FOXBORO, Mass. — Can football be a “positionless” sport?
The short answer is “no,” of course: Unlike, say, basketball — where Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens has abolished traditional positions for “wings,” “bigs,” and “ball-handlers” — football is more structured. Offensive linemen block, quarterbacks throw, wide receivers catch, etc., etc.
But there is room for versatility on the gridiron, and no one knows this more than Stevens’ contemporary, Bill Belichick. The New England Patriots coach has no problem getting creative with his personnel, particularly on defense, where he’ll drop defensive linemen into coverage and move safeties like Patrick Chung up to the linebacker position.
Belichick was asked Tuesday about whether Stevens’ “positionless” style has any place in football, and he seemed to like the comparison.
“I think there’s a degree of that, sure,” Belichick said. “For some players — not all players, but some players. The more versatile they are, the more things they can do. The more flexibility that gives you. It’s easier to defend your opponents.
“I mean, our linebackers are going to have to go out and cover backs lined up in a receiver position. Our (running) backs are going to line up in a receiver position, so at some point, they need to know receiver-type routes or adjustments from that wide position as opposed to coming out of the back field, and vice versa for guys who are covering them, and so forth — punt team or kickoff return team, playing outside, playing inside, the leverage on the blocks, so you can be outside and drop inside or you can be inside and block a guy on the outside.”
The Patriots might need that versatility this season. After Rob Ninkovich’s retirement and Kony Ealy’s release, New England is a bit thin in the pass rushing department. Belichick could fill that need internally by using other players as hybrids, sending linebacker Dont’a Hightower off the edge or bumping defensive end Trey Flowers to the interior.
“The more flexibility you have, the more depth you have, the more diverse your scheme can be,” Belichick added, “because you can do the same thing from different locations.”
In short: The more versatile a player is, the more valuable he is to Belichick and the Patriots.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports Images
