Bill Belichick sticks to some iteration of the phrase, “I’m doing what’s best for the team,” when facing intense scrutiny about difficult decisions. The New England Patriots coach has made no shortage of controversial and questionable moves during his career.
In some cases, his what’s-best-for-the-team approach blows up in his face. But in the case of a shocking trade, like the one with Chandler Jones, even the defensive end is willing to admit Belichick actually did what was best for the Patriots.
“When I spoke to Bill (Belichick) when I got traded, he told me it was best for the team; this was the best decision for our team,” Chandler Jones told The Athletic in a recent interview. “At the time, I didn’t understand. That next year, they won the Super Bowl, so I did understand that was best for the team — saved money, and they actually went and won. There were no hard feelings at all. I understood it’s a business and it was what was best for the team.”
Indeed, the Patriots won Super Bowl 51, Super Bowl 53 after Jones helped them win Super Bowl 49. So while New England bailed on a player who has amassed an absurd 60 sacks in Arizona over four seasons, the Patriots managed to net Jonathan Cooper and a draft pick, which turned into guard Joe Thuney and receiver Malcolm Mitchell. Because the Patriots didn’t spend for Jones, they also had the cap space to retain their talented players — and add cornerback Stephon Gilmore, the 2019 defensive player of the year.
Maybe there was some question about the sense behind the trade at the time. But it turns out, Belichick knew what he was doing.
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