Getty Images Patriots Bill Belichick justifies lack of offseason moves
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick held a press conference at the owner’s meetings, reported Evan Lazar via Twitter. Belichick during the press conference cleared up any questions that may have been stirring around the league. Tons of Patriot fans have been sitting patiently waiting for a big-name inquiry this free agency, however, it has yet to come nor does it seem to be coming anytime soon.
#Patriots HC Bill Belichick held a press conference at the owners meetings:
– On lack of offseason spending: “spent a lot of $ last year”
– On who will coach QBs: mentions himself, Patricia, & Judge
– On who will call plays on offense: “we won’t be calling any for a while”
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Belichick’s theme and identity have never been built upon legacy or names. In his world, every individual must earn their respect and legacy by being consistent. He’s never been big on titles, throughout his tenure of coaching. However, this upcoming season, Belichick may be attempting to prove something to the world. This upcoming season, the Patriots will be without an offensive and defensive coordinator. This will put pressure on Belichick going forward, arguably, more pressure than ever before.
“I think our staff is complete,” reported Chris Mason for Mass Live. “I wouldn’t rule anything out. But I don’t think we necessarily have to hire anybody else.”
“I’m not big on titles,” Belichick said. “We have jobs to do. We’ll do the jobs.”
The New England Patriots Coaches’ Responsibilities Increase
It’s no secret that the Patriots have been stagnant so far in the offseason up until this point. However, are the Patriots’ coaching staff biting off more than they can chew seems to be the biggest concern. Belichick in the press conference attempts to reassure many of the fans of skeptics thereby trusting the process. Belichick is an old-school coach and believes in building teams rather than buying them.
“We’ve had a lot of coaches take multiple responsibilities,” Belichick said. “Josh and Brian Daboll were on defense and they went to offense. Matt was on offense and went to defense. So forth and so on. I’m not really worried about that. I think a good coach is a good coach. Matt is a great coach.”
Outside of the 2021 offseason, where he uncharacteristically spent $288 million, reported by David Esser for Sportscasting, he’s stuck to his roots. The biggest names the Patriots acquired that offseason were TE Hunter Henry for $37.5 million for three years and Matthew Judon for $56 million over four years. The list continues, however, many of these players receiving big money have not necessarily panned out which has forced the Patriots to shed money elsewhere.
The Patriots Forced to Shed Salaries
Although Belichick decided to invest heavily in the Patriots’ future with star players, many saw this as detrimental to the future of the Patriots. The Patriots making the playoffs with the rookie QB Mac Jones is very impressive. However, the Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since 2018, when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl, per ESPN.
Due to the reckless spending, the Patriots were forced to deal away starting RG Shaq Mason and star CB J.C. Jackson. While the Patriots managed to bring back RT Trent Brown, it’s hard to ignore the severe ramifications of last year’s spending.