Bill Belichick and Michael Lombardi have combined forces twice before to orchestrate some draft magic at the NFL level.
Better make that three.
Following reports Wednesday afternoon that Lombardi may be headed for another reunion with New England's head coach and de facto general manager, a league source confirmed the move Thursday as "essentially a done deal," according to Shalise Manza Young of The Boston Globe.
Lombardi's past with Belichick spans back to the early '90s, when he was Director of Player Personnel with the Browns and Belichick was head coach. That relationship was rekindled a few years ago when Lombardi became a consultant for the Patriots (2010-12) during draft time.
It's unclear what position Lombardi will take on in New England, or long how it will last. Lombardi made some bold but seemingly strong moves for Cleveland in his year as the GM, and his knack for eyeing talent is an obvious attraction for the always crafty Belichick.
New England has some pretty blatant needs that need to be addressed during this offseason (wide receiver, defensive line), and another set of eyes, even if it's temporary, certainly couldn't hurt.
