Bill Belichick’s mantra as the regular season has approached this season has been constant: do what’s best for the New England Patriots football team.
This year, that apparently means being bold and trusting rookies to play more substantial roles at key positions in a way he might never have done in the past.
If Belichick’s massive free-agent spending binge suggested a heavier reliance on veteran leadership in the Patriots’ second post-Tom Brady season, his team’s actual makeup heading into 2021 has seemingly flipped the narrative completely on its head.
Rather than adhere to conventional wisdom and take things slow with first-round rookie quarterback Mac Jones, Belichick went with Occam’s Razor in the end: Jones played better (and was more available) than incumbent starter Cam Newton in training camp.