Acquiring Bill Belichick From Patriots Would Apparently Cost Three First-Round Picks For Giants

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- Longtime New York Daily News football writer Gary Myers has been hot on the trail of a situation that will likely never take place, and on Tuesday, he reported exactly why we're unlikely to see an NFL team swoop in and steal Bill Belichick away from the New England Patriots amid their desperate power struggle that's cast a "lingering sadness" in Foxboro.

Myers reported, by way of an anonymous league executive, what the price would be if the Giants were to seriously go out and nab the 65-year-old Belichick to save the franchise in New Jersey.

"Three No. 1 draft picks," the source told Myers.

Yeesh.

Myers added on Toucher & Rich on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Tuesday that the source was someone who, "if anything you could say that he would err on the side of the Giants in saying what he thinks the compensation should be."

If, say, the Giants were to be undaunted by such a price tag on a Hall of Fame coach, that would be an awfully high price to pay for a team that owns the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft, needs a quarterback, probably needs a left tackle and definitely needs some more O-linemen, and will have a difficult time turning things around for the long term after a 3-13 season when they don't have first-round picks for the next three years.

Of course, Belichick's thrived over the past 18 years despite not making first-round selections in 2000 (when Belichick was essentially the first-round pick), 2009, 2013, 2016 and 2017. Even in the years when he has made a first-round pick for the Patriots, Belichick has generally selected very late in the first round.

An important distinction, though, is that Belichick was working with more talent spread out across his Patriots rosters. And he never went three straight years without making a first-round pick.

This all may be needless conjecture, of course. The Giants are interviewing Steve Wilks on Tuesday, and Steve Tisch will reportedly be present for it. Perhaps he's the favorite. Plus, you know, there's the whole unlikelihood of Belichick deciding to demand a trade to uproot his life and career as he approaches his 66th birthday.

But, well, stranger things have happened, and Myers has dedicated quite a bit of time and effort to chasing the story since he first reported Belichick's interest in the Giants' job on Friday. He's fired off a lot of tweets, one could say.

That is a bevy of tweets on the matter.

Belichick, as you might expect, denied being interested in anything other than preparing the Patriots for their playoff game against the Titans this week, and he said he "absolutely" intends on remaining the Patriots' head coach. Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the same thing to The MMQB. ESPN's Adam Schefter opined that Giants fans can get Belichick ... in their dreams! (Boom roasted.)

Will all the hubbub be for naught? Probably. But at least for the time being, it's being breathlessly covered in New York.

You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.

In:
• New York Giants
• NFL
• New England Patriots