“Straight robbing their a*s”: CFB fans react to North Carolina GM Michael Lombardi’s hefty $1.5M salary 

When Bill Belichick arrived in North Carolina a few months ago, one of his first orders of business was putting together a top-flight staff. One of the key additions to this was former Cleveland Browns General Manager Michael Lombardi, who's supposed to smooth Belichick's rough edges regarding the recruiting game.

It seems this smoothing of rough edges is costing the Tar Heels handily, as On3 reported on Wednesday that Lombardi will earn $1.5 million annually.

Some fans were surprised at the exorbitant amount of the GM's salary, sharing their thoughts online:

"Dude is straight robbing their a*s," one fan said.

"Overpaid," another fan wrote.

"This is why higher education costs Americans so much . A retread from professional football . General manager of ACC football program that has no chance of winning a national championship," one fan pointed out.

"This isn’t goin to work. These kids ain’t going to UNC cause of 75 year old Bill. They don’t care about his success in the nfl. And bill will not be on the recruiting trail as much as is needed. And lastly I’m not and never have been Lombardi guy. Bill is waiting to leave already," a fan added.

Some fans seem intrigued by everything happening at Chapel Hill:

"I’m torn on how this experimental with UNC will go," one fan commented.

"Money well spent," another fan said.

Why North Carolina's Michael Lombardi is starting recruiting at the line of scrimmage

Michael Lombardi is confident that he knows what makes a successful football team: Winning the battle at the line of scrimmage. This is why the North Carolina GM is starting the new age of Tar Heel recruitment at the line of scrimmage.

“The great thing about football is you can study winning on any level and there’s a formula for why teams win and why teams lose, and if you pay close attention to it, it’s not that difficult football," Lombardi said via On3.com.

"Football, going back to when [Vince] Lombardi coached the Packers in the 60s, to when you know Bill coached the Giants, or Bill Walsh coached the 49ers, it’s about who wins the line and who controls the game," he added.

While it might not be a popular decision, something is clear: Bill Belichick and Michael Lombardi have a plan for how to build this new North Carolina team. Only time will tell if their strategy will prove to be a successful one.