Why chemistry, fit are biggest keys to building the Redskins

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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 04: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots reacts as they take on the Tennessee Titans in the first half of the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Bill Belichick’s focus on chemistry, fit, intangibles

For the first two years of my time with the Jets, I worked on staff with Bill Belichick and in the years since, I’ve had the opportunity to learn a lot about the genius within the man.

Belichick is looking for four, five key core characteristics in players that have nothing to do with how high they can jump or how fast they can run around some orange cones on the NFL Network. He’s looking for four or five invisible characteristics that are within the player himself. That’s how he wins year in and year out no matter who’s there.

Most teams in the NFL have about 300 names up on the wall on draft day that they are considering and many of those teams take the “best player still on the board.” I’ve heard Belichick has about 30 names on his wall in New England. That doesn’t mean the other 270 players eligible for the draft won’t play in league. It means they will not play for him.