Why this season's Patriots roster represents one of Belichick's finest works as a GM

[Soul_Survivor88]

Between trading for Martellus Bennett, trading Chandler Jones, re-signing LeGarette Blount, signing Chris Hogan and Chris Long, drafting Joe Thuney and Malcolm Mitchell, and making several in-season trades that have all panned out to various degrees (Jamie Collins, Eric Rowe, Kyle Van Noy), Belichick once again has shown why he is one of the Top GMs in the NFL.

In my mind, how Belichick constructed this defense is the cornerstone of what make hims great as a GM. This year, the Giants and Patriots claimed the scoring title for the #2 and #1 ranked defense in points allowed (respectively). But while the Giants' defensive improvement can be explained in part by the lucrative contracts handed out to veterans like Olivier Vernon, Janoris Jenkins and Damon Harrison, the Patriots led the league in scoring defense with a squad lacking big-name contracts.

In true Belichick fashion, the Pats jettisoned two star players (Jones and Collins) before their second contracts came, believing they had the personnel and coaching acumen to replace their production. And of the Patriots' starters, only McCourty carries a major cap charge, according to Over the Cap; most of the guys in this particular defense are players on their first contracts, or veterans thrown on the scrapheap by other teams and given the best chance to succeed in Belichick's and Patricia's system.

For more proof of how well constructed this roster is, just do a stat check, and you'll see how the 2016 Patriots finished in top 10 of all key NFL statistical categories:

Turnover differential: 3rd -- Plus-12 (23 takeaways, 11 giveaways)
Red-zone offense: 8th (60 trips, 38 touchdowns)
Red-zone defense: Tied-8th (44 trips, 23 touchdowns)
Points scored (offense): 3rd (27.5 per game)
Points allowed (defense): 1st (15.625 per game)
Third-down offense: 4th (104 of 227, 45.8 percent)
Third-down defense: 7th (76 of 206, 36.9 percent)

 

[SalemPats]

BB should win coach of the year and exec of the year.

Brady should win the MVP and offensive player of the year

 

[willard]

We also were very healthy with Gronk being the only significant injury. Volmer was lost before the season began.

 

[stinkypete]

From a team building standpoint, this may have been Belichick's greatest accomplishment since the 2001 team.

 

[DarrylS]

The trade of Chandler Jones.. this team is doomed no pass rush.

The trade of Jamie Collins.. BB did not get enough for him this team is doomed.

14-2 all I need to know... this is a great year for BB, he will not get coach of the year, but he should.

 

[scout]

The trade of Chandler Jones.. this team is doomed no pass rush.

The trade of Jamie Collins.. BB did not get enough for him this team is doomed.

14-2 all I need to know... this is a great year for BB, he will not get coach of the year, but he should.

14-2.......The two losses: one loss was a goal line stand ending with an incomplete pass as time expired to a great team and the other loss was starting your third string QB against a division opponent with a good defense.

 

[ChessToCheckers]

Hands down, New England is the best run football operation in the NFL since BB arrived. There is the Patriots way at the top and then the rest of the 31.

Belichick's mastery of the Cap is second to none. His scouting acumen and film reviewing started when he was a kid with his father. His attention to detail and mastery of time management are amazing. He's a football innovator and usually ahead of the curve.

But what's most impressive to me is his ability to groom personnel and install and improve internal processes in all of the important phases of the operation. The most recent example of this is the current good health of the Team. Obviously there's a lot of luck involved with injuries, but some of the changes they've instituted recently to help address this issue have probably helped.

IMO: He's the best general manager in the history of The Game. GOAT Head Coach. GOAT GM. And he gives a great interviews to the press all the time!

 

[Le Numéro Douze]

14-2.......The two losses: one loss was a goal line stand ending with an incomplete pass as time expired to a great team and the other loss was starting your third string QB against a division opponent with a good defense.

Don't forget that our third string QB was HURT.

 

[JMC00]

Place will be unbearable if they don't win the SB though and it will be "Bill the GM" fault


"Collins, Jones, Hicks, Easley, Derby, LeBlanc all let go, Bill the GM has failed Bill the coach ONCE AGAIN"