In his more than two decades as the New England Patriots’ research director, Ernie Adams reached a near-mythical status. He was the mystery man behind the scenes, the closest confidante to head coach Bill Belichick.
Adams’ contributions to the Patriots’ operation were, of course, far less secretive than oftentimes portrayed. Nonetheless, he still played a vital part as Belichick’s right-hand man and somebody involved in nearly every aspect of the team.
Will John Streicher, colloquially referred to by his nickname “Stretch,” be the same for new Patriots HC Mike Vrabel? Their history suggests as much, but Vrabel refrained from making the comparison to Adams during a sitdown with local media at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday.