Patriots’ New Offensive Philosophy Isn’t New, It’s Just Evolving

Bill Belichick is a freaking wizard, and once again we are about to witness his magic.

In fact, the 2020 NFL season will come to be known as Belichick’s finest hour, as it were – not so much tied to success on the field, but for finally being able to build his New England Patriots in his own gruff image.

I’ve always enjoyed watching Belichick build his team from the ground up each summer, but not as much as I’ve enjoyed this year’s effort thus far. He had a difficult – some say insurmountable – number of obstacles to navigate even before the pandemic swept across the country, and the resultant social distancing mandates made his task ten-times more daunting.

But “difficult” and “daunting” are challenges that fall right into Belichick’s wheelhouse.

We got our first look at his mindset during the draft, a fascinating, eclectic class of rookies whose selections seemed right on point with what he needed to propagate the theory that he’s been building towards this moment for the past four seasons…

…and although his method caused quarterback Tom Brady to go berserk and probably caused last-year’s late season collapse as well, there’s no doubt that this season’s incarnation of the New England Patriots will offer up a far better product than if he had not been building towards life without Brady.

The evidence is compelling, particularly along the offensive line. Starting with Shaq Mason and David Andrews in 2015, Belichick has assembled a group of linemen who are better a plowing the row than pass blocking – but to be fair, the aforementioned Mason and Andrews, along with 2016 third-round pick Joe Thuney and 2018 top pick Isaiah Wynn, have gradually improved in pass blocking…

…perhaps not consistently enough to protect a statue in the pocket, but plenty good enough to scheme around the talents of Cam Newton, who is now the favorite to win the starting quarterback job (as if he wasn’t the moment he signed his contract).

Initially, the line was being gradually constructed to meld with the skill set of Jimmy Garoppolo, whom the Patriots drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft as the heir apparent to Brady. Garoppolo is much more ambulatory than Brady and, as such, required an offensive line that is more athletic than stout.

You know, guards that can pull into the flat on a designed roll out, or who can slip onto the second level and neutralize a linebacker, and tackles who have the ability to chip defensive ends and drift out to lead the screen plays that are a staple of Belichick’s method of operation.

But when Brady (Kraft?) forced Garoppolo out of the building in 2017 - right in the middle of the building process - it forced Belichick’s hand. His choices were to either scrap his philosophy and cater to Brady’s insistence that he was determined to play into his mid-forties, or to continue along the path he had designed for Garoppolo.

Of course, it went against conventional wisdom that Brady would still be playing at a high level three years later, so Belichick maintained course and heading, knowing that his personnel acquisition was moving the offense away from Brady’s strengths in favor of a hopefully seamless transition to a quarterback that embodies the latest trends in the league, that being a renaissance of sorts to the old-school, smashmouth ways of yesteryear.

Some are speculating a return to the early seasons of the millennium, a power-based running attack to open up play action and to clear defined passing lanes, and while that is the hope on my end, Newton’s presence adds another dynamic

And since any philosophy in football is built from the inside out, Belichick has stocked the offensive line with smaller, lighter linemen with quick feet, excellent football acumen, and a mean streak a mile wide.

Of all the starters along the offensive line, left guard Joe Thuney is the tallest at 6’ 5”, followed by (presumptive) right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor at 6’ 4”, center David Andrews at 6’ 3”, left tackle Isaiah Wynn at 6’ 2” and right guard Shaq Mason at 6’ 1” – with only Eluemunor checking in at over 310 pounds. 

The NFL average for an offensive lineman is 315 pounds, the average height, 6’ 4”.

Again, only Eluemunor checks in at or above the size of the average NFL Lineman, and he wasn’t drafted by New England, brought in on a trade with Baltimore to help assuage the massive injuries that befell the Patriots last season.

All of that said and true, it is no coincidence that Belichick has assembled the smallest, yet most athletic offensive line in football – and all he needed was a quarterback to surround with it.

That’s when Cameron Jerrell Newton fell right into his lap.

Newton isn’t just a mobile quarterback. In fact, he was the gold standard for mobile quarterbacks when he entered the league in 2011, initiating a trend towards more option-based offenses that have swept through the league in the past decade.

But the real indication of Belichick’s commitment to a more diverse, power-based attack came with the drafting of two tight ends, both of whom should step right into vital roles all over the formation and will complete the blocking scheme.

