By Alex Barth, 985TheSportsHub.com
Rotoworld released their annual NFL General Manager power rankings, and sitting at the top is none other than “Bill the GM.”
For the third straight year, Patrick Daugherty has Bill Belichick listed as the best decision maker in the league. The rankings are based on “All front office activity, from players and coaches to draft picks and contracts …Past achievements are not forgotten, but recent history is given greater emphasis. Even in a results-based business, the process is vital.”
Why did Daugherty give Belichick the top spot?
The Bears traded a fourth-round pick for Nick Foles. The Raiders made Marcus Mariota the highest-paid new backup at any position. Bill Belichick? He signed Cam Newton for $550,000 guaranteed on June 28. The move was the latest in a long-running trend. As the rest of the league ties itself up into knots trying to catch up with the Patriots, Belichick makes staying on top look easy. Belichick is not perfect, especially as a general manager. His roster failings are often wielded against him as a weapon, as if he is supposed to bat 1.000. A GM who does not make frequent, annual mistakes is a GM who does not exist. It is how you work around them that bakes the cake. Belichick left himself undermanned on offense last season. How did he compensate? By putting together the best defense of his entire tenure in New England. Belichick never focuses on what he doesn’t have. He takes his best shot at putting together a 53-man roster then molds and manipulates it as needed. It’s never flawless, but there are no excuses. Only Bill.
As the debate among Patriots fans heats up about “Bill the Coach” vs “Bill the GM,” those arguing for Belichick can get rally the idea that the man who has built six Super Bowl-winning rosters is still viewed as a force on the national scene.
2020 will undoubtably be a challenge unlike any other when it comes to building a roster. Will Belichick be able to live up to his top ranking? We’ll see when training camp opens next week.