- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
- Messages
- 49,643
- Reaction score
- 28,374
Totally agree with the first point. When Mac had two dynamic receivers in college, he was absolutely awesome.
Your second point is interesting and insightful, well put. BB is the greatest NFL coach of all time IMHO, and he is still among the best. One of his strengths has always been his adaptability, he adapts the game plan to the personnel instead of vice versa. However, as is typical for someone in his seventies who has enjoyed amazing success following a particular plan, I think he has become a little more set in his ways. As you correctly point out, with the transcendence of Brady at QB, BB as GM could mostly focus on the defense and assume the offense would still be a strength even with little draft capital devoted to the OL and WR. It worked for 6 Super Bowl rings.
...But now the Patriots have a young QB who surprise, surprise, is no Tom Brady. Other teams with a recent new first round QB in most cases immediately spend very high draft capital on WR and/or OL. As examples, Joe Burrow got Chase, Tua got Hill and Waddle, Lawrence got his buddy Etenne who has receiving skills, Zach Wilson got Garrett Wilson, etc., etc. With the exception of a bottom of the first round guard, Mac hasn't really had that same type of offensive draft help.
It will be interesting to see if BB adapts and if more attention is paid to the offense in next year's draft, with more attention paid to WR in particular. On the bright side, maybe Douglas and Boutte become so awesome a new WR isn't needed.
Two blindspots for Belichick in the changing of the league seems to be the need for top talent at WR and speed on defense especially at LB. Over the last two plus decades, he has adapted to the changes in the league. Many times faster than most or all the other teams. But these are two areas where he has been way behind the league in adapting. Not sure if it stubbornness or he is just losing his fast ball or just crappy talent evaluation or a combination of these.
The only top QB without at least one top WR is Mahomes and he has Kelce instead. I cannot think of a single top 10 QB that doesn't have at least one solid #1 WR or elite TE. Both Tua and Hurts were on trajectories for being mediocre until they both got two #1 WR caliber WRs both with elite #1s.
I admit I was resistant to the #1 WR argument. It took me awhile to accept the truth. But as this league is offense heavy and the current and future generations of players are having the top pure talent wanting to be WRs rather than RBs or CBs/safeties, the trend is likely going to continue.