3 teams who should trade everything to get Bill Belichick

If the New England Patriots do consider trading Bill Belichick, these three teams should give up everything to get him.

The New England Patriots and Bill Belichick seem to have gotten the bad end of the Tom Brady divorce, at 2-5 heading into what should be a win Monday night against the New York Jets. It may be a calculated punt/reset by the Patriots this year, with the COVID-19 pandemic as a lead reason to have an eye on 2021.

When it comes to Belichick, nothing would be all that surprising. A plan to punt on 2020 (with multiple players opting out), get a high draft pick and enter free agency among the teams with the most cap space in the league could easily be part of the plan. A one-year drop-off to set up another run of success is an easy sacrifice.

Belichick will be the head coach of the Patriots for as long as he wants to be, or at least as long as his health allows it at 68 years old.

Peter King of NBC Sports is a well-respected NFL writer and insider. He has an idea regarding Belichick, which is far-fetched but not necessarily out of the question.

“Like, probably right now, you would think if you traded Bill Belichick you should get two 1s, you think that’s about right,” King said. “Especially not really knowing how much longer Bill is going to coach, he’s getting up there in years and you don’t really know how much longer he’s going to coach, so are you going to trade two 1s for a guy who might only coach for four years? I think it’s an interesting thing. I don’t think it’s something you should dismiss out of hand.”

Coach trades are rare, to say the least. In 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers acquired Jon Gruden from the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders got two first-round picks, two second-round picks and $8 million. It paid off for Tampa Bay, with a Super Bowl win to cap that first year (over the Raiders, as it were).

Belichick could retire rather than accept a trade to coach elsewhere. He would surely have a say in such a move, if it were on the table.

It’s most likely Belichick is not going anywhere … but these three teams should trade everything if it means getting him as their next head coach.

3. New York Jets

In 2000, Belichick was Bill Parcells’ hand-picked successor as head coach of the Jets. It was publicized Belichick was going to be the new head coach, but he then wrote a proverbial “cocktail napkin” letter announcing his resignation at the press conference to announce his hiring. He was then named head coach of the Patriots, and the rest is six Super Bowl-win history.

The Jets are headed for the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, and Adam Gase may not leave the stadium in Week 17 still in place as the head coach. The options for a new head coach are wide-ranging, from hot coordinators (Eric Bieniemy, Brian Daboll) to big names (Jim Harbaugh?).

Would Belichick want to coach the long-dysfunctional Jets? Would the Jets (and their fans) want him, two decades after being left at the alter? Those questions are difficult to answer, but the Jets probably have to consider a trade for Belichick if it’s even a remote possibility.