FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- In lieu of the weekly Sunday quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL during vacation week, the following is a summary of a recent public, football-specific talk I gave on 17 seasons covering Bill Belichick’s club.
Let’s call it the top 10 things a reporter has learned about team-building and covering a four-time Super Bowl championship franchise:
10. No shying away from tough decisions. While many attempt to emulate the "Patriots Way," it’s easier said than done. This means making unpopular, unemotional decisions that can create a level of initial unrest in the locker room, such as releasing safety Lawyer Milloy (2003) and trading Deion Branch (2006), Richard Seymour (2009), Logan Mankins (2014) and Chandler Jones (2016).