Bill Belichick was neither seen nor heard Tuesday morning when a reporters gathered at Gillette Stadium for a pre-draft media availability session.
Instead, what might be described as New England’s middle management was on hand.
All of Belichick’s assistant coaches stepped into the offseason spotlight, most notably returning offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and Jerod Mayo, newly empowered by an offseason contract extension even if he may carry the same linebackers coach title into the new season.
After the assistant coaches spoke, most of the media fixated on O’Brien and Mayo as the perceived heads of the offense and defense, respectively, it was time for Director of Player Personnel Matt Groh to take over the show with a press conference breaking down where New England stands heading into a critical draft in which the team holds the No. 14 overall pick among its 11 selections.
It all felt very, well, professional. Competent. Authoritative. Appropriate.
It most certainly felt better than things did a year ago, when Belichick was trying to sell what owner Robert Kraft has now described as an “experiment” with a staff that included way too many vague roles and responsibilities for key cogs like Matt Patricia and Joe Judge as they tag-teamed a dysfunctional offense right into ground.
A year ago it seemed people didn’t quite know where they fit in. Roles and titles were blurred. Belichick was still wearing, as his son likes to put it, all the hats in the organization that had dealt with the departure of key experienced minds like offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and top personnel man Dave Ziegler.
Now O’Brien talks of a “clean slate” for everyone on what is clearly his offense. Whether it’s incumbent young starting QB Mac Jones or well-compensated new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, they are all building from the ground up in terms of relationships and schemes in the offensive world that O’Brien oversees with three decades of college and pro coaching experience to pull from and give him the instant credibility the New England offense so sorely needed.
Defensively Mayo talks openly about sidestepping would-be head coaching opportunities to stay in New England where all he strives for is “growth,” which this winter included a role sitting in on the interviews to hire O’Brien, Klemm and others. But he also openly notes that Steve Belichick, standing maybe 25 feet away, has called the defensive plays in New England since 2019 and should probably continue to do so as “our defense has been pretty good here since ’19.”
And Groh, who acknowledged he’ll never have all the drafting or roster-building answers, had nary a mention of Belichick’s oversight until he was specifically asked about the draft room process by a reporter. Even then Groh noted the Belichick is really good at asking questions of his subordinates as the collaborative group, that also includes Director of Scouting Eliot Wolf, works toward a personnel consensus.
There may not be a new proverbial sheriff in Foxborough these days. At the NFL owners meetings last month Kraft made it clear that Belichick still is indeed in charge of his football team.
But there are some new or newly emboldened deputies on duty. And at this still very early point in the process that feels like a very good thing.
O’Brien can run the offense.
Mayo – who says he’ll be sticking around New England for the “next few years” even if no one will opening acknowledged that he may be the head coach-in-waiting or heir to Belichick’s job – will work with Steve Belichick to oversee the defense while developing as an overall organizational leader.
And Groh pulls together the personnel department, a year of experience doing so under his belt as he heads toward a critical draft.
That leaves the 71-year-old Belichick to pick his spots.
Chime in and chip in where he sees fit. Where he’s needed.
Which, if things go as planned and go relatively well, should be in fewer areas in 2023.
It will be in stark contrast to 2022. And that should be a very good thing for all involved. Because, even with legends like Belichick, sometimes less is more.