Not everything has been peachy during Bill Belichick's time as the New England Patriots' head coach, and a few instances make that very obvious.
Although most focus on the unbelievable success the organization has achieved over the last 23 years, primarily the six Super Bowl wins, there are some bad decisions made by the head coach that seemingly fly under the radar.
Outside of the obvious events discussed over the years, like Spygate, Deflategate, etc., Belichick has made some incredible mistakes when signing or trading for players throughout his time in Foxboro.
He may be credited with drafting some of the greats (Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Dont'a Hightower, and more), but he should also be criticized for the players that were a complete disaster.
Several lists on the internet rank such players, but these four stand out the most for one reason or another, and none of them are good.
Jonnu Smith
After completing the most productive season of his career with the Titans in 2020, Jonnu Smith hit the free agent market as one of the class's best-available and most sought-after tight ends.
Upon his initial signing of a four-year, $50 million deal with the Patriots, there was a lot of excitement because of how long it had been since the team had a high-performing tight end, basically since the retirement of Rob Gronkowski a few seasons prior.
But unfortunately, Smith never lived up to the expectations or contract, thus leading to his trade to the Falcons earlier this year.
During his two seasons in New England, the tight end played second fiddle to Hunter Henry, who quickly earned the starting tight end role. It was clear that both Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia tried to work him into the offense, whether as a blocker or a pass catcher, even having several plays with him coming out of the backfield.
But none of it worked.
In those two years, he totaled 55 receptions for 539 yards and one touchdown in 30 games. On top of that, he also added six total drops as a Patriot, with four occurring in his first season.
Whether the initial assumption of his potential success in New England was overblown or he became a product of lousy coaching during last season at the hands of Patricia, we'll never know.
However, it seems fair to say he was given the opportunity to succeed and couldn't get out of his own way, leading him to the next chapter of his career in Atlanta.
Chad (Ochocinco) Johnson
Maybe it wasn't the right time to get overly excited about a 33-year-old receiver, but when Chad Ochocinco was traded to the Patriots for a 2012 fifth-rounder and 2013 sixth-round pick in 2011, there was hope he would be the exact receiver the Patriots were looking for post-Randy Moss era to join Wes Welker and Deion Branch.
He was coming off another productive season with the Bengals, the team he spent the entirety of his career with, but he looked like a completely different player once arriving in New England.
Although he wasn't given a starting role, Johnson had the least productive season of his career, totaling just 15 receptions for 276 yards and one touchdown, all during a season that saw Tom Brady thriving, the rise of the double tight ends in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez and a Super Bowl appearance.
Because he wasn't the contributor they anticipated he would be, Johnson was released at the end of the season, essentially ending his NFL career.
Cam Newton
The departure of Tom Brady at the end of the 2019 season brought on a lot of emotions around New England outside of the initial heartbreak of losing the greatest of all time.
Once the news sunk in, questions about who would become the next Patriots quarterback began to arise.
At the time, Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham were the only quarterbacks on the team, leaving little hope of a successful season. Even with the most optimistic outlook, it was clear the Patriots would not be a contender with either quarterback option.
It appeared it was the plan to roll with Hoyer and Stidham, which made sense given the abysmal array of free agent quarterbacks that were available that offseason. But late in the summer, the news of Cam Newton signing a one-year contract with New England sent shockwaves through the NFL.
The former league MVP was coming off two rough seasons with the Panthers, mainly due to reaggravated injuries that impacted his performance and ultimately kept him sidelined. As it became a consistent issue, the Panthers eventually allowed Newton to seek a trade before releasing him a week later.
The news of his signing with the Patriots brought an excitement that had been lacking since Brady left earlier in the year and brought back a positive feeling about how successful the team could be that upcoming season. It also seemed to reinvigorate the locker room, which is always a positive sign for morale and competitiveness while preparing for games.
Come the regular season, Newton looked close to his typical self that fans had witnessed during his tenure in Carolina. The Patriots won a tough week one matchup against the Dolphins and, despite a loss, looked impressive in their bout against the Seahawks and the Raiders the following two weeks.
Unfortunately, that's when things took a turn for the worse.
Newton missed a big matchup in week four against the Chiefs due to being placed on the COVID-19 list and didn't look the same upon returning. They won just five more games the rest of the way, with the quarterback throwing more interceptions than touchdowns, and it all culminated in the first missed postseason in twelve years.
Without deep diving into all the factors that made Newton's time with the Patriots a tricky one, the excitement his signing brought was short-lived, and he couldn't live up to the expectations placed on him, whether they were fair or not.
Antonio Brown
Of all the shocking and unexpected signings the Patriots have pulled off over the years, the news of Antonio Brown signing a one-year contract with New England likely tops the list.
The dream pairing of Tom Brady and Brown had been discussed for years leading up to the 2019 season, and to see it finally happen was a bit surreal.
After spending nine years dominating the league with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brown was traded to the then-Oakland Raiders, but things there went downhill fast. Reported tension between the receiver and head coach Jon Gruden made headlines, leading to issues with Raiders general manager Mike Mayock to Brown being fined for his actions.
As the drama continued in Oakland over the next few weeks, Brown took to social media to demand his release, which was granted just hours later.
Despite all the negative press he had been receiving during the summer for his time in California, on top of misconduct allegations made against him, the Patriots took a chance on Brown and signed him that same day to a one-year contract worth up to $15 million.
It was alleged that Brady had spoken convincingly with Belichick and owner Robert Kraft to sign the receiver in their last effort together to make another Super Bowl run. But Brown's stint in New England didn't last long either.
Brown made his Patriots debut in the week two game against the Miami Dolphins, totaling four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown in the blowout win.
A few days later, more disturbing allegations were made, and the Patriots were forced to release him. It was a bitter end to what most fans hoped would be one of the best teams in recent memory, only to be disappointed by week three.