Brady's remaining years: what to expect?

[Tunescribe]

Repeating my sentiment from another thread: Whenever I start feeling down on the Patriots front office for "squandering" Brady by not giving him the surrounding cast that would optimize his gifts, I remind myself what a huge accomplishment this team's run of success has been since '01.

But it's becoming obvious that the window of opportunity with our Hall of Fame quarterback is closing, as he'll be 35 next season and has shown minor signs of wearing down physically. My rhetorical question is: will/should BB take a more "all-in" approach in Tom's twilight years vs. the usual "steady as she goes" team-building philosophy? What more can or should be done to maximize what's left of this once-a-generation player asset? Maybe nothing more can be done -- maybe the Patriots have been doing all they can do all along. Or maybe WIN IT NOW deserves greater emphasis at the possible expense of three years from now. Thoughts?

 

[IllegalContact]

I think he has worn down mentally more than physically. he used to be more creative when underpressure

 

[Tunescribe]

I think he has worn down mentally more than physically. he used to be more creative when underpressure

The argument can be made that this has more to do with who he's throwing to and who is running the ball. I personally feel that too much has been put on his shoulders, especially as he's getting older. He needs a much stronger running game to work with.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

They won't do windows, won't even acknowledge them. Teams who do end up in a mess, and often with nothing to show for it. Bad long term business strategy. They want to remain consistently competitive even more than they want to win just one more...because they grasp the variability inherent in ever winning it all. And if nothing else the last two matchups with of all teams the Giants just underscored that.

 

[TheComeback]

I think he has worn down mentally more than physically. he used to be more creative when underpressure

IMO that has more to do with the strain of having to carry the team in virtually every game. The defense can't really be counted on, and the running game is underused even when it does produce.

As for what to expect, I'd continue to expect elite quarterback play. Favre and Warner played well into their late 30s. Brady outplayed both in 2010 and 2011.

They need to stick with the same philosophy that's brought them so much success. You don't know when Brady is going to retire. Maximize your chances every year, not just one.

 

[IllegalContact]

I think the evolution of the offense has changed him.

his targets are just as good as they have ever been. between him and BB, I just don't get why they don't do more of the things that they are so good at doing. for the second superbowl in a row, they seemed insitent on executing against what they wanted rather than what was being given to them.

if this was 2003, they would have kept dumping off to woodhead until someone on the giants made a stop.....nobody ever did and yet the pats did not use that when they had an opportunity to put the game out of reach. and because of theat, they are now 'owned by eli'

 

[signbabybrady]

My answer to your title is a SUPERBOWL


My answer to the best way to do it would be dont change much this way we will have as good a chance at that one more in Brady's last year 5+ (Optimistic ) years from now as next year.

BB throughout the last decade has been willing to throw some money around every few years who knows when the next cash in will be but I doubt it has much to do with Brady's closing window as it would the best intrest of the team.

BB has and will continue to set this team up as best he can to succeed post Brady and post BB whenever that may come.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The argument can be made that this has more to do with who he's throwing to and who is running the ball. I personally feel that too much has been put on his shoulders, especially as he's getting older. He needs a much stronger running game to work with.

I think Bill gets that, and that's not a windows driven thing so much as a long range formula to help extend Brady's career. Thing is try as he might he hadn't yet hit on a viable solution. Drafted two kids early last year, couldn't get them both or even keep one on the field. And Benny developed the dreaded turf toe, same thing that killed his last attempt to add a veteran thumper with a little gas left in the tank, Taylor. Extended Dillon and then drafted Maroney in the first. Couple of reasons that never panned out. Some here wanted to see him snag an $8-9M RB in FA, but RB is the toughest position to project beyond their first 5 seasons. And if you invest heavily in one and something bad happens...

Waiting a little too long to turn the defense over hurt the process. And some less than spectacular drafting and FA signing over the last 3-4 seasons slowed it down even more. They paid a price for letting guys like Branch and even Gaffney depart an offense that is akin to nuclear physics. Some of those things frustrate me more than anything. Penny wise pound foolish. And then they've gone in the other direction at times when money or draft picks might have been better spent.

It is what it is and by and large the approach and value philosophy is not likely to change dramatically in persuit of just one more of anything.

 

[JackBauer]

I expect them to get him some better outside receivers for his last few seasons here, before they transition in his replacement (Mallett or somebody else).

 

[BradyManny]

Elite QBs do not grow on trees. Elite QBs who have taken less than market value throughout the course of their career allowing for greater cap flexibility are even more rare.

Belichick will never do anything to mortgage this team's future. But he would be awfully short-sighted not to acknowledge that they are at the tail-end of a unique timeframe in which being competitive for a title is almost a given.

It makes the loss to the Giants so much more painful knowing they may not get another crack at it. I so badly want to see them get a 4th ring and avenge some of these heartbreaking losses. So maybe that is skewing my perspective.

