Patriots: Former GM thinks Bill Belichick will go all out for Deshaun Watson
By Jerry Trotta
Though Patriots head coach Bill Belichick likes to keep a low profile during the offseason, you better believe that watching former quarterback Tom Brady win a championship in his first year with the Buccaneers was enough to make him realize that he must hit the ground running this offseason in terms of revamping his roster.
Belichick is notorious for pinching pennies in free agency, but a recent report claimed that he’s planning to be “extremely and uncharacteristically aggressive” in the coming months, and that alone should alight the Patriots’ spoiled fan base.
The biggest question the de facto general manager has to answer is at quarterback, where there is currently a vacancy as far as a clear-cut starter is concerned.
In all likelihood, Cam Newton will be allowed to walk after his one-year deal expired, with very little resistance.
It remains to be seen how the Patriots plan to address that hole, and fans have pretty much written off the possibility of the team pursuing Deshaun Watson in a trade.
However, during an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Thursday, former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum asserted the opposite, claiming that Belichick will go all out for the Texans superstar this offseason.
The #Texans recently dismissed equipment manager Mike Parson — who had a close relationship with Deshaun Watson — and the move is not sitting well with players, per @AdamSchefter. https://t.co/PiXzatonih
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 7, 2021
Could the Patriots become serious players for Deshaun Watson?
"“Nick Caserio just came from the Patriots, they know each other well,” Tannenbaum said. “If I get Deshaun Watson — with all those other opt-outs coming back — I’m going to go to the Super Bowl. I’m gonna go beat the Kansas City Chiefs. Bill Belichick is a great competitor, he’ll do whatever it takes. We get Deshaun Watson, we’re back in the Super Bowl.”"
It’s worth noting that Tannenabum’s comments came during a bold prediction segment, so fans should temper expectations in that regard. However, it says a lot that he picked the Patriots as Watson’s ultimate destination with teams like the Dolphins and Jets (among others) rumored to have the best chance at landing him given their respective draft pick situations.
Belichick’s relationship with newly-appointed Texans GM Nick Caserio could prove to be significant if the Patriots do end up making a play for Watson.
And for anybody claiming that they would be better served hoarding their draft picks, go take a look at Belichick’s recent draft blunders.
Furthermore, there’s no guarantee that any one prospect will actually realize their potential at the professional level. With that in mind, do you really want the Patriots to stockpile all of their first-round picks for the next four or five years?
Not only is Watson a known commodity, but he’s under contract for the next five seasons, in the early stages of his prime at 25 years old, and, more importantly, a top five player at his position. If there was ever a time for the Patriots to push all of their chips to the middle of the table, it’s for a player of Watson’s caliber.
