Patriots executive takes apparent shot at Bill Belichick culture: ‘Less of a hard-ass vibe’

The “Patriot Way,” as it has been deemed, worked really well for a really long time, until it didn’t. Head coach Bill Belichick helped lead the team to unprecedented success in the 24 seasons as a head coach, with six Super Bowl wins, nine Super Bowl appearances and 17 divisional titles — utter domination for 20 years. 

Things took a turn after quarterback Tom Brady left, with the struggles in the last few years ultimately leading to the Patriots and Belichick parting ways. Last year the team went a disappointing 4-13, missing the playoffs for the second straight year. The Patriots are in a new era for the first time in over two decades, with Jerod Mayo as their new head coach. 

How different this new phase in New England will be has yet to be seen, but according to director of scouting Eliot Wolf, it will be a significant change.

While speaking at his media session at the NFL’s Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Wolf said the team will have “less of a hard-ass vibe.”

“It’s easy to say the culture has changed, but there’s no players here right now, so we’ll see if the culture has changed,” he said.

It is not a far reach to say the comment was a dig at Belichick, who ran a very tight ship. “The Hoodie” was known for being one of the toughest coaches in the league, cracking down hard on players who did not follow the team’s expectations. One way to describe his head-coaching style would certainly be “hard-ass.”

Belichick never gave too much away to the media, whether it was saying he’s “onto Cincinnati” rather than answer questions about Brady, not revealing whether Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe would be the starting quarterback, and the public never really knowing the reason why Malcolm Butler did not play in the Super Bowl, to name a few. Players were taught to keep quiet on most everything regarding the team, not wanting to give opponents bulletin board material. Even the most vocal…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/patriots-executive-takes-apparent-shot-at-bill-belichick-culture-less-of-a-hard-ass-vibe/

Author : Shanna McCarriston

Publish date : 2024-02-27 18:30:42

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