Has Bill Belichick the GM cost Bill Belichick the coach his job? Patriots owner faced with fascinating dilemma

Early-season struggles are not anything new in New England. Throughout Bill Belichick’s tenure, the staff has continued a number of what have been considered catastrophic defeats in September and early October that spelled the finish of the dynastic run of the franchise. Calling the first month “an extension of the preseason” have been a mantra that used to be pointed to in the previous when speaking about New England’s means and from time to time slow begins to the yr. 

While the ones begins have been extra steadily than no longer triumph over with a deep playoff run or even a Lombardi Trophy sprinkled in, those are other instances we are dwelling. This model of the Patriots is a miles other staff than the ones from the previous. 

Through 5 weeks, New England reveals itself at the backside of the barrel in the NFL. The membership is 1-4, recently in line to have a top-five select in the 2024 NFL Draft, and each and every week appears to be worse than the closing. After being destroyed on a countrywide degree in opposition to the Cowboys in Week 4, the Patriots returned house Sunday and have been passed a 34-0 shutout loss at the palms of the Saints. The Dallas loss used to be the biggest of Belichick’s profession, and it used to be met with the moment biggest Sunday. New Orleans additionally gave the Patriots its biggest house shutout loss in franchise historical past. They’ve been outscored 72-3 in the closing two video games and feature suffered back-to-back 30-point losses for the first time since 1970. 

It’s the very definition of all-time low.

How did New England get right here? What resulted in this sort of dramatic fall from grace? 

While you’ll level to a number of issues — the departure of Tom Brady in 2020, the curious choice at hand the offense over to Matt Patricia and Joe Judge in 2022, and so forth. — there is a quite simple clarification to why the Patriots in finding themselves the place they are at: They lack ability. High-end ability. That’s on Bill Belichick, who has been the staff’s de facto common supervisor all the way through his tenure. 

This is the place, to scouse borrow a reference from Bill Parcells, permitting the coach to buy the groceries is going haywire, or no less than it has on this case with the Patriots. Bill Belichick the GM has made existence extraordinarily tough for Bill Belichick the coach, and the former would possibly finally end up costing the latter his activity. 

No subject what avenues the Patriots have long gone down in recent times, they have got tripped over themselves attempting to usher in high-end ability. At the NFL Draft, the Patriots were not able to spot foundational items, specifically on the offensive facet of the ball. Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, a second-rounder in 2022, has but to make a big affect because of damage, and, in fact, the staff’s first-round select in 2019, N’Keal Harry, is thought of as arguably the greatest bust of Belichick’s tenure. 

Not most effective are the Patriots merely lacking ability, however there additionally appears to be one thing basically improper with the scouting procedure. The staff took Thornton over the likes of Pittsburgh’s George Pickens, who simply went off for 130 yards receiving Sunday. In 2019, Harry used to be infamously picked over A.J. Brown and Deebo Samuel. Even in 2018, once they scouted the Georgia backfield, made up our minds to take Sony Michel over his teammate, Nick Chubb. 

And that is bled into unfastened company as smartly. As it pertains to the 2023 Patriots, the approach Belichick and the entrance place of work approached the offense line — in particular the take on positions — used to be borderline NFL malpractice. The staff wager on 34-year-old proper take on Riley Reiff, who used to be simply activated off injured reserve after happening with damage this summer season. They additionally gave a lift to left take on Trent Brown, who has allowed seven pressures and two sacks already this season. 

Instead of aggressively pursuing and lengthening your self for more youthful and higher-upside ability, both by means of unfastened company or the NFL Draft, the Patriots went into the good deal bin with the offensive line and feature been getting bargain-bin effects. 

That deficient mix of looking for a good deal and the incapability to scout talent positions used to be on show this offseason. Instead of extending Jakobi Meyers, a unprecedented homegrown ability with a confirmed monitor document in the machine, they let him stroll and ink a three-year, $33 million contract ($21 million assured) with the Raiders. New England then became round and signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $25.5 million contract ($16 million assured). Whether it used to be hoping that Smith-Schuster generally is a ability improve over Meyers or whether they concept they may get the similar manufacturing at a less expensive price, the Patriots have swung and neglected. 

Even when DeAndre Hopkins — who had 140 receiving yards in Week 5 — used to be to be had this summer season and enthusiastic about becoming a member of New England, the staff would no longer pass the additional mile and contend with the two-year, $26 million contract ($10.9 million assured) be offering that he agreed to with the Titans. 

These are only a few of the examples that experience now become a mountain of hassle for Belichick and put Patriots owner Robert Kraft in a fascinating scenario. If the season continues on its present trajectory — and there is no reason why to be expecting it would possibly not — the Patriots will probably be taking a look at an offseason the place they are going to have a top-five draft select and most likely be on the hunt for a brand new franchise quarterback, all whilst having the second-highest amount of salary cap space in the league. 

While it kind of feels loopy to invite given his prior accomplishments and significance to the franchise, must Kraft accept as true with Belichick the GM to take that ammunition and produce the Patriots again to relevancy? Judging by way of his fresh efficiency, it is laborious to have a lot self assurance that the tides will flip in a good route. 

And underneath the state of affairs the place he does not, how does Kraft continue? Does he attempt to strip the GM obligations from Belichick and enforce a brand new individual to actually have the ultimate say in participant team of workers? Would Belichick even settle for what would necessarily be a demotion? Or would that form of maneuver cause the finish of his tenure with the staff he is helped result in six Super Bowls with Belichick electing to step down as head coach after this season? Does Kraft even wish to align himself with Belichick past this season in any capability? 

It’s a exceptional dilemma the Patriots owner reveals himself in that may successfully be the epilogue about his franchise’s ancient dynasty. That mentioned, it does not appear to be he’s going to blink if he in the long run involves the truth that the membership is at an advantage with out Belichick — as each the GM and coach — than with him as they transfer ahead. Already, there are rumblings that Kraft may fireplace Belichick if the struggles in New England proceed. 

Of route, reviews of one thing most likely going down and Kraft if truth be told decreasing the awl are two various things completely. Still, it kind of feels with out query that the architect of the largest dynasty that the NFL has ever noticed is underneath the greatest microscope of his profession and the clock might in reality strike middle of the night in a precipitous model.