The Quest for 7: Patriots needs, Brady optimism, Belichick wisdom, Links 2.4.20

Morning! Welcome to The Quest for 7, where volunteer writer, Steven Viner, scours the net for seven Patriots related articles from other sites offering different points of view on the six-time champs. Paid subscribers not only get to read all seven, but they also get to check out his always fiery "Steve's Soapbox" at the end.

1. There's been a lot of positive vibes and signs pointing toward Tom Brady returning to Foxboro next year. Tyler Sullivan of CBSSports goes over what key moves the Patriots need to make to its supporting staff to keep TB12 in New England. If there's anything I can do to help, Tyler, tell Brady to drop the restraining order and I am there!

2. Want to know the needs of the Patriots and their "Chief" competition next year? (Dad-Joke All-Pro 3 years running, baby.) Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus informs us of the offseason needs for all 32 NFL teams. According to this article, the sinking Cowboys need an Ark, and I Noah guy.

3. Chad Finn of Boston.com thinks the Patriots aren't far off from getting back to the big game and pleads his case to Judge Hoodie that they can still make another run at a Super Bowl next year. This offseason, if Belichick brings back Brady and adds one or two yutes with speed, Finn might be onto something. #MyCousinVinny

4. If you never caught this, Bill Belichick wrote his own article in The New York Times back in 2003 letting players know that the hard part follows after becoming a champ. Always fascinating to get inside that snarl-snorting brain under the sweatshirt hood.

5. There's always gotta be one. Instead of enjoying his accomplishment and new title of "Super Bowl Champion," Alek Arend of The Spun lets us know about this Chiefs' player who had a bold message for the Patriots. Rumor has it New England makes the most sense to play Kansas City on their opening night. Belichick will have the Pats locker room wallpapered with this message from Mr. Ford's big mouth.

6. With the Patriots having three third-round picks, you may want to check out these links. Chad Reuter of NFL.com gives his round three mock draft. Then, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report gets crazy and predicts the entire 2020 NFL draft. Better odds of him getting every selection correct, or Kyrie Irving showing up at TD Garden in March to play the Celtics?

7. Angelique Fiske of Patriots.com writes about the video attached to her piece that features Tom Brady, Sony Michel, and others reading hurtful Tweets out loud, and it is LOL funny. (Not as funny as my Dad Jokes of course, but not too shabby!)

STEVE'S SOAPBOX

The place where Steve gets to give his take of the day from the perspective of a Patriots fan.

In this Part 2 of 5 Series, I'll be forcing myself to select the person MOST responsible for the Patriots winning or not winning the Super Bowl out of Belichick the Coach, Belichick the GM, and Tom Brady the QB. Yesterday featured the 2000 to 2003 years. Today is 2004-2007. Fight me in the comments if you disagree — but no touching the hair!

2004 Tom Brady the QB: +1. Belichick the GM added Corey Dillon and Rosevelt Colvin, but the roster was already loaded. Belichick the Coach allowed this team to sleepwalk at times. Too many games were much closer than they should have been with this gridiron juggernaut. Brady won a crucial shootout against Manning on opening night which gave them a bye and a home game in the Divisional Round rematch. He completed 68% on his passes in the playoffs with 5 TDs 0 INT against three teams that were a combined 43-5. Possibly the toughest playoff road in football history.

Belichick the Coach: +1 … Belichick the GM: +1 and -1 … Brady the QB: +1

2005 Tom Brady: -1. Belichick the GM lost Ty Law, but the team was still stacked. Belichick the coach gets a pass because this talented roster was shellacked with injuries and had a tough schedule. Brady was 3-6 against teams with a winning record. In the playoffs against Denver, the Patriots were about to take the lead late in the third quarter, when Brady threw a disastrous 14-point-swing interception, (the Ben-Watson-running-down-Champ-Bailey play.) Someone had voodoo dolls of our clutch players, (Brady 2 interceptions, Troy Brown and Kevin Faulk had crucial fumbles.) Sad part is, if the Patriots win, they would've been home for the AFC Championship against the Steelers, (who they owned) and then they would've played that hideous Seattle team with Matt Hasselbeck at QB. Patriots win that, they'd have 7 Super Bowls and the Steelers 5, (2 ahead of everyone.)

Belichick the Coach: +1 … Belichick the GM: +1 and -1 … Brady the QB: +1 and -1

2006 Belichick the GM: -1. Easy one. Belichick fed Deion Branch and David Givens to his sharks with laser beams attached to their frickin heads and brought in henchmen Reche Caldwell and Doug Gabriel to replace them. Oh and Lawrence Maroney and Chad Jackson were his first two picks. This was the equivalent to striking out seven times in one game.

Belichick the Coach: +1 … Belichick the GM: +1 and -2 … Brady the QB: +1 and -1

2007 Belichick the coach: -1. Does thinking about this year ever not hurt? Belichick the GM built arguably the most talented roster in NFL history. Brady had his greatest statistical year, so it’s on the coach who led his team to 18 straight wins, (God it still makes no sense.) Belichick didn’t address his O-line getting manhandled in that Super Bowl by forcing McDaniels to scrap the 7-step dropbacks for screens and dink-and-dunks. And whether he called the play or not, Belichick had to have known that Ellis Hobbs would be on an island against Plaxico Burress — who's 4-feet taller than Hobbs — on that game-winning touchdown.

Belichick the Coach: +1 and -1 … Belichick the GM: +1 and -2 … Brady the QB: +1 and -1

To be continued tomorrow with 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011!

Be on the lookout for more The Quest for 7 features. Want more Salty Tears and Soapbox? Click on my name above and scroll down for previous Quests!