There was an interesting conversation that occurred on “The Greg Hill Show” on Friday morning involving a hypothetical trade for New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
Granted, it’s a tough discussion considering how much Belichick has meant to the Patriots’ franchise. It’s hard to even envision the team moving forward without its snarling head coach standing and barking out orders from the sideline in a short-sleeved hoodie.
He built the greatest dynasty in NFL history from the ground up, and many still believe he’s the greatest coach of all time.
But the Patriots have been on the same hamster wheel since Tom Brady was under center. It’s been business as usual with the roster and coaching decisions, despite the team having missed the playoffs in two of the last three seasons.
There have been way too many questionable decisions, such as Belichick bringing up the fact that the Patriots are one of the lowest spending teams and then turning around and not paying up for five-time All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins. That decision is even more frustrating considering the team did make decisions to splurge on failed experiments in Nelson Agholor and tight end Jonnu Smith.
There was also the 2022 season, when Belichick decided to fly by the seat of his pants by making his longtime defensive coordinator the offensive play-caller. It was a weird plunge into the abyss for a Patriots team that used to be the golden standard in the NFL.
Now, moments like this have them turning into the same walking meme the New York Jets used to be.
What just happened?? The @Raiders win on the final play!! #NEvsLV pic.twitter.com/cmKNUuab1k
— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2022
“That might be the dumbest play we’ve seen in NFL history.” 😬@stephenasmith on the Patriots’ last-second lateral against the Raiders pic.twitter.com/ZD2V8vqfxg
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 19, 2022
If an offer were on the table, should the Patriots consider moving on from Belichick for a first and second-round draft pick, which is what the New Orleans Saints got for trading Sean Payton to the Denver Broncos? What about a first-rounder alone?
Belichick is 71 years old as opposed to a 59-year-old Payton. So he might not be able to fetch the same trade price.
Is this a completely ridiculous conversation altogether? There’s no denying that Belichick is still a very good NFL coach, despite the recent team struggles. It’s important to note that the Patriots were one win away from clinching a playoff berth last season with Matt Patricia as the offensive play-caller.
There’s also a maybe option in this poll because things could suddenly turn around with Bill O’Brien calling the offense. The Patriots should be elite defensively, and the team made the playoffs the last time they had a real offensive coordinator.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Please share them by voting in the poll above.
