New England Patriots: Bill Belichick facing his biggest coaching decision

4 of 4

Bill Belichick (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Here’s how Belichick should decide

My view on this is simple. The old offense and the old offensive strategy should be replaced (not revamped) by a more versatile and more creative system. A recent article outlined how this new offense might look.

The drop-back quarterbacking style of the past is being moved off center-stage by the mobile quarterback capable of a read-option approach, possessing the ability to pass, to bootleg, to improvise, to implement deception and to deliberately run for yardage himself.

More from Chowder and Champions

This new offense is led by that multi-faceted quarterback but supported by players on offense who are also versatile. Some will be double or triple threats capable of catching, running and even throwing themselves.

The sum total of the change is mobility, versatility, stealth and unpredictability on offense. I have written before that an accumulation of such offensive assets will be a defense’s worst nightmare. Planning for everything becomes planning for nothing.

That is Bill Belichick’s biggest challenge entering the post-Tom Brady era. He can decide to try to adapt an offense uniquely that was developed for and evolved over nearly 20 years around the greatest quarterbacking talent ever, or he can totally revamp his offense and emerge with a new dynamic version for the 2020’s.

Bill Belichick’s decision may come soon. Likely as soon as April 23 with his first-round pick (if he actually makes a selection there). It will come into focus in the 2020 draft and will clearly signal his direction. That’s why the 2020 draft may be the most important of Bill Belichick’s career, at least since 2000, when the Patriots struck gold and selected the greatest quarterback in the history of the game in the 6th round.

dark. Next. New England Patriots: Cam Newton and Bill Belichick could be gold

A “business as usual” draft will signify retention of the old system and in my opinion stagnation and likely regression. I support the new direction and have backed up that support in posts about that direction and the players in this year’s draft who may be capable of helping implement it.

I hope that is the direction the coach takes. I’m quite sure it will determine how well his team fares in the foreseeable future. We’ll be able to read the tea leaves better on April 26th.

Bring on the draft, April 23-25. Then stay tuned for the post-draft analysis. This is going to be interesting.

Home/New England Patriots