Draft Day Patriots Porn: Jimmy Johnson Explaining What Makes Bill Belichick the Best Coach/GM Ever
I’m posting this video on NFL Draft Day as a public service. Because if you’re a Patriots fan you could use a two minute dissertation from the man who built the dynasty of the 90s explaining how Bill Belichick has built the dynasty of the 2000s and 2010s. And how the great coaches of the past like Tom Landry had zero involvement in their teams’ draft process. And how a Chuck Noll only had to build his dynasty once, but a coach today has to rebuild his team over again every single year. As one media/entertainment/lifestyle dynasty builder might say, brick by brick by brick.
I think it’s important to hear this, especially from a great like Jimmy Johnson, because it serves as push back against the clueless media hacks who’ve created this myth that Belichick is bad at drafting. Those uninformed dooshnozzles who push the “Belichick the coach doesn’t get enough help from Belichick the GM” agenda. Last year I listened to a post-draft podcast with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks where they actually fixed their mouths to say “Imagine how good the Patriots would be if they only knew how to draft?” Gee, I don’t know. … Like could they possibly be the best team in football? Go to the AFC title game every year? Win multiple Super Bowls? All while having to build the team from the ass end of the first round? That is, in years when the commissioner allows them to have a first rounder? Sorry if they’re not as successful at picking players as San Fran, Pittsburgh or the Jets.
Of course the response is always “Well they still win because they’ve got Tom Brady.” Fine, Then explain to me why Green Bay has only been to one Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers, the best quarterback in the game? Or why New Orleans has only been to one with Drew Brees? The fact is that, like Johnson says, Bill Belichick isn’t just the best coach, he’s the best GM too. Because the jobs are one in the same. It’s not about picking the “best” players. It’s about finding the right guys to do what he’s going to ask them to do. Which is why he gives no fucks about whether he takes a Sebastian Vollmer way earlier than he was projected. Or will trade out of the first round so Minnesota can grab Cordarelle Patterson and get the players he wanted later. Or draft a long snapper who has to report to duty with the Navy every day.
Of course there have been swings and misses. Plenty of them. Believe me, I get reminded of them every time I talk draft with anyone. The world still hasn’t gotten over Chad Jackson and it was a dozen years ago. But it’s the nature of the draft game. Just look at the dog’s breakfast that was the 2013 draft. It was supposed to be one of the strongest in recent history and the entire top of the first round was littered with abject failures like Dion Jordan, Dee Milliner and Jonathan Cooper. And when you miss on a high pick like that, it sets you back a million times more than, say, Joyce Boyce at 102.
But even with Belichick’s misses, every time someone without an agenda does an unbiased analysis, the Patriots rank among the best in the draft business. Take this one from NOLA that showed over a six year span, the Pats produced more Pro Bowlers and more All Pros than any other franchise. Or this one from TSN in 2015 that ranked them third in the league, behind only Green Bay and Seattle. Or just do what I did this morning, and take Jimmy Johnson’s word for it. And also keep a box of Kleenex handy because this is two-tissue Patriot Porn.