The health of the line as a whole combined with the drafting of the versatile tight ends and the presence of Newton suggests that the product that Belichick is going to field will be different from what we’ve witnessed in the past couple of decades under his rule – but not so different that it will be unrecognizable.

The same concepts will be in play, but this time Belichick will be building his roster from the ground up in his own image instead of trying to fit square pegs into round holes in order to appease Brady, because now the hole is square and all of the personnel moves that he has made in the past few years should fit beautifully.

After all, that’s what the Dark Master has had up his sleeve the entire time…

From Wynn To Izzo, Patriots Get Physical In 2018 Draft

I got one pick right.

One lousy pick - but in mock drafts, one shouldn't expect to be able to read the mind of a tenured NFL head coach, and especially not "Trader Bill" Belichick, who made exactly as many draft day trades as he did making actual selections - and my one and only success, wide receiver Braxton Berrios from the University of Miami, came in the sixth round, when I had him as an afterthought in the seventh.

But once again, Belichick proved that he knows more about his team and what kind of player he's looking for while the rest of us are speculative spectators with no clue.

FSU's Ryan Izzo

Instead of replacing what he had lost in the free agency period, he simply made moves that put his Patriots on course to morph into something other than what it was, proving once again the axiom that insanity is defined as doing something the same way over and over again, yet expecting different results.

The Patriots failed to achieve their goal last season, Belichick identified why and moved to correct it.

The first thing he did was to address a lack of physicality in his offensive line by both drafting an offensive tackle who says he's a "lovable guy" but sure doesn't look like it on the field, and then trading away a third round pick to San Francisco to acquire a huge mountain of a man who is considered one of the best strong-side pass protectors in the game...

...adding a talented inline tight end who thrives for contact and was one of the best pure blocking tight ends in the class, though he does have some usefulness in the pattern as well - The toughness on offense wasn't all unique to the offensive line, as the Patriots selected a tough runner and a traditional garden gnome sized slot man who reminds many of a clutch playoff performer who now resides in Miami.

The brutality acquired wasn't solely destined for the offensive side of the ball as Belichick drafted a set of interior linebackers custom made to play alongside each other, suggesting an emphasis on run defense - but also took a couple of corners who look to be potential replacements for two recently-departed veteran corners.

Most of the selections were for players who were admittedly under the radar of the more well-known college athletes, but as usual, Belichik worked the draft board and selected players in positions where he got the greatest value for them, and ended up with a solid draft that improved the team's physicality, something that was sorely needed.

Here's a look at the Patriots' draft class (plus a major pick up via trade):


Isaiah "Ike" Wynn, Offensive Tackle, Georgia
6' 3", 313 lbs

New England's zone blocking scheme requires linemen with quick feet and good lateral movement, and in the past has sacrificed size for dexterity. In Wynn, the Patriots get all of the above without sacrificing anything.

A tackle in a guard's body, Wynn was initially listed as a guard in most draft profiles simply because college tackles his size usually make the switch inside where their shorter stature gains them better leverage against bigger defenders - but the Patriots made sure that the world knew that they were selecting him as a tackle.

A breakfast chef in the running game, Wynn serves up pancakes to defensive ends and tackles and has the athleticism to make sure he gets to the second level to give linebackers a taste as well. So dominating was he at tackle that he earned AP Second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC honors - and considering the competition, that is indeed high praise.

Because he is so versatile - he has the ability to play every spot on the offensive line - what his selection does is give Belichick some intriguing options. At left tackle, there is no guarantee that 2017 draft pick Antonio Garcia will have completely recovered from a bout of blood clots in his lungs, a malady that caused the already thin Division II product to lose 40 pounds - and at guard he is a clear upgrade over third-year man Joe Thuney, so instead of pigeon-holing Wynn at one position, we should just let Belichick and Dante Scarnecchia figure out to best use him...

Sony Michel, Running Back, Georgia
5' 11", 214 lbs

The first that stands out about Michel is his excellence in pass protection. Perhaps the best back in the class at picking up the blitz, his determination and willingness to put himself in harm's way also factors into his no-nonsense running style, where he displays an angular, jerky approach in setting up his blocks, with elite accelleration once he sees the hole.

He plays faster than his timed speed would indicate as he frequently gained corners against some of the best edge setters the SEC had to offer, and his balance and finishing toughness served him well in running between the tackles.

