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FOXBOROUGH, Mass .– The 3-5 New England Patriots are in the midst of an unusual losing season, with some pointing to below-par drafts in recent years as the primary reason for the slip, which has led coach Bill Belichick to quote the whole organization. success questioned on the subject Friday.
“I would say the most important thing for me is winning games. I’m not going to apologize for our record of the last 20 years. I’ve seen a lot worse,” Belichick said on his regularly scheduled video conference.
The Patriots won six Super Bowls during Belichick’s tenure, and their last losing season dates back to 2000, Belichick’s first year as a coach.
But Belichick is currently overseeing a roster transformation in 2020, his first non-roster Tom Brady on the roster, who has shone the spotlight on whether the team is making enough out of their draft picks.
It ties in with something Belichick recently told Sirius XM NFL Radio – that salary cap constraints have created a situation where the Patriots don’t have the same level of depth as in recent years.
The Patriots host the Baltimore Ravens (6-2) on Sunday night (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), and after answering two questions about the recent draft picks on his morning video call, a cordial but straightforward Belichick was invited a third and said, “Right now, as I write a scorecard, I understand you want to write about this, which is great – but I’m really trying to focus on preparing the Ravens. I think I’ll let my attention go on that. “
The Patriots made just four draft picks in 2017, and only reserve defensive end Derek Rivers (third round) and reserve defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. (fourth round) remain on the roster.
They traded their 2018 second-round pick, cornerback Duke Dawson, ahead of the 2019 season. Starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn (first round), running back Sony Michel (first round), linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley (fifth round) and right winger Ryan Izzo (seventh round) remain on the current roster.
Perhaps a catalyst for the Patriots’ recent draft work under the microscope is what unfolded with 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry, who did not emerge on par with the others. League receivers picked after him, such as second-round pick Deebo Samuel (49ers), AJ Brown (Titans) and DK Metcalf (Seahawks).
Meanwhile, the top of the 2020 class hasn’t contributed much this year, with sixth-round offensive lineman Mike Onwenu being the rookie star, rising to a starting role.
When asked if he has any idea why the Patriots have had a harder time securing consistent production from recent draft picks, Belichick spoke about his overall philosophy.
“Every time you bring a player into your team, you put them in a role or situation that works for you. Sometimes you have to tweak this a bit as you get to know the player. Then you work with it to try to develop that. He competes with other players for whatever position, or whatever role he occupies, ”he said.
“At the end of the day, we pick, I pick, the best player in this competition. So that’s really the process. I don’t know how to answer the question any other way. Obviously every player is different, every player is in competition. with different players, the positions are different. “
He later added: “At the end of the day we’re trying to put the best possible team on the field to be competitive, and I don’t really see that changing. So whoever those players are or not, it’s my responsibility. The team. It’s that the competition is played and that the best players play, whoever they are. “
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