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Greg Schiano, Bucs staff to visit Bill Belichick, Patriots next week

Greg Schiano and six of his staff members will visit Bill Belichick's staff in Foxboro to discuss the logistical strategies -- despite the fact that their teams face off this season.

Douglas Jones-US PRESSWIRE

Greg Schiano and Bill Belichick have long made it clear they respect each other's coaching styles and strategies, one of the most notable bromances in the often staid professional coaching fraternity. They're finally moving past flirting and getting together for a meetup, as Schiano's Buccaneers staff will visit Belichick's Patriots staff in Foxboro to talk shop, per Don Banks of Sports Illustrated.

They're not really exchanging coaching details -- just strategies on how to organize a team's schedule and other logistical aspects of running a team. The Patriots confirmed to Banks that this has happened before, but there's a twist: the Buccaneers and Patriots are supposed to meet Week 3 of the regular season, making it odd that the two would be willing to disclose any information that would improve the opposition.

Schiano and Belichick's past dalliances include several joint practices held in the 2012 preseason when the teams met in Tampa Bay, something that Banks says will likely happen again in Foxboro when the teams meet in this year's preseason, although not before the regular season game. Three of Belichick's seven picks in this year's draft were Schiano-coached players out of Rutgers, as was an additional undrafted free agent the team picked up. Schiano had allowed Belichick's son, Steven, to walk on to Rutgers as a long snapper in 2011 after his lacrosse eligibility expired.

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