Why Pats can't afford for Belichick decision to be a drawn-out process
Why Pats can't afford for Belichick decision to be a drawn-out process originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
If the New England Patriots decide to move on from long-time head coach and general manager Bill Belichick, they may as well trade him to get some value in return, right? NBC Sports Boston's Tom Curran explains why a move like that could do more harm than good, after all.
"If the Patriots are going to stand on Bill Belichick and make a bidding war emerge, that's not going to help the team very much," Curran said on the latest edition of Quick Slants. "Say then end up extracting a second-round pick from the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for Bill Belichick -- it takes three weeks for that to happen. That's three weeks less than the new coach has to prepare the team. Three weeks less that there is a personnel department with a clearly defined vision for 2024."
Should the Patriots decide to move on from Belichick, the move likely wouldn't come right at the end of the season. Thanks to Belichick's long history, and the six Super Bowl championships he brought the franchise, Robert Kraft and the rest of the Patriots' ownership group would likely give Belichick the respect of having some conversations before making any moves.
If the Patriots do make the decision to move on from Belichick after the conclusion of those conversations, which could go on for weeks, New England would then have to find potential trade suitors. On the cusp of breaking Don Shula's record for most wins as a head coach, Belichick would likely only want a move to a team that helps him break the record -- which is a request the Kraft family would most likely honor. Once a suiter is found -- Curran used the Chargers in his example -- the teams would then have to negotiate to find fair value for both sides, which could take a few more weeks.
With time adding up between internal discussions and trade negotiations, a new coach and GM coming in wouldn't have ideal time to prepare for the future. With a high draft pick likely in the 2024 draft, the Patriots need to get their picks right for the betterment of the franchise. Would you want the new GM or coach to rush on a pick, especially one that is projected to be the next franchise quarterback? Whoever takes Belichick's role needs to have as much time as possible to get the team back on track.
"[The Patriots have] the third most cap space in the NFL this off season," Curran added. "There are oodles of expiring contracts among valuable players that they have to decide whether or not they are going to bring them back or not. And yeah, there's a top two pick the Patriots are going to have to start scouting and making decisions on."
While making the move to let Belichick go is a hard one, it needs to be done swiftly. The band-aid needs to be ripped off so the franchise can move forward in a new direction. Is a possible second-round pick worth risking the future of the organization?
"Foot-dragging for compensation is not the way to go," Curran concluded.
