It was reported well before the start of NFL free agency that Bill Belichick and Bill Belichick alone would handle the New England Patriots’ dealings with Tom Brady.
It’s become pretty clear that plan of attack never wavered.
While Patriots owner Robert Kraft claims the franchise wanted to retain Brady, it doesn’t seem as though the team made a thorough effort to keep the quarterback in house. In turn, the 42-year-old took matters into his own hands and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
NBC Sports’ Mike Florio believes Kraft handled the situation the right way, as Belichick is the cornerstone of New England’s future plans.
“Look, I think the bottom line is this: there was only a limited amount of time that we were going to continue to see Tom Brady with the Patriots,” Florio said. “Bill Belichick was always going to be there longer. Why are you going to force Belichick to take a guy he doesn’t want, maybe piss Belichick off? He’s the guy who’s going to be there. He’s the guy who inevitably was going to be trying to build another Super Bowl team without Tom Brady. It was a no-brainer.
“Look, that’s the way you own a team. You don’t meddle. You step aside and you let your football people make the decisions, especially when they have six pelts on the wall. You let Belichick call what he wants, who he wants, how he wants and you don’t get in the way of that.”
A number of Patriots fans likely are unsettled by the current bleakness of the future in Foxboro. That’s understandable, but the fact that greatest football coach of all time will be calling the shots for the foreseeable future should help put those nervous supporters somewhat at ease.
