, so it's a good $story in his mind.

Like, why is Watson not on the commissioner's list for example? What commissioner wouldn't put him on that list? Frank Clark is on my tv screen last night after being found with a gun in his car that was made illegal in 1986. It's not a simple gun violation. Citizens don't have access to uzis.

It's just bizarre to try to justify Goodell's logic.

MLB immediately suspended Bauer based on that evidence and he'll likely never pitch again. That's what a normal commissioner does.

This one protects certain team$, even WITH evidence we've all seen or heard for ourselves.

 

[Rob0729]

Ozzie Newsome and his one ring? Are you serious? What's next, Ted Thompson or John Schneider are better?

He was terrible since 2013. He forgot to sign Flacco going into the 2012 postseason. He's the very reason why these QBs now make 40 mil per or Kirk Cousins makes 28 per. Flacco had him over a barrel. It's a big reason why Baltimore has been masking their overrated teams and how they missed the postseason in 2015, 2016 and 2017. And, then he was fired over it. This is better than BB? Laughable.

Newsome can't hold BB's jock. No one can. Newsome is lucky BB got Kokinos an extra pick in the '96 draft for Ray Ray. I give him credit for drafting the great Ed Reed, though. And, if you want a GM who REALLY can't draft WRs, that was Ozzie Newsome. He was horrible. Torrey Smith was his best in his 15 years of being the GM.

How many dynasties has Ozzie built anyway?

Newsome doesn't play or coach the games. He only can put the best talent on the field. And he consistently does.

Belichick the head coach bails out Belichick the GM quite a bit.

 

[venecol]

Butler was terrible in the postseason, then had the flu (supposedly),

No he wasn't, he played fine in AFCCG.

showed up to work telling a coach to F off, and was clearly distracted, not to be trusted, and then cried. This guy is supposed to be trusted on the field?

Respect is a 2-way street. If Little Steven made a smart aleck remark "nice of you to finally show up," and Malcolm told him to F off, who is the one that went crying to Daddy?

Bademosi was generally fine except for overrunning Agholor on that 3rd down. That was the play to make and there is simply no guarantee Butler would have made that.

Bademosi was mostly bad. Malcolm makes that tackle 10 of 10 times.

I mean, shouldn't someone be asking why a grown man who isn't starting is crying about it? I had concern for the man. He had some kind of a mental breakdown.

Shouldn't someone be asking why Belichick threw the game by benching Malcolm to protect his son, a grown man, who came crying to him over some trash talk? Wait, they did ask. We're still waiting for something other than BS answers.