No looking back for Belichick -- it's all about the here and now

FOXBORO — Are Tom Brady and Bill Belichick feuding?

What’s going on with Rob Gronkowski’s contract restructure/extension?

Did Belichick really text Jimmy Garoppolo after every start he made last year?

Why did Malcolm Butler not play in Super Bowl LII?

Will off-the-field drama curtail the Patriots dynasty?

In the end, does any of that matter? [...]

FOXBORO — Are Tom Brady and Bill Belichick feuding?

What’s going on with Rob Gronkowski’s contract restructure/extension?

Did Belichick really text Jimmy Garoppolo after every start he made last year?

Why did Malcolm Butler not play in Super Bowl LII?

Will off-the-field drama curtail the Patriots dynasty?

In the end, does any of that matter?

Well, we’ll soon find out.

Wednesday marked the first day that veterans reported to Gillette Stadium as training camp will open on Thursday morning. Belichick kicked off the summer with a morning press conference where he swatted away questions about Butler, Garoppolo, contracts and trade talks. For the first time in a long time, people on the outside seem to doubt this 2018 Patriots team. As far as Belichick is concerned, "it is what it is."

“I’m focused on doing the best I can for the 2018 New England Patriots. That’s my job,” Belichick said. “That’s what I’m going to do. That’s what I’ve always done in the past. Every day that I’ve coached here, I’ve done the best that I could for this football team and I’ll continue to do that. Right now, my focus is on the 2018 season. Not 2017, not 2014, not 2007, not 2004, not 2001, not 2000. I’m not focused on any of those seasons. They’re done.”

That response came after Belichick was asked if he cared that fans and players still cared about the decision to bench Butler in the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Six months following the surprise coaching decision, people and players (at least the ones who talk publicly) are still without answers. But in typical Belichick fashion, he’s vowed to turn the page to a new year.

On Wednesday, Belichick admitted he was impressed with his current team. Multiple players made “big strong jumps” in the spring that surprised Belichick. Still, improvements need to be made in the next month — especially when you factor in the defense’s final performances of last season and current holes on offense. The Patriots coach even admitted he feels like he needs to sharpen some of his skills before the Patriots open their regular season against the Houston Texans.

“It’s important for me to have a good season in 2018. I’m going to do everything I can to do that,” Belichick said when asked if he would address the Butler situation with his team. “Do the best I can for our football team — that’s my job and that’s my responsibility, so that’s what I’m going to do. Hopefully, you can respect that, but maybe not.”

Belichick loves to turn the page — at least when he speaks to the media. At this point, it certainly makes little sense to focus on Butler or even the events that surrounded Jimmy Garoppolo’s departure last season. Of course, both storylines hover over the Patriots like those annoying fruit flies that never seem to leave your kitchen.

For this Patriots team, several things need to improve before the kings of the AFC continue their reign.

Belichick and his staff need to figure out the offensive system without Julian Edelman, who opens the season with a four-game suspension. With Danny Amendola now in Miami, there will be many new targets for Brady to get acquainted with. And, to give Brady time to throw the ball, the Patriots need to figure out who will replace Nate Solder at left tackle. Then there’s the running back position. Who replaces Dion Lewis?

On defense, the Patriots need a better pass rush and have to figure out who replaces Butler opposite of Stephon Gilmore. They also have to adjust to life without defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. Then on special teams, who is the punt returner?

Once the Patriots figure out all that, the focus from the outside will likely be back to football. For Belichick, of course, it already is.

“Right now we’re getting ready for the start of training camp so everything that happened last year and the spring, I’m not focused on any of that,” Belichick. “I’m focused on what we need to do in training camp.”