For starters, Bill Belichick’s coaching tree isn’t really much of a tree. It’s more like a lifeless branch. Current Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels is partly responsible for that, though it appears he has now taken a far more noteworthy approach.

Instead of doing what Belichick would do, McDaniels now appears to be doing what Belichick wouldn’t.

With a few exceptions, here’s what every single one of Belichick’s disciples misses when they venture off to coach their own teams after breaking away from the man Bill Parcells referred to as Gloom: Belichick is a football savant who can inspire and motivate people through his knowledge and accomplishment. He’s not exactly Mr. Charisma. Belichick was 5-13 as a Patriots coach before Tom Brady was thrust into the starting lineup, the indisputable axis on which Patriots history turned.

Does that mean Belichick is a mediocre coach? Hardly. It just means he connected with a quarterback who possessed some of the leadership traits he did not, forming one of the great tandems in American sports history.

In Denver, during his first stint as a head coach, McDaniels was a disaster. This time, with the Raiders, McDaniels has clearly chosen a different path that amplifies his preferred way versus the Belichick way.

He traded for wide receiver Davante Adams and signed him to a massive extension

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 14: Wide receiver Davante Adams #17 of the Las Vegas Raiders warms up before a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at Allegiant Stadium on August 14, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated Vikings the 26-20. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Could there be anything less Belichickian than this? First, McDaniels traded a first-round pick and a second-round choice (both in 2022) to the Green Bay Packers for wide receiver Davante Adams, then signed him to a five-year deal potentially worth in excess of $140 million. With Adams, fellow wide receiver Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller, the Raiders have one of the better skill groups in football. The message? Talent wins.

He signed pass rusher Chandler Jones as a free agent

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 14: Defensive end Chandler Jones #55 of the Las Vegas Raiders warms up before a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at Allegiant Stadium on August 14, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated Vikings the 26-20. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Think about it: while Bill Belichick once traded away Jones to the Cardinals because he didn’t want to meet Jones’ asking price, McDaniels acquired him with a three-year, $51 million investment that gave Oakland one of the more fearsome pass rushing duos in the NFL. In this case, it was almost as if McDaniels went out of his to purposely sign a former Patriots player whom Belichick had eschewed, offering proof that he would not make the same mistakes he made in Denver. This message Instead of trying to replicate Belichick’s successes, McDaniels this time opted to sidestep Belichick’s mistakes.

He signed defensive end Maxx Crosby to a big extension

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 14: Defensive end Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders stands on a sideline during a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at Allegiant Stadium on August 14, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated Vikings the 26-20. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

A fourth-round pick out of Eastern Michigan in 2019, Crosby has massed 25 sacks in three seasons with the Raiders and was a second team All-Pro last year. He was eligible for free agency at the end of this year. McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler promptly signed him to a four-year contract worth up to $99 million, immediately sending a message that they were committed to both their players and to winning. Said Crosby: “Dave Ziegler and coach McDaniels, they showed their commitment to me right away and they didn’t want to play any games.”