Bill Belichick announced in his post draft press conference on Saturday evening that this year’s draft would be the last draft for long time Patriots Director Of Football Research Ernie Adams. Adams had decided to retire.

Adams made it official by releasing a statement on Monday.

The last 21 seasons with the New England Patriots have been extraordinary for me. I am fortunate to have been part of a team along with Bill Belichick, outstanding colleagues, patient owners, and a lot of great players. It is time for me to stop working and join the many wonderful fans who have been with us for this run.

Adams spent 21 seasons with the Patriots under Bill Belichick. He had previously worked for the organization in the late seventies under coach Chuck Fairbanks.

Adams was a high school teammate of Bill Belichick’s at Phillips Andover Academy. The two of them played football together and formed a friendship after Adams revealed to Belichick that he had read his father Steve’s book on scouting.

The two boys went their separate ways in college with Belichick attending Wesleyan and Adams Northwestern. Both embarked on a career in the NFL after college, Belichick with the Colts and Adams with the Patriots.

Eventually the two men reconnected with the New York Giants as part of Ray Perkins staff. Both men worked for Bill Parcells and when Belichick got hired as the Cleveland Browns coach, Adams joined him in Cleveland.

After Belichick got fired in Cleveland, Adams briefly left the NFL for the financial world. When Belichick was hired by Bob Kraft in 2000, Adams reunited with Belichick and the Patriots. The rest is history.

Adams would go on to become an integral part of every aspect of the Patriots on field operation. From the draft to free agency to player development to X’s and O’s, Adams had a hand in all of it as the Patriots Director of Research.

To the outside world. Adams role was shrouded in mystery. No one actually knew what Adams did. In fact, there were people within the organization that didn’t exactly know what Adams did.

In recent years, Adams had been in the public eye more and people inside snd outside the organization started to get a better understanding of what his role was and what he did. Although he is still an enigma, Adams has opened up more in recent years and shared more about himself and his job with the Patriots.

Now Adams is retiring after 25 combined years with the organization. He was a key figure of the Patriots dynasty the past twenty one years and without his contributions, the Patriot dynasty may never happen.

That is not an exaggeration. I am not speaking in hyperbole. That is a fact. He had Belichick’s ear more than any other member of the Patriots staff. When it is all said and done. Adams will be remembered as a central figure the Patriots dynasty.

As he should be. If you don’t think so, just go back to the Malcolm Butler play to seal the deal for the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX. It was Adams who diagrammed the pass concept that the Seahawks ran. Through extensive film study and intuition, Adams drew up the card and the Patriots practiced the play. The rest is history.

If you don’t know much about Ernie Adams, spend some time learning about the man. His contributions to the Patriots Andy heir success are immeasurably. He might not have been in the forefront but he played a major role behind the scenes. His departure will leave the Patriots with a huge void. A void quite frankly that cannot be filled.