Bill Belichick isn’t building the 2021 New England Patriots like he built the 2018 Patriots. That roster’s offensive core — Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Sony Michel and even the offensive line — was a milestone achievement for the Patriots coach.
Brady was, well, Brady — the greatest quarterback ever to play — in part because of Belichick. Gronk came into the NFL as a hugely talented but injury-prone player who Belichick plopped into an offense that made him into one of the greatest tight ends ever. And Edelman is a rare athlete (and, yes, an underdog) who thrived in the spotlight and delivered some of the most memorable moments in playoff history. Michel, meanwhile, was a running back who could carry an offense — even if it was only briefly — in the postseason, which he did with Georgia and later with the Patriots (336 rushing yards and 6 TDs in three playoffs games, including SB LIII).
That Super Bowl team won largely thanks to its defense. But the offense came together through the years because of Belichick’s penchant for finding talent where others don’t — and, of course, by building around Brady. Belichick spent years building different iterations of the Patriots offense. We’ve seen different high-points in 2007, 2011 and 2016. And while 2018 wasn’t the highest point, it was the final championship roster Belichick created around Brady. It was the last hurrah of that era of talent.
Now Belichick finds himself in an unfamiliar spot: Looking to find a new franchise QB — and help him acclimate to the league successfully. It’s worth taking a closer look at how a man who is widely seen as the greatest coach of all time approaches a task that has ended the careers of so many coaches along the way.
