McDaniels, Belichick, Butler and Gronk: What's fact and what's fiction?

Sifting through the latest news on Josh McDaniels, Bill Belichick, Malcolm Butler and Rob Gronkowski, and getting to the truth on all matters related to the Patriots, who are about the only team that can make you forget they just played and lost a Super Bowl less than 72 hours ago:

Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick

• McDaniels was absolutely going to the Colts as of Tuesday morning. He had agreed to a deal, had started hiring coaches, had done all the things you would do to relocate a young family (scouted out schools, etc.) and headed to Gillette at this time yesterday to clean out his office and say his goodbyes. So what changed?


• Timing is everything. At basically the last possible moment, when McDaniels was still not 100 percent gone in his own mind, the Krafts and Belichick made it “crystal clear” according to one source, how much they valued McDaniels as offensive coordinator soon after the Super Bowl ended.


• So why did it take that long, why did they allow McDaniels to go on interviews and negotiate a deal with the Colts, for the Patriots to show McDaniels how much they valued him? This is just how the Patriots, and especially Belichick, operate. They’re not just trying to dismiss the media when they say things about how that game is over, or we’re onto the next game — that’s the truth. McDaniels stayed quiet about his future because he did not want to be any type of distraction as the team continued its march through the postseason. They could finally address it once the season was over.


• Belichick already knew he was losing his defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia, to the Lions, and now Belichick was faced with having to deal with changes on the offensive side, which also happens to include picking a new successor at quarterback to Tom Brady. McDaniels was instrumental in picking and developing Jimmy Garoppolo. Finding the next guy, whether it’s in this draft or the next, would have been much tougher and included much more legwork by Belichick had McDaniels departed.


• Those are the major reasons. How much of a factor was Brady’s feelings in all this? There’s no denying that Brady’s comfort level, when he’s nearing the finish line, was a factor in all this, probably more for the Krafts than Belichick. As I wrote last night, Belichick and Brady don’t have the same communication level at this point, although that could change. McDaniels was a major conduit between Brady and Belichick, and the prospect of not having that was not optimal.


• One source told me that while it’s certainly easier and a load off McDaniels’ mind to leave his young family in place, that was not a major factor. This was pretty much McDaniels’ decision, and the Patriots demonstrating the value they place on McDaniels was paramount.


• Is McDaniels the successor to Belichick? Today, yes. A year from now or in the future? No one knows. My understanding is Belichick has multiple years left on his contract, but no one is sure, including the Krafts, know exactly how long Belichick will coach. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Belichick decides next week he is done. I don’t think that will happen, but it can’t be ruled out. And part of keeping McDaniels in place, at least for the Krafts, it gives them a ready option should Belichick up and retire at any point. Remember when Belichick left the Giants for the Browns and a few months later Bill Parcells retired for health reasons and the Giants spiraled out of control under Ray Handley? The Krafts were not going to let that happen with the Patriots. Like Belichick does with his roster when it comes to dealing with free agents and the draft, the Krafts were not going to be left without options should Belichick’s employment status change suddenly.


• Any talk about McDaniels having second thoughts about Colts owner Jim Irsay or the status of Andrew Luck’s health is just a cover story. Nothing has changed on either front from when McDaniels agreed to be the Colts coach until now.


• Do not believe all the talk that McDaniels is now toxic to other teams in the league now that he has burned the Colts (which he did). Is he toxic to many teams? Sure. But there are many teams around the league with Patriots ties that could be looking for a coach in the future and would have no issue pursuing McDaniels again. One example? The Bucs with general manager Jason Licht. And don’t discount others, like Nick Caserio, moving on at some point and wanting McDaniels, who will listen in the future. Belichick could coach another five to seven years. No one knows.

• Everyone behind the scenes is still playing coy when it comes to exactly what went down with Butler’s benching in the Super Bowl, but nothing I’ve heard would indicate that he needed to sit for the entire Super Bowl. Basically, it was an accumulation of things, and there was a final straw involved.


• Yes, there are players who are angry about what happened and feel that Belichick’s decision on Butler factored into the loss. That will linger for some time, but people will get over it when they turned the page and move onto 2018.


• But make no mistake, many players have seen exactly what went on with Butler — the team drawing a hard line on a contract, giving Butler’s money to an outsider in Stephon Gilmore, and the Super Bowl benching — and their eyes are open, as they always are. The Patriots are no different than any other team in this regard.

• Bill Burt reported in the Eagle-Tribune that Gronkowski is weighing a career in Hollywood. There's been some chatter about that over the past year, and I think he's fairly serious about it — at least as a contract play.


• Basically, the Gronk clan sees an opportunity for Gronkowski to make as much money in movies and television without the wear and tear on his body, like other NFL players (Jim Brown, among others) have decided in the past. Don’t discount visions of The Gronks becoming the new "Entourage" in Hollywood.


• Part of this is also a contract ploy. Why should Gronkowski continue to put his body on the line for a contract that is tied to incentives and does not automatically make the best tight end in the game the highest-paid tight end in the league? Why should Gronkowski make half of what receivers make in the NFL when he’s every bit the offensive weapon that they are? Basically, this could build toward a showdown where Gronkowski says I want to make X, or I’m going to Hollywood. What would the Patriots do? Difficult to say, but it’s hard to see them just giving in, especially given Gronkowski’s injury history. For that reason, a preemptive trade can't be ruled out.


• Also, don't discount Gronkowski requesting a contract that is 100 percent guaranteed. That would be a huge feather in the cap of Drew Rosenhaus, his agent.