But would one more player had made a difference this year? In a season where it came down to making one less play than their opponent? A title was one well-executed play - on offense or defense - away, and we traded away a first rounder last year. Would that player have made a difference?

Had Belichick known they would be that close, had he known the path to the Super Bowl would be as fortuitous as they could ask, I wonder if he would have approached things differently. Perhaps he viewed it more as a rebuilding year, and maybe it was.

Building for the future is great. Winning titles is better.

 

[Ivan]

Brady's game is and always has been based upon his football intellect and his accuracy, and after another off the charts season it makes no sense not to believe he will be great in the coming years. QB's take a beating and that may lead Brady to hang them up in five years or so, but in the meantime I believe he will continue to be one of the top QB's in the game and won 't start seeing him as less than that until he shows it for an extended period on the field. I really don't see the sense in continually predicting the demise of the best players in the game based solely upon how old they will be in 3-4 years, people do this to justify shorting them on contracts or bringing in players they think are prettier, but getting rid of the best players only makes sense when they are showing the signs of being done, and not several years ahead of that. Brown, Bruschi, McGinest, Harrison, and Vrabel all showed the signs that they were done being great players when Belcihik made the move to change, and the Patriots should follow the same course with Brady, Welker, Wilfork, and the best players on this team.



What do i expect for Brady? I expect him to lead the Patriots to the final four pretty much every season for the next 4-5 years, and i believe he will get at least 1 if not more SB rings doing that. Where he will be when that time is up should be left until that time comes imo.


*I also expect Brady to be closing in on the all time wins record, and he will break the overall wins record that includes play-off wins.

Enjoy it Patriot fans, it will be almost impossible for the post Belichik/Brady years to be as good as these are, so make the most of it while it lasts.

 

[Deus Irae]

I expect excellence from Brady for years to come. I expect BB to keep straddling the fence between building for a championship right now and planning for the future. And, as a result, I expect BB will make some brilliant moves and some really bad moves, just as we've been seeing since the offseason post-2008.

 

[Tunescribe]

They won't do windows, won't even acknowledge them. Teams who do end up in a mess, and often with nothing to show for it. Bad long term business strategy. They want to remain consistently competitive even more than they want to win just one more...because they grasp the variability inherent in ever winning it all. And if nothing else the last two matchups with of all teams the Giants just underscored that.

This has been my assumption. But the temptation to want to think they'd do some extra just because of Brady's dwindling shelf life is there for me as a fan.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I expect excellence from Brady for years to come. I expect BB to keep straddling the fence between building for a championship right now and planning for the future. And, as a result, I expect BB will make some brilliant moves and some really bad moves, just as we've been seeing since he got here.

Fixed that. . . .

 

[reflexblue]

I think his arm strength will slowly diminish, we might already be seeing that when he goes for the long bomb. So i think the TE offense is more important as he gets older, that being said he Still does need a legit down field threat to keep opposing defenses honest along with a potent running attack.

 

[ay-yo]

6 more years
78 reg season wins
3 rings
24,000 passing yards
200 td's

 

[ivanvamp]

The argument can be made that this has more to do with who he's throwing to and who is running the ball. I personally feel that too much has been put on his shoulders, especially as he's getting older. He needs a much stronger running game to work with.

I really think the running game is more than capable of playing. But when push comes to shove, BB decides that he wants the ball in Brady's hands much more than he wants it in his RBs' hands. And usually, that's a winning strategy, as over the course of the past 7 years (since their last SB victory) the Patriots have gone 86-26, a .768 winning percentage, which is the highest in the league, and they've been to two Super Bowls.

So it works far more than it fails.

But I'm with you: I'd like to see them commit to the run more, because there are going to be days when Brady is off and they have to have other ways to win.

 

[ivanvamp]

I think over the next 3-4 years the Patriots will have the overall best record in the NFL, will make the playoffs every one of those years, and will make it to at least one more Super Bowl. I think they will win one more before Brady retires, and when he does, he will go down as the greatest of all time.

I think in the end, they'll look at his statistical dominance over Montana, the same number of SB wins, but they'll say that his two SB losses aren't negatives; they're a testament to the fact that he got there two more times than Montana did. Kind of like in golf; it's better to have a 2nd place finish where you lose in a playoff than to not crack the top 10 in the first place....when all is said and done, you give the guy credit for the 2nd place finishes and don't hold them against him.

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

I don't know if this is a trick question but I expect his best, next year, and beyond.

 

[stcjones]

I think at the MOST Brady will play 4 more years (maybe less as physically he is wearing down.) I would expect him to win at least 2 more AFC East championships and hopefully go deep into the playoffs at least 1-2 more times as well. I think that we have seen Brady play in his last SB for the Patriots. I think that it will take the Pats awhile to get back to the SB (took 4 years to get back after losing to the Gints) and by that time it will be with a new QB.....and most likely a new coach......Sad to think of.......Obviously, BB and Pats missed golden opportunities this past year and in 07....wish they could have at least gotten one SB win there....but it is what it is.....