Bill Belichick Provides Clarity On His Multi-Faceted Patriots Role

Bill Belichick long has had final say on New England’s roster decisions, but he’s not exactly pulling double time at One Patriots Place.

Belichick has been head coach of the Patriots since 2000, and for the bulk of his tenure in Foxboro, Mass., the future Pro Football Hall of Famer has been referred to as New England’s de facto general manager. While Belichick appears to be the person who signs off on all Patriots transactions, he’s not putting in the lion’s share of work in the personnel department.

“There’s no way I could possibly do that,” Belichick said Monday on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.” “I mean, coaching is a full-time job. Personnel is a full-time job. At some point, they have to merge together and be on the same page and figure out what’s best for the team. But you can’t be a full-time personnel person and be a full-time coach. It’s impossible.”

The aforementioned merging will be in full force at the beginning of this week with the NFL trade deadline set for Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. While Belichick reportedly entered Week 8 with no plans to sell, the Patriots’ road loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday might force him to reconsider.