His production, running style and pass production mirrors what veteran Patriots' runner James White's did coming out of college, excelling both through the air and on the ground, but while White earns his bones as a passing back, the slightly bigger Michel will be in the mix for the lead back role in the Patriots' offense.

Trenton Brown, Offensive Tackle, Acquired from San Francisco
6' 8", 359lbs

Just hours prior to the second day of the NFL Draft, Belichick traded the 95th overall pick to San Francisco for Brown, who Denver Broncos' defensive end Von Miller proclaimed is "The best right tackle in the National Football League. There's not another tackle in the league who is that tall, that big, and can move the way he does."

That assertion was in response to a question from a reporter who asked Miller to name the blocker who gave him the most trouble - high praise for a kid that no one outside of the bay area had ever heard of, but who is very familiar to opposing pass rushers and is more of a natural athlete than incumbent right tackle, former All-Pro Marcus Cannon, who was shelved most of 2017 with a bum ankle.

The move for Brown coupled with the draft capital given up in exchange for him suggests that something may be up with Cannon, who may be relegated to swing tackle duties, for which he has shown a penchant for.

Duke Dawson, Cornerback/Safety, Florida
5' 11", 197lbs

Dawson is an assertive, aggressive slot corner who will try to intimidate opposing receivers with his strength and leverage in tight quarters when assigned in man coverage, and brings a ball hawking, head-hunting philosophy when responsible for an area in zone coverage - which makes sense as he is a safety-turned-corner who brings the same dimensions to the position as former Patriot Logan Ryan did.

In 19 games started as a slot corner, Dawson recorded 23 passes defensed and picked off six balls, three of which he returned for scores - but most impressively, he shuts down premier slot talent and allowed opposing quarterbacks a lowly passer rating of just 41 when targeted.

Given his aggressive style and experience at safety, Dawson could potentially be given strong safety duties in the Patriots' Big Nickel alignment at times to spell veteran greybeard Patrick Chung, as his coverage on running backs and his willingness to go nose to nose with them in the ground game are both part of his charm.

Ja'whaun Bentley, "Mike" Linebacker, Purdue
6' 2", 260lbs

An old-school tough linebacker who would be more at home on a 1970's era Patriots' squad, Bentley thrives on contact and has plus anticipation skills - which goes to figure because one look at his tape shows him to be an excellent "Mike" linebacker in a 3-4 alignment, whose primary responsibility is to take on blockers and occupying them, allowing the weak side linebacker, commonly referred to as a "Will" linebacker, to flow to the football.

Bentley most commonly lines up a guard or center looking to move to the second level and uncoils on them, more often than not standing them up in their tracks, much like what a defensive tackle is supposed to do but with a head of steam that makes the blockers remember playing him.

A bigger, more powerful version of Elandon Roberts, he isn't much for lateral agility and cannot be trusted with man coverage on runners, but he defends the middle zone like a bulldozer and lets receivers coming across the middle know that they have to earn entry.

Christian Sam, "Will" Linebacker, Arizona State
6' 2", 245lbs

The perfect compliment to Bentley on the inside of a 3-4 alignment, Sam is a natural for the weak side interior position, where he flows to the ball and makes the tough stops - and is a three-down player who can mirror the footwork of most backs and can also hang with most tight ends crossing the middle.

So sound are his coverage techniques that the previous staff at Arizona State considered moving him to cornerback before determining that he and they would be best served by bulking him up and turning him loose underneath.

Not considered a "practice player", Sam is a gamer that does his best work on the stage - and while that kind of attitude tests Belichick's ire, the Patriots' strength and conditioning staff will make sure that he is up to the task.

Braxton Berrios, Wide Reciver, University of Miami
5' 9", 185 lbs.

A slot man in New England is different than it is elsewhere, as Belichick's offensive philosophy calls on the slot as his bread and butter, chain-moving entity, which requires instant separation, laser focus and precise route running with the ability to make body adjustments to reach balls thrown to slight openings.

Berrios possesses all of these traits and is considered one of the premier punt returners in the class. He was buried on the Hurricanes' depth chart until his senior season, when he broke out as the top pass catcher on the team, averaging over 12 yards per catch. Most compare him to Danny Amendola, and if he proves to be anything like the recently departed clutch receiver, then New England got a steal in the sixth round.

