New England Patriots: Change radically or take plunge to bottom

The New England Patriots have to completely change their modus operandi this offseason or they will descend to the bottom of the AFC East.

Bill Belichick, the majordomo of the Patriots football operation as determined by Robert Kraft, has big decisions to make this offseason. He can continue his previous way of operating or fall off the table entirely, due to his and Kraft’s decision to kick the NFL’s greatest quarterback, greatest player, greatest winner of all time to the curb and take their chances.

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Well, their chances weren’t that good then, and frankly, they aren’t that good now. So, how should they proceed? Let’s take a look at how they might.

Patriots should go big or go young and rebuild.

The Patriots have no quarterback at present. So, how do they proceed to rectify this, the most important position on any football field? The answer is simple, they need to go and get one.

The first option, get a top-flight quarterback like Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson and be ready to compete now.

The second option, they can draft a top-flight quarterback, and go all-in on that guy, and begin the rebuild to the top.

The third option, they can re-sign Cam Newton and still make certain that they get their quarterback of the future, whatever it costs.

Maybe one of those tactics makes sense, but for New England, logic defies expectation. They take the “road less traveled” and often fail in many personnel moves due to their bizarre draft strategy.

So, how will the Patriots proceed? Well, don’t expect them to act as the rational observer may think.

Belichick was blessed as a defensive coordinator by having the best defensive player in NFL history working for him. That would be Lawrence Taylor.

Belichick had the good fortune of having one Tom Brady as his quarterback. In 2020, he didn’t. Therefore, no playoffs.

So, how does this 7-9 team get back to the pinnacle of NFL football? Without question, it needs a top quarterback.

Would Belichick trade an abundance of draft picks and more to get a proven quarterback who may actually have a chance to get him back to the top? Unlikely.

Conversely, would he trade a bundle of first-round picks and other assets to get a high draft pick who may be that top quarterback he needs? Again, unlikely.

What about his legacy? Well, at this point, Belichick really has nothing to lose. He’s been a loser as a head coach without Brady. He may as well take a risk and trade the draft picks (which he and his personnel staff are clueless to utilize effectively anyway) and trade for the best, Watson or Wilson.

But, if that’s not possible, at least trade up to get the best quarterback available in the draft at anything like a reasonable cost. What’s to lose? Actually, nothing.

Unless and until Belichick gets a top quarterback to lead his team, he’s sunk anyway. If he sets his sights on a top young quarterback, he buys time. He may not succeed, but at least he gets a pass.

The Patriots personnel operation has been pathetic for years. Use a dartboard to pick draft picks and you’d do better.

So, without a top quarterback, the Patriots are toast. Stick a fork in them, they’re done. So, is Belichick, the GM capable of rectifying that situation now that he tossed away his Super Bowl-winning quarterback? We’ll see.

So the prescription here is simple, the Patriots should go all-in on getting a proven NFL-winning quarterback, limited to Watson or Wilson.

Or, they should go young and go for broke on drafting a top draft young quarterback. Trade the useless high draft picks to get that top quarterback in the draft. At least, that would give the operation more time.

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Otherwise, it looks bleak. He needs to do the right thing this offseason. Unfortunately, after he threw Brady out, that’s the reality of the situation. Let’s see how he reacts. It will certainly be interesting, indeed.

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