Hypothetical big F-U to the NFL and Goodell: Brady taking vet minimum

[Ross12]

I don't think he can take vet minimum, but I think it's an interesting question to wonder how much more of a pay cut he could take before the NFLPA started getting their panties in a bunch.

 

[long distance]

...
or maybe he should just retire
that would show them!

 

[OhExaulted1]

So he would get paid like the the 39th pick in this years draft (985k salary + 80k SB = 1,065m pick #39 1,069,410) but only count against the cap like the 64th pick (685k vs 664,533).

Draft - Over the Cap
NFL Minimum Salaries for 2016 and the Veteran Cap Benefit Rule | The Daily Spot

If he had as many endorsement deals as PEDton this might be feasable. Otherwise........

I could see him doing an extension.....For creativity sake he could work out an extension with an outrageous # of years so he would still get paid like he deserves but it would be a smallish cap hit for years to come. Donovan Mcnabb has the record for the longest NFL contract at 12 years. If he was going to FU the league this would be the perfect way to do it. I don't belive there is a year limit on contracts (I may be wrong but I'm not reading a bazillion page CBA to verify, maybe someone can help me out here)

The theory of Vet min seems a bit outrageous, but I think if they were creative it could actually work. I think I remember Steve Young signing a 20 year deal with the USFL way back when. Take his next 2 years salary and convert it into a SB over the next 20 years or something crazy like that. With the cap pushing $10 mil a year increase the impact would be smaller and smaller as time goes along.

Thoughts?

 

[RunAmok]

Yes, except the NFLPA doesn't think this way. They are very concerned with the big money vets, and keeping those salary averages high, and much less concerned with the guys who are at the bottom of the roster and/or only in the League for a year or two. They simply won't allow the star players to do something like what is proposed in this thread.

With the hard salary cap, that thinking by the union is so outdated. The NFLPA would be much better off if the money was spread more equally across the team.

 

[Kontradiction]

...
or maybe he should just retire
that would show them!

 

[eom]

I'll preface this by saying this is something Brady could do for the team, not something he necessarily should. He's already been incredibly selfless and generous throughout his career in regards to his salary and shouldn't be expected by anyone to take even less than he already has. No matter how many hundreds of millions he and his wife have combined, it's still a lot of money to leave on the table. ​

Think about it. If Brady was somehow willing to take yet another paycut, this time for the vet minimum... According to Miguel, that would create an additional $8.15 million in cap space: twitter.com/patscap/status/700149285698994176

That additional $8m, while not a perfect remedy for the lost draft picks, would help minimize it tremendously.

The Pats could sign a big difference maker(s) with that extra leeway (and likely contribute immediately)

It would be a huge F-U to Goodell, the owners and a lot of the league who currently LOVE the fact the Pats lost a 1st rounder and still hope to see Brady suspended for 4 games.

if you really want to spite goodell you should tell your boss you're willing to work for min wage .

 

[borisman]

That's a major cap violation. Just because the Broncos got away with it we shouldn't think that the Patriots would.

I wasn't being serious but yeah I know the Pats are under the microscope so....I was just posting some "way out of the box" thinking I guess.
Do we have to start putting un-serious posts in italics now?

 

[brdmaverick]

At first blush, I agree but that money would simply be going to other players, assuming the Patriots spend to the cap. So while it hurts Brady and maybe QB franchise numbers ( is he even top 5??) the money he is foregoing is being redistributed to other players whether top tier or at the other end of the roster...
From the NFLPA perspective, while it hurts one high profile player, it benefits multiple other players who can receive more since the pie has a bigger share for them...

I don't think it would strictly be looked at as such. It would put more unnecessary pressure on other QBs in their negotiations........."hey, Tom Brady was willing to play ball to help his team win, you should do the same. After all, you want good playes around you, don't you?"

 

[sb1]

I have a better idea for an F-U to the league.

Kraft calls a presser and gives the speech that should have been made a year ago defending his HOF QB, coach and the rest of his team.

And then orders the release of all correspondence and emails from the NFL including the order to suspend the ball boys. I have no doubt they are sitting on a few doozys.

And then during a SNF game at Gillette Stadium in cold weather demonstrate in front of 70,000 fans on the Jumbotron and millions on national TV what happens to PSI in footballs in the cold.

And then puts the other 31 teams on notice that they better not step one toe out of the rulebook when they play the Patriots... or else. And then enforce it. By any means necessary.

 

[Ivan]

I wasn't being serious but yeah I know the Pats are under the microscope so....I was just posting some "way out of the box" thinking I guess.
Do we have to start putting un-serious posts in italics now?

You seem to be confused. "out of the box" thinking implies it is serious but out there, sarcasm is something else.

 

[BradyFTW!]

