Bill Belichick still has an obsessive hatred for the New York Jets, and he showed it in the draft
The New York Jets’ worst-case scenario in the first round of the NFL Draft came to pass. All four of the top tackles were off the board by the time they were on the clock, and they could not find a worthwhile trade down. As a result, they got an edge rusher they liked but well before his perceived value range.
One pick prior to the Jets’, it appeared that there would be a remaining tackle at No. 15. Georgia’s Broderick Jones was still on the board. The perception was that the Patriots would either take Jones or leave him for the Jets.
Instead, Bill Belichick decided to stick it to his old team once more. One NFL general manager told the Washington Post that Belichick’s obsessive hatred for the Jets—a team that he spurned, not the reverse—led him to trade down with the Steelers, who he knew would take Jones.
Report: #Patriots Bill Belichick just wanted to "f–k the Jets" when he traded with the #Steelers during the Draft, an NFL GM told the @washingtonpost
"Belichick did it just to f— the Jets. He sold low because he knew the Steelers were going to take the kid the Jets wanted to… pic.twitter.com/tpP4NBdJyV
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 4, 2023
Most of the NFL landscape thought as much when they saw the trade down. Belichick initiated the trade idea to the Steelers, not the reverse; he wanted to make sure that the specific player the Jets were likely to pick would not be on the board.
There are many who believe Belichick took less in return than he could have gotten for a move from No. 17 to 14, which should have garnered a third-round pick.
Ironically, the 120th pick that the Patriots received from Pittsburgh would later be flipped to New York, who used it to select tackle Carter Warren.
Incidentally, the Jets may be better off without Jones. He would have been thrown into the starting lineup in Year 1, a role that he is likely not ready for. His long-term upside is high, but the Jets were seeking a plug-and-play tackle. Jones could have an Evan Neal-style adjustment to the league.
Belichick taking less to hurt the Jets is taking his hatred to new heights. It’s one thing to do so with all things being equal, but when the compensation is less, that’s letting personal feelings get in the way of business. It’s the ultimate form of cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face.
Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh smiled when he was asked about potentially ruining the Jets plans to select Broderick Jones.
“The trade that transpired this week, the Jets going from right in front of us to right behind us, certainly shifted things,” Groh said. pic.twitter.com/10v0lokwvx
— Kinnu Singh (@ByKinnuSingh) April 28, 2023
Then again, Belichick hasn’t exactly shown himself to be a savvy drafter. Trading up in the fourth round to select a kicker is an interesting choice. Doubling down on it by taking a punter in the sixth round leads to a different conclusion.
It appears that The Hoodie’s supposed genius has gotten to his head. It’s one of the only ways to explain a maniacal hatred that leads to irrational football decisions.
