Would you mortgage the future to win now with Brady?

[Brady6]

Poll Question (vote above)

It is my opinion that Tom Brady is the greatest QB play the game. There are very few anomalies in the history of the NFL when great follows great. The only two that come to mind are Montana to Young, and Favre to Rodgers. So taking into consideration that when Brady retires in 2017 (or after) the odds are stacked against us having an heir apparent that makes this team a contender would you mortgage the future to build the strongest team possible around Brady for the remaining years of his career?

I know that Belichick and Kraft most likely never would, but I am interested in hearing what you would do if you had control of the franchise.

 

[AzorianPats]

No.

Barring health, Pats aren't that far away from #4.

 

[strngplyr]

If it was a 100% win, maybe. Without that guarantee, not a chance. This team is too good and EVERYONE needs a little luck with win the big game.

No matter how stacked your roster is, nothing in the NFL is certain, except maybe the Jests sucking. Look at the Eagles "dream team" a few years back, look at Peyton's team last year, our own 2007.

If you can't promise me a Lombardi trophy under any circumstance next February then i'm not pissing away our future. We're just as close as anyone as we stand right now, and had we had a few players not get injured, like Mayo, Kelly, and Gronk most importantly, we may have been the favorites to win it all last year.

 

[Brady6]

No.

Barring health, Pats aren't that far away from #4.

If it was a 100% win, maybe. Without that guarantee, not a chance. This team is too good and EVERYONE needs a little luck with win the big game.

No matter how stacked your roster is, nothing in the NFL is certain, except maybe the Jests sucking. Look at the Eagles "dream team" a few years back, look at Peyton's team last year, our own 2007.

If you can't promise me a Lombardi trophy under any circumstance next February then i'm not pissing away our future. We're just as close as anyone as we stand right now, and had we had a few players not get injured, like Mayo, Kelly, and Gronk most importantly, we may have been the favorites to win it all last year.

I totally agree I would not be against us being more aggressive than in the past but I do not want to risk the future. The fact is we won a SB in 2001 with a first year Brady managing the game so we do not necessarily need another GOAT to win again.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

No
Reason being that injuries, post season match ups and a few chaotic key plays can result in a team that's HOT beating a better talented team. That being so, a 2015 or 2016 season in cap crap is not worth the price. Well managed, we'll contend another several years.

Were I BB I might consider go for it moves on the high end of my cap risk profile but that's it. And upon consideration maybe BB already takes too many player selection risks as it is. Hello Albert, Tavon!

 

[Rob0729]

For all those people who kill the Patriots for not being aggressive in free agency and/or the draft fail to realize or admit that the teams that are aggressive tend to not be any more successful in a quest for a ring than the Patriots. Name the last team that mortgaged the future to win now that won a Super Bowl. Off the top of my head I can't think of one.

Let's look at the last few winners:

Seattle - No. In fact, the fact that they have so many young and inexpensive players is the reason why they probably won the Super Bowl
Baltimore - No. They had a lot of expensive players, but most were homegrown talent.
Giants - No (not either time). Never major players in free agency.
Packers - No. Mostly home grown talent.
Steelers - No. Builds through the draft.
Indy - No. Overpaid own talent, but not big in free agency
Patriots - Not in 2003 and 2004.
Bucs - Probably the last team that was aggressive to build a winner by signing Booger McFarlane and trading for Keyshawn.

 

[everlong]

Bucs - Probably the last team that was aggressive to build a winner by signing Booger McFarlane and trading for Keyshawn.

What no love for Greg Spires?

Don't forget Simeon Rice.

 

[SalemPats]

We are a Brady retirement from a re-build.

 

[Kontradiction]

There's no need to. As I mentioned in the other thread (undoubtedly where you got this thread idea), the Pats can win now without morgaging the future. If the Pats make smart moves in FA and if Belichick lets his scouts do their damn jobs instead of overriding them for the pleasure of drafting the next 6th rounder in the 2nd, this team can make strides and quickly to dominate an otherwise weak AFC.

 

[FCB02062]

Hell yes. Bring in the best, most expensive (get what you pay for) players and draft picks - no more trading down for the crap "value" - TRADE UP for talent - that the salary cap will allow. Brady's here three more years, tops. Chances are Gronkowski will get hurt again - he has played a full season and playoffs only once in the last FIVE seasons (including college), so he'll get hurt. You can't reinforce the TE position with bargain basement garbage and injured players like last season - Hoomanawanui, Ballard, Sudfeld - and expect to have a viable offense and win in the postseason. Sure there were alot of injuries, but every other team had plenty of injuries as well.
The Patriots philosophy since their last super bowl win (9 seasons) has netted 2 super bowl appearances, 4 afc championship game appearances (3 straight losses) and who knows how many afc east titles - yippee! Is all this worth anymore than what the Bruins did in the late 80s and early 90s? The Bruins won Adams Division after Adams Division, but in the end lost in the Stanley Cup and playoffs to better teams - same thing happening with the Patriots. Big difference, though, was that the Bruins didn't piss away seasons with the best qb and coach because they didn't have the best coach and player. sure, they had a cheapskate owner (just like Kraft), but they didn't have a guy like Brady driving the train.
There's no excuse for Kraft to CHEAP OUT again in forming this roster. This how poorly and cheaply Krafty Bob has built this roster: 2013 - 7/9 free agents ended up either cut, on IR, or missed considerable time due to injury (4+ games). 2012 - only 3/10 made any considerable contribution (Lloyd, Grgeory, Hoomanawanui) other than special teams. 2011 - Marcus Stroud, Chad Ochocinco, Donald Thomas, Nick McDonald. Yes the team went to the SB, but perhaps if Kraft didn't treat his nickles and dimes like manhole covers and he spent a bit more on some TALENT in free agency, maybe the team wouldve been more equipped to handle the NYG in the SB. 2010 - Damione Lewis, Alge Crumpler, Gerard Warren - old, older, oldest. Lewis retired (too old), Crumpler sucked, and Warren was good for one season. I could go on but it is making me sick....

