It took a few days to sort this out, but as many expected, Bill Belichick is parting ways with New England Patriots. This ends one of the greatest dynasties in sports history, let alone NFL history.

Belichick won six Super Bowls as the head coach of the Patriots. As the league evolved, Belick evolved with it and kept on winning.

Of course, he had Tom Brady for those six Super Bowls, and Brady went on to win his seventh after leaving New England. In this video clip, sportswriter Charles Pierce addresses the Belichick vs Brady question in terms of who deserves more credit, which in some ways is a silly question. Both were critical. Brady probably never has his career without Belichick believing in him and keeping him in the starting lineup over Drew Bledsoe. Meanwhile, Brady’s amazing talent and focus helped Belichick with his blind spots.

You can weigh in here on your thoughts on the Belichick/Brady question.

The Providence Journal is reporting that free agent defensive end Jason Taylor is close to becoming a member of the New England Patriots. Some within the organization believe a handshake agreement is already in place.

The Journal also notes:

From the moment he hit the free-agent market, New England has been targeted as a likely destination for the six-time Pro Bowler. Pats’ owner Robert Kraft said Taylor can become a Patriot if that’s what he wants, and it’s hard to believe head coach Bill Belichick would put up much of a fight given his history of fairly gushing over the former Miami Dolphins’ star.

Belichick has always had an eye on acquiring Taylor, and it wouldn’t be too impossible to believe that a playbook would be given him to study over the summer months. This would allow Taylor to spend time with his family and then sign an agreement with the Pats prior to the start of training camp. Belichick has made similar concessions in the past with other veteran players, including QB Vinny Testaverde, who was allowed to miss a majority of training camp a few seasons ago.