Mike Lombardi: Bill Belichick isn’t “slow” to hire staff, “just being diligent”

Chapel Hill: So, Mike Lombardi is back at it again, defending Bill Belichick. He’s saying that the reports about Belichick being slow to hire his coaching staff are just plain wrong.

Last week, there were rumors flying around that NFL teams were checking in on whether Belichick might leave UNC for the pros. Lombardi quickly shot that down, calling it a “complete falsehood.” This week, he tweeted again, saying they’re not slow, just being careful. He mentioned they hired three people recently and that no one is nervous except for the folks spreading these rumors.

It’s kind of funny, right? Lombardi seems to be the only one speaking for Belichick lately. You’d think Belichick would want to clear things up himself, especially since he always told his players to speak for themselves. Why change that now?

Until Belichick sorts out his buyout situation, it’s hard to take anything anyone says seriously. If he wants to calm the waters, he could just get rid of that buyout clause. But until then, everyone’s just left guessing what he’s really thinking.

Some folks even wonder if Belichick might have leaked those NFL Network reports himself, trying to make a move back to the NFL. It’s been over a month since he started looking for a coaching staff, and you’d think he’d have a few people lined up by now.

It’s Lombardi’s choice to respond to these reports, but it makes you wonder if he’s worried about his own job if Belichick goes back to the NFL. There were even whispers that Belichick wanted to set up a plan for his son to take over when he leaves. But the contract doesn’t mention that, so who knows what’s really going on?

In the end, there’s definitely more to this story than meets the eye. If Belichick wants to put an end to the speculation, he should just get rid of that buyout clause. Until then, everyone will be watching closely to see what he decides.