Only Bill Belichick really knows how miserable he was watching what any rational observer would conclude to be the worst nightmare of his GOAT career:
Tom Brady wins his seventh Super Bowl without him. Belichick does not win his seventh Super Bowl without Tom Brady. It doesn’t even make it to the playoffs.
If Belichick didn’t read or hear the hot scenes about Brady, meaning more to the dynasty than Belichick, you better believe that someone close to him did. But he probably did.
And it is perhaps a coincidence that Belichick went into a free agent frenzy on Monday that was as unusual for him as making a TikTok video.
This was the day when you could call him BeliCHECK.
Patience is often a virtue in agency, and Joe Douglas and the Jets, who started the day with as much money as Belichick, was patient from the start (LB Jarrad Davis) until he reached WR Corey Davis (3 years old, $ 37.5 million, $ 27 M guaranteed) a very good signing of a player leaving a year of career for whoever the defender is, and DE Carl Lawson (3 years old, $ 45M, $ 30M guaranteed), an emerging pass rusher (32 hits QB last season) which had 8.5 sacks as a rookie in 2017.
BeliCheck turned into George Steinbrenner on steroids.
“It looks like we’re looking for blood,” tweeted the new OT Trent Brown.
BeliCheck back with a vengeance.
Maybe BeliCheck had spent his $ 65 million or more in cap space, hell or high expectations would have come anyway.
Or perhaps another conclusion should be reached:
Hell has no more fury than a despised GOAT.
For those who wrote the obituary for Death Of A Dynasty, I advise you to kill it.
Of course, there is no guarantee that a free agent gold rush will fix anything that plagues a franchise, because there are many examples where it doesn’t work when your eyes are bigger than your stomach. But the league, and AFC East, were announced on Monday:
Bill Belichick means business.
The key to the Patriots’ revival will be Cam Newton, who will get better with better health and a better support cast, and BeliCheck gave him the kind of athletic TE in Jonnu Smith (4 years, $ 50 million, $ 31.25 million guaranteed) that Brady would have welcomed to replace Rob Gronkowski. His 41-488-8 TDs last season were the best of his career, and he will not be 26 until August.
Then he landed a legitimate and coveted rusher pass on Matt Judon (4 years, $ 56 million, $ 32 million guaranteed). Judon will be 29 in August. He registered 34.5 bags in five years.
BeliCheck added the versatile CB / S Jalen Mills, although four years, $ 24 million and $ 9 million guaranteed seem expensive for a guy with five career interceptions in five seasons, two since 2018, and green hair. It will serve as insurance with safe age and the possibility of CB Stephon Gilmore being traded.
BeliCheck absolutely had to update the position of wide receiver and needed speed, and the versatile Kendrick Bourne (3 years old, $ 22.5 million), who will turn 26 in August, was a good match coming out of a career year (49-667- 2 TDs) in San Francisco.
But Nelson Agholor, who turns 28 in May, looked a little expensive in two years, $ 26 million, even though he expanded the field (18.7 yards per catch) last year for Jon Gruden. And Derek Carr’s AB rating was 100.5 for Agholor last season.
NT Davon Godchaux (2 years, $ 16 million, $ 9 million guaranteed) is a much needed run-stuffer and only 26 on the opening day.
And just to be sure, just because he wanted to, BeliCheck hired former Jets DL Henry Anderson on a two-year contract.
BeliCheck lost G Joe Thuney to the Chiefs, who were desperate (5 years, $ 80 million, $ 32.5 million guaranteed) to protect Patrick Mahomes after the launch of tackles Eric Fisher and Matthew Schwartz.
2020 was a season of reconstruction, with young recruits ready to flourish. Still, the message was sent: BeliCheck wants his division title back from the Bills.
BeliCheck wants to chase its seventh Super Bowl as if there is no tomorrow. And at 68, there are not so many left for him tomorrow.
Only Tom Brady is forever young.
Therefore, for BeliCheck, the future is now. 2020 was a season of reconstruction, with young recruits ready to flourish, and LB Dont’a Hightower back after giving up.
And if BeliCheck can train all of these free agents and get Newton’s recovery, we may see him again on Super Sunday.
And you know that he would like nothing more on Super Sunday than beating Tom Brady.