 

[chasa]

this question doesnt even make any sense.

3 straight AFCCG's Superbowl, lost to the ravens with an injured gronk, and talib going down, lost to the broncos with no gronk, no ahern, and talib going down.

We are realisticlly could have won the last two AFCCG's had talib and gronk stayed healthy.

How exactly are you planning on "mortagaging the future" to "win now"

we came in 2nd, 3rd and 3rd the last three years, the only way you can guarantee that you win it all is if you pay off the refs, so in that case

NO

I would not risk getting caught paying off the Refs for a title because then people would start up a whole new cheatriots.

 

[varjao]

No, it's not about doing all in craziness, it's about hit in the right direction and doing the moves to do so.

Of course, a little bit of luck is well appreciated.

 

[YearbookCurfew]

You never put all of your eggs in one basket. Too risky.

 

[letekro]

We are a Brady retirement from a re-build.

What if our young defense continues to improve and Mallett or other successor is competent? Brady is a great QB but there's no rule that says you have to stink after a great QB moves on, particilularly when a great coach remains.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Why not? Really, give it a thought.

-History points to Brady having two elite years left. Two QBs have been great past 38, Moon and Favre. That's it.
-Brady's contract makes him the without a doubt our starting QB for 2014 and 2015. However, he can be traded with a gain in cap space in 2016.
-Christian Hackenberg, the closest college QB to the next Andrew Luck, is not eligible for the draft until 2016.

If people really want to see #4/Brady go down as GOAT, while also having another decade plus of excellence:

-Load the team in 2014/2015 with backloaded contracts similar to JEST 2010 style, taking advantage of a weak AFC as the Luck Colts are a couple years away and the Broncos/Manning have 1 year left at most. Barring crazy injuries again, the Pats would be the #1 seed the next two years and most likely represent the AFC in the superbowl.
-After 2015 and hopefully finally winning #4, trade Brady (if he's still playing at a high level) off the sinking ship to his hometown 49ers after Kaepernick's eventual suckage.
-Withstand the first awful Patriots season in 15 years to get the #1 pick, and as a result the next franchise QB.

I would not have a problem "mortgaging the future" to try to win #4 in 2014/2015.

Main point: I would easily say no way if Brady was 30, 33, or even 35. But he turns 37 this season. The future is now with him, unless some think a 39+ brady could actually carry this team like in 06/13 fashion.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Hell to the no.

The Patriots have 11 consecutive double-digit-win seasons, and that includes spotting the entire league Matt Cassel in 2008. No other team in the league has a streak even half as long.

As BB said, it's tough to win a SB even when everything goes right. I'll take getting into the tourney every year over a 95% chance of winning it followed by years in the wilderness.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

-Withstand the first awful Patriots season in 15 years to get the #1 pick, and as a result the next franchise QB.

The problem with that scenario is "How do you convince an entire team to buy into a 'Suck for Luck' mentality?"

Especially players who were here for this season?

 

[patsinthesnow]

The problem with that scenario is "How do you convince an entire team to buy into a 'Suck for Luck' mentality?"

Especially players who were here for this season?

No idea. It's realistically too hard anyway. Look at the 2013 JEST ending up with the 17th overall pick. That team should be drafting 1-5 right now and getting their first real QB in 5 years. But nope, they went all out for 8-8 and are stuck with Geno/Sanchez.

I just think there is a decent argument for loading up for 2014/2015, considering Brady's age and how bad the AFC is currently. Our only real superbowl competition (most likely) for the next two seasons is the aging Denver Mannings. The Ravens/Steelers are a mess with bad contracts, Alex Smith will cap the Chiefs potential, the Colts roster isn't ready, the Texans have too many holes, etc.

 

[Bruins29]

I actually agree with snow that it would be great if they could go all in these last couple of years to get TB the 4th ring.

However, it is not as easy as it sounds. The only way I see mortgaging the future is to use draft pics. What do you do with them? It is not exactly like you can just trade them for stud players because the cap would make it pretty prohibitive to stack the team with talent.

OR, you could trade away future pics for more current higher pics. Lets say much higher pics in this draft and the next. Sure! You "could" end up with some better players in these drafts but by the time they were ready to make a big contribution TB would be gone most likely. If they wanted to do that they would have a few years ago.

Best thing to do is get the right players with the right chemistry and scheme the right way. Pretty much what they have been doing the past 10 years. Unfortunately, since the last SB they have run into the worst luck possible and/or played their worst when it counted most..

 

[Brady6]

I actually agree with snow that it would be great if they could go all in these last couple of years to get TB the 4th ring.

However, it is not as easy as it sounds. The only way I see mortgaging the future is to use draft pics. What do you do with them? It is not exactly like you can just trade them for stud players because the cap would make it pretty prohibitive to stack the team with talent.

OR, you could trade away future pics for more current higher pics. Lets say much higher pics in this draft and the next. Sure! You "could" end up with some better players in these drafts but by the time they were ready to make a big contribution TB would be gone most likely. If they wanted to do that they would have a few years ago.

Best thing to do is get the right players with the right chemistry and scheme the right way. Pretty much what they have been doing the past 10 years. Unfortunately, since the last SB they have run into the worst luck possible and/or played their worst when it counted most..

Best post I in this thread. This B29 is the one I like reading.