Danny Etling, Quarterback, LSU
6' 3", 225lbs

If anyone was expecting a quarterback drafted by New England to be an NFL-ready signal caller, they will be disappointed with Etling. If those same people were expecting a developmental prospect with a live arm, quick release and in need of mechanical coaching behind the greatest quarterback who ever played the game, then Etling would be everything they expected.

Has the arm talent to be a top passer and can make all of the throws on the route tree, but his footwork and impatience in the pocket are in need of professional coaching. He keeps his arm cocked at all times and has an quick release, but doesn't tie his eyes to his feet, meaning that he isn't always in the proper position to fire the football - even so, his completion percentage (60%) and his touchdown to interception ratio (8-1) are on par.

If the Patriots can improve his mechanical flaws and if Etling can improve his pocket awareness and get rid of his paranoia about phantom pressure off the edge, he could be a nice project as a backup with starter potential - if not, he's a practice squad candidate.

Keion Crossen, CB, Western Carolina
5' 10", 180 lbs

An off-man coverage maven with springs for legs and a willing run defender, Crossen should be a developmental project who could be ready to contribute after some time with strength and conditioning staff.

The Patriots' worked out Crossen an the Wake Forest Pro Day and was the fastest player on the field, running a stunning 4.33 forty yard dash and his game tape shows that he has solid fundamentals, with the ability to keep his man on radar when he turns to look for the football - something that really can't be taught - and his anticipation to high point the ball and to go get it are plus-sized.

If the Patriots can bulk him up a bit, they have a good prospect on their hands who could compete for a roster spot in the wake of injuries to both Cyrus and Jonathan Jones last season.

Ryan Izzo, Tight End, Florida State
6' 5", 255 lbs

Another old-school prospect, Izzo is a mean-tempered inline blocker who gives as good as he gets, especially on the wham blocks that Rob Gronkowski does so well. Notice that I said "prospect" and not "project", as Izzo is nearly ready to contribute as a pure blocking option in Foxborough, adding yet another degree of size and toughness to a blocking unit that was heavily upgraded in this draft.

Has soft hands and runs sharp routes, but there's not a lot of film on him as a receiver - but what there is shows a guy who catches well with his hands and looks to dish out punishment in order to gain yards after the catch - and in pass pro, he frequently served as an edge protector from the offset position from the tackle box, and mirrored speed rushers and bull rushers alike.

He will seriously jeopardize roster spots held currently by veterans as a low-cost, late-round gem.

Belichick's Brilliance As Talent Evaluator On Display In Selecting Fellow Bulldogs In First Round

Talk about your all-time smokescreens...

Bill Belichick is rarely a guy who drafts for need, but he is a cat that enjoys toying with the mice in the media and in the fan base - not to mention keeping the other teams in the league guessing as to what direction he's headed in the draft.

That alone could explain why the Dark Master once again eschewed the conventional wisdom of draft experts and the millions of fans who generate mock drafts to bring value to the New England Patriots' roster - showing once again that he knows his team better than we do, and he has a different perspective on said value.

Patriots' picks Wynn and Michel were college roommates

Leading up to the draft, visits with Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson had just about everyone on the planet thinking Belichick had the exciting and elusive Jackson pegged as his quarterback of the future, but out of that smokescreen came a pair of teammates from the University of Georgia who had such good chemistry with each other that they were roommates for the past two years.

To that end, very few of the aforementioned draft experts had either offensive tackle Ike Wynn or running back Sony Michel as first round picks for the Patriots, yet upon closer examination of the two Georgia Bulldogs - and the requisite 20/20 hindsight - it becomes obvious why Belichick filled his first round grocery bag with them.

When eliminating the group think angle, the focus becomes an argument that both do fill needs. With the loss of left tackle Nate Solder to free agency, a need arose to replace him the best they could, and in drafting Wynn with the 23rd overall pick, the Patriots have given themselves some intriguing options in how to do just that.

Usually, when a kid Wynn's size is coming out of college and having played tackle at that level, he is projected as a guard in the pros - but Wynn is the exception to that rule, being described as a tackle in a guard's body - and what cannot be overlooked is the fact that as a tackle at Georgia and playing in the rough-and-tumble Southeastern Conference, he gained second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC honors as a senior.

Yet it is his versatility, coupled with the depth already on the Patriots roster, that still poses questions as to where the 6' 3", 315 pound self-described "Very lovable guy" will fit into the lineup - and he will fit into the lineup because he is too talented an athlete to have languishing on the bench.

