Patriots: ‘Blue smoke and Mirrors’ approach lands Mac Jones at 15

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s bluff and run tactic

So, how then did/does Bill Belichick try to hoodwink the helpless or anyone else? It was through that blue smoke and those mirrors, of course.

First, a seeming past example that comes readily to mind.  That would be the Vernon Gholston draft episode. Many younger fans will say, “Who?”

Gholston was the overall 6th pick in the 2008 draft from Ohio State. Obviously, he was a highly-touted edge/defensive end prospect.

He was taken with that pick by none other than the New York Jets. And the Jets seemed to be totally snookered by the Patriots on that pick.

Now, this is pure speculation, but let’s take a look. In 2008, the best offensive lineman presumably since he was drafted No. 1 overall in that draft was Jake Long of Michigan.

He went to Miami with that first overall pick. Now that’s a statement. An offensive tackle going No. 1. The aforementioned Gholston was drafted No. 6 by the Jets.

There was a signature play that year when Ohio State played Michigan. Gholston made his name by literally (as I recall) pancaking Long, the best offensive lineman, and, and per the draft the presumptive best player in the entire draft.

William Kunkel of Bleacher Report wasn’t convinced though and he wrote this,

"The 6th pick in the draft, Vernon Gholston, will be a bust!  I have many concerns with Gholston being drafted so highly. Is it just me or did Gholston all of a sudden just pop up on every body’s draft board one week?  Working for Mike and Mike in the Morning, I see these lists every single day, I can clearly remember when he was mentioned and I thought to myself, WHO?  Gholston came out of the woodwork, he came out of nowhere. Why? How? The biggest achievement that Gholston had at Ohio State was apparently getting A sack against Michigan’s Jake Long. This is ONE sack, right? Jake Long is great, but he is considered to be a mauler, not a finesse guy. Just because he gave up one sack against Gholston does not mean that Gholston is now the next chosen one!"

So here’s where the “blue smoke and mirrors” comes in. Belichick proceeded before the draft to hype Gholston to a fare thee well. The Patriots were all over the player in the media.

As it turned out, this was very likely a major disinformation campaign aimed at getting anyone, especially an AFC East rival, to bite on the fake, get juked out, and roll high on Gholston.

Lo, and behold, the clueless Jets took the bait, hook-line-and-sinker (or stinker as it turned out), and took Gholston with that 6th overall pick. He had zero sacks in a three-year career.