While I love the idea as a Pats fan, Brady is a strong presence in the NFLPA, and this is surely a precedent that the union wouldn't want to see created.

Caveat: yes, I realize that the union probably *shouldn't* care, since the same net amount gets paid out to its membership either way. I also realize that this same argument would also apply to Brady's previous paycuts. So given that, maybe I'm way off on this.

But yeah, it would be great to see.

 

[Fencer]

Only way that happens is right after Brady puts his pen to paper and sings the contract, Kraft builds a TB12 avocado ice cream shop over on Patriots Place.

That plus all of a sudden Brady and Giselle get their hands on another huge plot of land in Brookline..

Which would be a salary cap violation so egregious that any team who did it would be punished, not just the Patriots.

Of course, the MAGNITUDE of the punishment would vary greatly depending on who it was ...

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

I'll preface this by saying this is something Brady could do for the team, not something he necessarily should. He's already been incredibly selfless and generous throughout his career in regards to his salary and shouldn't be expected by anyone to take even less than he already has. No matter how many hundreds of millions he and his wife have combined, it's still a lot of money to leave on the table. ​

Think about it. If Brady was somehow willing to take yet another paycut, this time for the vet minimum... According to Miguel, that would create an additional $8.15 million in cap space: twitter.com/patscap/status/700149285698994176

That additional $8m, while not a perfect remedy for the lost draft picks, would help minimize it tremendously.

The Pats could sign a big difference maker(s) with that extra leeway (and likely contribute immediately)

It would be a huge F-U to Goodell, the owners and a lot of the league who currently LOVE the fact the Pats lost a 1st rounder and still hope to see Brady suspended for 4 games.

I'm not sure whether this is the best way to go about it but I DO know we desperately NEED (not just want but NEED) retribution against Goodell and the league for this travesty.

I like the thinking outside the box. We need some appropriate agent. A nemesis, if you will.

 

[Fencer]

You're reacting -- in multiple lengthy posts -- to something that wasn't said, namely that Brady not only could do this, but actually SHOULD.

To my eyes, it wasn't even implied.

That's hardly the worst thing somebody can do to derail a message board, but it's certainly not very helpful.

A guy using his brain. He's the best in the world at what he does currently. He should be compensated as such. Currently, it appears he agrees because I haven't seen a report about him taking such a massive pay cut or even approaching the Patriots with a willingness to do it.



Your opinion counts for ****, though. Sorry if that sounds harsh. It's his life and his lifestyle. If he wants the earnings, he's certainly entitled to them since he's the one that's put in the work and abuse to get to this point.



Nobody can predict the future. Any number of things can happen that may hit Tom right in the wallet. Just to toss out some examples purely off the top of my head: what if he's the product of a nasty divorce? What if he sustains some kind of expensive and horrific injury? What if he wants his children to be financially stable for the rest of their lives based on his hard work? Never fault a guy for wanting to maximize his earnings. ESPECIALLY a guy who does what Tom has done for this team. To say that someone doesn't NEED the money is foolish. At this point, the best the team could do for him is an extension to free up the cap space. They don't him to take the vet minimum in order to do that. Nor should he want to take it at 39 with the abuse he's going to take through a 16 game season then (hopefully) three more through the playoffs.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I don't think he can take vet minimum, but I think it's an interesting question to wonder how much more of a pay cut he could take before the NFLPA started getting their panties in a bunch.

I'm not sure they'd care, would other top QBs be pressured to lower their salaries to the minimum or would they tell the owner "plenty of QB-needy teams will pay me top dollar if you don't want to"?

 

[VectorPrime]

I'm not sure they'd care, would other top QBs be pressured to lower their salaries to the minimum

Yes

 

[Kontradiction]

You're reacting -- in multiple lengthy posts -- to something that wasn't said, namely that Brady not only could do this, but actually SHOULD.

To my eyes, it wasn't even implied.

That's hardly the worst thing somebody can do to derail a message board, but it's certainly not very helpful.

It may help you to read the original posts again...

Why in God's name would he do that?

1) He doesnt need the money
2) Play with Joe Thomas is better than play with Cannon

The post I was responding to was about whether or not Brady "needs the money".

 

[Snake Eyes]

Yes

I don't think so, the owners can pay them or they'll play for the Browns, Jets, Bills, etc.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

I agree but how do you quantify that as compensation? For example, the Packers are a publicly held team. As such with any corporation they can compensate their employees with directed shares,restricted shares that vest over time. Theoretically (I'm guessing there is a NFL bylaw that does not allow it) as part of his overall compensation they could issue shares to Aaron Rodgers. In theory, that issue price (or sale price depending on how they want to quantify it) would count towards the cap.

A slippery slope for sure.

Publicly held != publicly traded. Also, Packers shares are essentially worthless (by design).

 

[Gronkowski123]

tom should get a raise..