Super minds are minding their own business

Jon Gruden. Mike Shanahan. Mike Holmgren. Tony Dungy.

And rather than answering the question, the Patriots coach starts thinking, and thinking, and then commences adding to the list: Brian Billick, Marty Schottenheimer, Jim Fassel.

Never in recent memory has there been such a murderer’s row of coaches spending a season without a headset and playsheet. In some cases, it’s by choice (Holmgren, Dungy). In others, it’s not (Gruden, Shanahan).

In any case, it’s strange for Belichick to see so many of his peers - many of whom have taken the same championship stage that he has - out of the game.

“You see all of them on TV, and you do think it’s unusual,’’ Belichick told the Globe. “You kind of feel like something’s not right, like they should be on the sideline.’’

Of the 32 sideline leaders in the NFL, only Belichick, Tom Coughlin, and Mike Tomlin have won Super Bowls as head coaches.

Dungy, Bill Cowher, Gruden, Billick, Shanahan, and Holmgren have all won championships within the last 13 seasons, and only Holmgren, 61, is older than 57. All have left the door open for a return, some more than others.

But all remain on the sideline as games are being played.

“That part’s hard,’’ Gruden said. “For most of us, you’ve been in this routine for 25 years. Some longer than that. But I’ve got a great job [at ESPN]. To be honest with you, I like what I’m doing, I’m having fun.’’

The desire to return is a question with the coaches; the opportunity probably will be less of a problem. The league is rife with bottom-feeding teams, this year more than ever.

Some of those teams (Kansas City, Cleveland, St. Louis, Detroit) are under new regimes, and thus are undergoing massive rebuilding projects that require patience. In other places (Washington, Dallas, Oakland), patience is running thin.

It’s highly unlikely that there will be double-digit openings again, after 11 teams made changes last offseason. But it’s pretty clear that the Holmgrens and Cowhers and Grudens and Shanahans will have opportunities to get involved in the market.

Gruden, for one, has used the time off to study, and expand his view of the game. Gruden said he and broadcast partner Ron Jaworski “spent time studying the spread option, Oregon, Appalachian State, Florida.’’

The big names bring advantages, to be sure. They can ignite a fan base, gain immediate credibility in the locker room, and mitigate risk by bringing a proven track record.

But it’s not all positive. Here, culled from various sources, are three “M’s’’ for owners to consider before making the splash hire.

■ Money. It’s clear at this point that the owners are spoiling for a fight on the labor front, and have been claiming financial troubles for some time. With the battle about to be joined, it wouldn’t exactly look right for them to be tossing around the kind of money - $5 million-per-year range - to land a celebrity coach.

One NFL executive said the owners are “circling the wagons, and going to their CFOs and COOs, finding ways to tighten the belt, and talking themselves into believing they’re in bad situations.’’

Tomlin has said repeatedly that one reason so many young coaches and personnel chiefs are being hired is that they represent “cheap labor.’’

■ Malleability. Shanahan had his greatest success in the late 1990s. Holmgren, too. Gruden won biggest at the start of this decade. And if you’ve won with a formula that could be dated and have been given absolute power, which many of these coaches will require, change can be hard.

Gruden’s year off spent studying is a good sign that he’s adaptable, but he allowed the roster in Tampa to age, and continued to add older players because of his past success with veterans.

Shanahan captured his two titles in an era when many hadn’t figured out the machinations of the new economic system. Eventually, with some questionable cap management, the Broncos roster became top-heavy in salaries and unbalanced on the field.

■ Making nice. The number of draftable seniors has declined, down roughly 150 this year, although the number of quality underclassmen has steadily increased. That has meant more players from the “Generation Y’’ set emerging. It has become a necessity to know how to handle these guys and harness their talent. A set-in-his-ways coach may be less equipped than a young, rising coach to do that.

The bottom line: Proven coaches bring a lot to table. But in today’s NFL, nothing comes without risk.

He was considered by many a contender to be the first pick in the 2009 draft, had he come out to reap the kind of spoils Matthew Stafford got from Detroit ($41.7 million guaranteed) after the Lions selected him at the top. Then Bradford (above) separated his shoulder in the Sooners’ season opener and aggravated the injury last week.

What has that done to his draft stock? Depends on whom you ask.

“He doesn’t fall out of early consideration,’’ said an NFC general manager. “Maybe [Washington quarterback Jake] Locker moves in front of him, because there’s the question of not seeing him this season. But he’s a hell of a football player. He has a maturity level for a younger player, he’s got the skill level to make serious throws, and he has leadership ability.’’

But one AFC scout saw something else - a player whose slight frame was already a red flag now showing durability issues.

“He’s a pocket passer, and those guys are going to take hits in our league,’’ the scout said of the 6-foot-5-inch, 213-pound Bradford. “He’s a lean-built guy anyway, and now that he’s been hurt more than once, that’s a big concern. It’s not helping him.

“I personally think that had he come out after his sophomore year, he would’ve been a late first-round guy. I know what people say, but I didn’t see a top 10 pick; teams aren’t overly enamored of the guy. They think he’s a safe pick. Not a home run type.’’

One area of agreement was on what Bradford should do now: undergo surgery, then forgo his final year of eligibility.

The NFC GM said he normally would advise any quarterback to exhaust his eligibility, but “if he gets injured again, that’s where it gets complicated. That’s a serious concern.’’

If he plays the season out, then gets surgery, it would also complicate matters, and the durability questions wouldn’t subside.

Having surgery and missing the rest of year “would hurt him initially,’’ the AFC scout said. “But to have the opportunity to be medically cleared by doctors and work out for scouts would be invaluable. He can still be a first-round pick if he’s cleared and has a hell of a workout.’’

Pretty good for the once-proud franchise that lost at least 11 games three times between 2004 and ’07, and has posted six straight losing seasons.

And they’ve done it without a lot of big names, beyond Patrick Willis, Nate Clements, Vernon Davis, and Frank Gore. Yet coach Mike Singletary swears, “Some of these guys will be household names by the time the year’s out. You’ll figure that out.’’

In an effort to do just that, the Globe asked 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan. Here are three:

CB Shawnte Spencer: “He’s coming back after a knee injury last year, and really, he’s come in and been our most consistent competitor out there. As a cover corner, he’s been very, very impressive. If he were a bigger name, he’d be seen as a Pro Bowler. Teams are staying away from throwing at Shawnte.’’

S Dashon Goldston: “It’s been a matter of staying healthy for him, but there aren’t too many guys out there playing as well as he is. He’s got range, toughness, speed, and big-play ability against the run and the pass. You see him growing here in his first year as a starter. He’s making more big plays and getting more comfortable.’’

FB Moran Norris: “We had him two years ago, he went to Detroit, and he’s back with us. He’s so valuable as a lead blocker, and he’s getting touches now. We need to run the football, and he’s key to that. Having a guy like that, it lets you play powerful football. It was important for us to re-sign him.’’