In spite of the goings-on at Gillette Stadium this offseason that have continued to raise eyebrows, the greater belief in Bill Belichick’s capabilities at the helm of the New England Patriots has remained unwavering.

USA Today recently polled 25 anonymous NFL agents who collectively named the Patriots and their head coach/de facto general manager among the best in league to deal with on the business side of the things. Not only did the agents in the poll rank New England just behind the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles as one of the teams most prepared during contract negotiations, they also named Belichick as one of the most respected decision-makers in the NFL.

The Baltimore Ravens’ Ozzie Newsome earned the No. 1 spot on the list, followed by Belichick and then Seattle Seahawks GM John Schneider. Les Snead of the Los Angeles Rams, Chris Ballard of the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Kevin Colbert landed in a three-way tie for fourth place in the poll.

While those at the top of the list are all GMs, the question was posed to also include owners and head coaches, which is reflected in the group that was named the least respected among the polled agents. Washington president Bruce Allen topped that unceremonious list, followed by Miami Dolphins VP of operations Mike Tannenbaum, Denver Broncos GM John Elway and Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown.

So while Tom Brady silently skips voluntary workouts and Rob Gronkowski continues to act like an overgrown child, it’s very likely been business as usual for the best head coach of all time. Hopefully that puts some minds at ease.