His own man: McDaniels is out of Belichick's shadow in a big way in Las Vegas

Aug. 24—You're going to hear it a lot over the next few days, "The Teacher vs. The Student."

Bill Belichick vs. Josh McDaniels.

A great story about appreciation, rehabilitation and, well, moving on.

McDaniels, the current head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, spent 18 of the last 21 seasons — covering stints from 2001 through 2008 and 2012 through 2021 — under Belichick's rule.

"Bill Belichick taught me so much about football, coaching and running a franchise," said McDaniels after being hired by the Raiders on Jan. 30, 2022.

"I owe him so much," added McDaniels.

Last November Belichick went above and beyond his praise for his then offensive coordinator/confidant.

"I think Josh does a great job in really every area. I don't think he really has any weaknesses as a coach," said Belichick. "He has a great vision for how to utilize the skills of the players on his side of the ball and how to try to attack the weaknesses, whether it be personnel weaknesses or schematic weaknesses, or how to try to force the opponent into a situation that he's able to take advantage of.

"It's really been amazing to me how many times ... where he's like, 'Hey, coach, we're going to change this. We're going to do this.' and it was maybe a minute or two before I was about to go over to him and say, 'Hey, Josh. What do you think about this or that?' He's already a step ahead of me on that ... It's kind of like (Nick) Saban when we were in Cleveland. Nick knew what every player on the field was doing."

Yes, Belichick compared McDaniels to that Nick Saban.

The childhood romances with football are almost identical, too. Steve Belichick and Thom McDaniels, their dads, were coaching legends.

Steve was spent 44 seasons as an assistant and scout in college, the last 34 with Navy while Thom spent 26 years at the high school level, winning national coach of the year in 1997, and runner-up NFL High School Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2010.

Basically, Belichick and McDaniels grew up on the practice field, as little kids, learning what press corner and Z-route mean before they knew what an adjective was.

McDaniels grew up in Canton, Ohio and Belichick grew up thinking it rivaled Paris in historical records.

There's more, though, beyond the teacher-student connection.

The parallels between this move for McDaniels and Belichick's move to in Foxboro 22 years ago are also strikingly similar.

Both were humbled. Big-time.

Belichick's eventual fall from grace in Cleveland had as much if not more to do with Art Modell's decision to move the team to Baltimore, imploding what was supposed to good year after the 11-5 season in 1994.

The entire 1995 year was drenched in "We're moving if we don't get a new stadium" talk, putting a pall over things. When on Nov. 6, 1995, Modell made it official, the Browns completely fell apart, losing six of their last seven games.

Belichick's "shortcomings," that he was too much of a control freak and god-awful with the Browns media, became his calling card.

He eventually did four seasons of "penance" — one in New England, four with the N.Y. Jets — to recalibrate and, well, find his way.

McDaniels' "Cleveland" was Denver and St. Louis.

In Denver, he apparently tried to be too "Belichickian," ruling with an iron fist, making all of the decisions. In the end, it buried him.

Two of the three first round picks he had — running back Knowshon Moreno and quarterback Tim Tebow — were huge busts, particularly Tebow.

After a 6-0 start in Year 1, McDaniels' Broncos won five of the next 22 games.

With the franchise struggling, John Elway apparently had the ear of owner Pat Bowlen. McDaniels was fired and Elway took over as general manager and vice president of player personnel.

McDaniels took a flyer on the first offer he got post-Broncos as offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams, joining head coach Steve Spagnuolo, the same guy he faced off with in the devastating Super Bowl loss to the Giants in February of 2008.

It was as mitigated disaster.

The Rams not only finished 2-14, but McDaniels offense, led by quarterback Sam Bradford, A.J. Feeley and Kellen Clemens, ranked 31st in yards and last in points at 12.2 per game.

Talk about having your tail between your legs.

