Patriotic Fervor

This assumes that the league itself was not involved in leaning heavily on the franchise to do this and get it done.

But, as the tampering thing shows (which doubtless has zero chance of success), the Pats can telegraph the league and other teams that it has absolutely no compunction about playing hardball - with anyone.

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....and that's the way I see it!

RAWKY

If the league was leaning heavily on the Pat's we would have already heard about it from some unidentified league source.

So it appears it had not yet reached a point where the league felt threatened.

By taking care of buniness and not letting it get personal and becoming a pissing contest we where able to secure the best resuts, given the circumstances, for our team both on the field and in the future.

JUST OUTSTANDING MANAGEMENT.

FSUPatsFan

I hope Belichick is here AT LEAST as long as Brady is. This made me wonder if Belichick would ever trade or release Brady near the end of his career when he just doesn't have it anymore. Or would Brady get the Lord Favre treatment. Would he be like Joe Montana and end up with another team? I hope Brady retires as a Patriot, even if I have to suffer with a couple of washed up years like Lord Favre.

patsfan13

Brady can fade into the sunset more gracefully than Farve. Farve's game was being a gunslinger, which doesn't work when you lose it physically. Brady's game is based on smart play and smart reads, that won't go away as he ages indeed that will improve with age. Also Brady doesn't have Farve's ego and will always play within himself.

IMO BB is a coach and enjoys coaching, He could be a Marv Levy. I can't see him leaving coaching to go the the TV booth.

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"Some guys play in all-star games, some guys don't. I don't know who picks all those all-star teams. In all honesty, I don't know who picks the combine, for that matter," Belichick said. "How does (Miami-Ohio offensive lineman Brandon) Brooks not get invited to the combine? How did Vollmer not get invited to the combine? I don't know. We can't really worry about that. We just have to try to evaluate them the best we can."

Pattie

I absolutely agree. The combo of Belichick/Pioli have job security like no one else in the NFL and an owner who has total confidence in them. It's not about *this* year the way it is with some team's that haven't won in a long time but preparing for the future...realizing that they want to make us stay at the top of the pile for many years to come. Yes, sometimes we take a hit they way we did with Deion but with three SB trophies behind them they have *plenty* of good will to work with. Even if we don't take home the Lombardi trophy chances are good that we will again within the next three year period with careful planning, drafting and as in this case picking up invaluable draft picks. Think about it what team/owner wouldn't give their eye teeth to have Belichick or Pioli? As fans we need to step away from this "we've gotta win now" philosophy. That kind of thinking is for the Red Sox who took some 80 plus years to win another championship...not so in the Patriot's case. I know most fans are "immediate gratification" types but come on...two first round draft picks in the 2007 draft? We could trade up without too much effort or take one of the supposedly very good crop of WR's that are supposed to be available next year. To me we made out the best (long term) with this whole Branch situation and Seattle will come to regret spending all that money and losing that pick in the long term. But then their priorities are different since they felt they got robbed last year. NE fans are not in the same boat. I'm with Belichick I don't want them to mortgage their long term prospects in an attempt to satisfy one good (or very good) if you will WR. They have to think about the team and it's health as a whole and I'm firmly behind them there.

jczxohn1

Favre has no place to go but back to Miss. to bush-hog kudzu. Brady will go to the Senate.

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Felger started his question, "Correct me if I'm wrong," BB quickly interjected, "I can't wait--"


``The officials now are evaluating the players and their performance, I mean, that's great,'' Belichick deadpanned. ``I can't say how much that means to me, really.''