At left tackle, New England already has last season's selection of Antonio Garcia yet to see any playing time and swing tackle LaAdrian Waddle already on the depth chart, though Garcia is a huge question mark for the 2018 season as he continues to work his way back from experiencing blood clots in his lungs - a malady that kept him off the field all of his rookie season...

...though perhaps Wynn is also an insurance policy against the slow development of left guard Joe Thuney, who was primarily responsible for much of the abuse that Quarterback Tom Brady suffered last season. Even with no professional experience on his resume, Wynn is a clear upgrade at that position - and also a viable replacement for contract year right Guard Shaq Mason, should the Patriots not be able to negotiate an extension for the rising star.

Belichick has also given us reason to think that he's reworking the offensive line, as on Friday he sent his third round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for road-grading behemoth Trent Brown, given the fact that right tackle is a bit of a question mark with former All-Pro Marcus Cannon missing most of last season with a bum ankle, not to mention that he will be 30 years old before camp starts.

Brown is just 25 years old and graded out as Pro Football Focus' fourth best pass protector on the right side last season before falling victim to a torn labrum and landing on the IR, barely missing out on the top spot, just percentage points behind the Steelers' Marcus Gilbert in pass blocking efficiency. In exchange, San Francisco also sent their fifth round selection to New England to sweeten the deal.

Considering all of that, it's no wonder Belichick placed such a premium on drafting the best lineman available for his scheme. Patriots' Director of Player Personnel Nick Casario stated after the first round on Thursday night that Wynn would be fully invested in the competition to replace Solder, but it doesn't take a genius to think that Wynn could be a star elsewhere along the line, given his power and nastiness.

But perhaps the most unforeseen position grab in the entire first round of the NFL draft was when Belichick stood firm at pick number 31 - when most assumed he would trade down for extra day 2 picks - and took Wynn's college roommate, running back Sony Michel.

There are two schools of thought on why Belichick selected Michel. First, he is a powerful and electric runner whom many have compared to either Alvin Kamara or Todd Gurley and second, he is a no-nonsense, north-south runner that is adept at identifying his cutback lanes working behind a zone blocking scheme.

While not as elusive as the man he's replacing as the team's "lead back", he possesses elite burst and acceleration through the hole and has the requisite balance and discipline to make a series of sharp cuts to free himself in the open field, as evidenced by his 3.44 yards average after initial contact, which is assuredly Lewis territory.

Though he has work to do in receiving out of the backfield - he had several drops in this first three seasons at Georgia before being virtually ignored in the pattern as a senior - he has the skill set to become a three down back due to excellent blitz pickup and blocking. And while he certainly will have an impact for the Patriots in the ground game, it goes to figure that veterans James White and Rex Burkhead will join with Michel to form what could be one of the better committee approaches in the game.

In fact, one of the more important factors that will come from Michel's presence is that both White's and Burkhead's roles should become more defined, with Burkhead a violent change of pace option to help wear down defenses, while White can be freed up to be used all over the formation as a dangerous receiving option.

So while drafting Michel should prove a boon to the Patriots backfield overall, it could spell the end for the seldom-used Mike Gillislee and pose a serious threat to the roster spot for free agent addition Jeremy Hill.

Another surprise that came out of Belichick's Thursday night's slight-of-hand act is that he didn't target any defenders, perhaps because he saw how the board was shaping up and found that much of the elite talent on that side of the ball were still going to be available when they selected in the second round.

If Belichick covets edge defenders to play in his three-plus-one front in the Big Nickel, the undersized-but-explosive Harold Landry from Boston College is still on the board., as is Georgia's Lorenzo Carter - even though the team is stacked with defensive linemen. If it's going to be a corner, there are several elite prospects on the board, with Iowa's Josh Jackson and Colorado's Isaiah Oliver the top of that group...

...and if he is looking to bolster his linebacking corps, Indiana's Tegray Scales is an instinctive "Mike" linebacker, while BYU's Fred Warner is a hybrid cover 'backer that could eventually take over the team's Big Nickel from incumbent Patrick Chung.

But don't count out the possibility that Belichick opts for more offense - and it's all but certain that he will select a quarterback of the future with one of his second round picks or with his third rounder - r he'll just say screw the entire thing and go completely off the board of conventional wisdom and blow up the middle rounds with deal after deal.

After all, with the smokescreen that Belichick fooled us all with on Thursday night, would any scenario be a surprise to anyone?