But like Belichick did with his "teacher," Bill Parcells, McDaniels immediately reconnected with Belichick in New England thanks to an opening when Andover's Bill O'Brien left for Penn State, replacing Joe Paterno.

It was believed that McDaniels' "head coaching" opportunities had probably dried up. Of course, four Super Bowl appearances, including three wins, in seven seasons changed everything.

McDaniels was offered the Indianapolis Colts in January of 2020, which he accepted, and a day later rejected.

It was rumored Patriots owner Bob Kraft told McDaniels, then the highest paid offensive coordinator in the NFL, that he would be their first choice to replace Belichick as head coach.

But it was obvious last year — with Belichick's two sons, Steven and Brian, loving their gigs as Patriots assistants, and the fact Belichick's competitive juices were still churning — that an opportunity to lead the Patriots wasn't going to happen any time soon.

If there's one moment or series of moments that best describes the new version of Josh McDaniels versus his former boss with the Patriots it centered around the 2022 NFL Draft.

Just before NFL free agency was to begin, the Patriots and Raiders both made a trade.

The Patriots surprisingly dealt away their most expensive offensive lineman, Shaq Mason, for a fourth round pick from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It was classic Belichick. Mason was apparently approached to rework his contract — $15.8 million over the next two years, none of it guaranteed — and refused. So the Patriots saved the salary cap space and dealt away a player some experts believed was their best offensive lineman.

About 12 hours later, the Raiders made a blockbuster trade, dealing away a first and second round pick to the Green Bay Packers for Davante Adams. Yes, that Davante Adams.

Not only that ... McDaniels agreed to pay Adams $141.25 million deal over five years, averaging out to $28.25 million per, making him the "new" highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history.

A week later Adam's record deal was eclipsed when the Chiefs dealt Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins, getting five draft picks, including a first and second rounder in 2022, while agreeing to a four-year, $120 million contract.

Talk about an anti-Belichick move on both fronts — trade capital and contract.

Can you blame McDaniels?

His best wide receiving option calling plays the last three years was Patriots undrafted free agent Jakobi Meyers, who averaged less than 650 yards per season and only two touchdown receptions over his career.

Ironically, on first day of the draft, the pick before the former Raiders pick at No. 22, was the Patriots.

Belichick ended up trading back — surprise! — for a first (29th), second (94th) and fourth round (121st) pick.

If you thought it would go the other way around, with McDaniels trying to build depth with his new team and Belichick looking to add a star to the Patriots roster you would be wrong.

And on Tuesday, when the Patriots and Raiders met in a scrimmage setting, Adams "reportedly" torched the Patriots' top corner, Jalen Mills, for a couple of scores in a 7-on-7 drills and 11-on-11 matchups.

Reportedly, the second best receiver on the field on Tuesday was Raiders' slot receiver Hunter Renfrow, the same guy who two months ago signed a 2-year, $32 million extension.

The Raiders also have another top, pass-catching option in tight end Darren Waller.

Do you see a trend here?

It's early, nearly seven months into his new gig, but Raiders players seem to be responding, including three low-cost free agents he brought over from New England, backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, starting fullback Jakob Johnson, and long-time favorite Swiss Army Knife Brandon Bolden.

"It's just like the parents leaving the house and your older brother is babysitting. That's kinda how it's been. Me and Josh have been together for a long time," said Bolden.

"And to just see him go from offensive coordinator, just calling plays, just tending to one side of the ball, to now seeing him standing in front of the whole team and address both sides; for me it's still surreal because in my mind it's like 'Josh, you have no idea what defense is talking about.'

"But he's doing a great job. I love it for him and I'm super proud of him."

McDaniels has dropped the Belichick impersonation. He has spent a decade rehabbing his coaching career and set himself up really good in Las Vegas.

And despite the similarities between "The Teacher" and "The Student" going mano-y-mano the next few days in Sin City, there is only one Bill Belichick.

And as other former Patriots assistants have learned, there will never be another again.

You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.