Curran: Brady 'almost certainly' gone before 2017

The other thing I will point to is that in the SB losses and a couple of other very important games, the D kept the other team in a very reasonable range. If the O and come out and scored what they were scoring even close to the average of what they were doing during that regular season they would have won both SBs.

D did their job
O could not get it done.

BB is a defensive minded coach and schemed the right way. The O failed. TB is not on the defense.

In fairness to the board I will be honest and say my opinion of Brady is biased. I was always a casual NFL fan but never became diehard until the early 2000s and Brady was a major reason I became diehard. I do not like to think of a post Brady/Belichick era. If I did slight Belichick I was wrong he is the GOAT at HC without question.

supafly said:

I don't like this speculation piece coming 1 week prior to the season. I'd have much rather seen it as an offseason piece in the middle of June.

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The reason you are seeing this now is that the most exciting thing that has happened since the Mankins trade is the release of Law Firm -- reporters gotta eat too.

The story itself is preposterous. FNG has not looked bad, but he is not ready to start for any team. Brady's physical abilities are in decline, but his skills will sustain him for...well, we don't know how long. If Garroppolo blossoms or Brady falls apart Belichick will do what is best for the team. Whether Brady retires or plays for another team at that point is really up to him. I could see him 'retiring' to the west coast to finish up his career in front of friends and family among the icons of his youth.

I could also see him breaking all of Manning's records and calling it a career.

Regardless, the regular season cannot get here soon enough!

ausbacker said:

Why would you get a laugh out of something as such? Belichick has shown that he is willing to replace everyone the moment he has a younger, better prospect. This isn't out of the ordinary. That said, I find it difficult to imagine that Belichick pulls the trigger on Brady. Quarterback is unlike any other position in sport. Pancho will have to be something to supplant Brady.

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Right on the money. And although I have always liked Curran and given credence to his views on the Patriots he is morphing from a good Patriots reporter to a cartoon character right before our eyes, and his schtick has become more important than providing a good take. This piece, on Brady and Garropolo was one of the worst i have seen from him. He went from saying that Garropolo was a wasted pick to the heir apparent based on one pre-season in which Garropolo played decently. Brady has shown no signs of decline and until he does I am not going to start talking about who will take his place. He played exceptionally well last season and I expect a better season from him this year. Right now Garropolo is in the same place his predecessors were, the long term back-up who won't see the field until Brady is unable to play. Those looking forward to the Jimmy Garropolo era are idiots imo.

Almost every Patriots fan loves Brady & would love to see him retire a Patriot.

Our coach in the other hand is all about "value".

There has also been talk about our coach wanting to win one without Brady.

There are also a lot of desperate GM's out there that are willing to overpay for a big name quarterback.

If the Bengals could get two 1st round picks for a Mediocre QB "Carson Palmer", what would be the price for Tom Brady who says he wants to play until he is 45 ?

I wouldn't put much value into anything Tom Curran says. He is the only reporter I know that is wrong more than Harvey Leonard.

Brady6 said:

Belichick ... does many things very well but he has achieved nothing in head coaching career without Tom Brady, and frankly there is nothing to suggest he would,

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Usually this line is only trotted out by fans of other teams that are seeking a way to discredit the success of the Patriots; I'm surprised that you would play that card.

Belichick inherited a very bad Cleveland team that was old and bloated with contracts that needed to be dumped. Despite the bare cupboard, the Browns doubled their number of wins in his first season as head coach. The following year they were doomed with injuries, having to start three quarterbacks - including the immortal Todd Philcox - yet still managed to increase their win total.

In Belichick's third season he finally had enough of Bernie Kosar, and replaced him with Vinny Testaverde. However, Testaverde was injured and he had to revert to Kosar. Cleveland's record remained the same as it was the previous season, 7-9, one win below .500.

The next year the Browns improved again, winning four more games than the previous season. They made the postseason, and won their first playoff game in five years. As it turned out, they have not won a playoff game in the twenty years since that victory over Bill Parcell's Patriots.

The next season the Browns started out 3-1, with their only loss in week one at Foxboro by three points. At the time they looked like they were one of the best teams in football. Then Art Modell announced he was moving the team, and chaos ensued. End result was a 5-11 season, and Belichick was fired.

His two other seasons without Brady were his first with the Patriots, in what was obviously a rebuilding year, and the 11-win 2008 season.

Belichick admitted that he should have handled the Kosar situation better. He learned from it. As far as the final season in Cleveland, there was no precedence in sports to draw knowledge from. Again, it was another valuable learning experience - but I don't know if there are/were many (if any) coaches that could have held the team together in that circumstance; let's not forget it was exacerbated by a meddling owner that didn't have his back. He left a very good team behind, and one that was well set for the future. For example, one trade that he had made for the following year was a draft pick that turned out to be Ray Lewis.

To me the notion that "there is nothing to suggest" that Belichick would ever achieve anything without Brady is extremely shallow, superficial and off-base.

It might be time to read Halberstam's The Education of a Coach, and view NFL Films' Cleveland '95.

TBR said:

Judging Garroppolo off those couple of pre-season games and thinking he's for sure our future starting QB is ridiculous

Brady has at least another 4 years if you ask me.

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Seems to me that that's exactly what Bill did back in 2000.

supafly said:

I agree with you. I wouldn't have chosen it to be Curran if you'd have asked me to pick which beat reporter had come up with this story.

Jimmy G looks better than I expected, but again...I think it's a small sample size with a very small portion of the playbook taken out for him.

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Curran is kind of interesting because he is almost entirely alone amongst the hordes of media clowns in being willing to own it when he thinks he was wrong.

I remember him being that way about Cassell back in 2008. Ridiculed him mercilessly in the preseason, and then at the end of the season said 'you know what, I was totally wrong.'

rochrist said:

Seems to me that that's exactly what Bill did back in 2000.

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I don't think you can compare this to Bledsoe situation at all.

There isn't even a scintilla of reporting in the linked Tom Curran piece. It is a complete mediot nothing-burger. Tom Curran has no more of an idea when Tom Brady will be gone than my cat does.

Fencer said:

1. He's better than any or almost any other QB in history.
2. Sports medicine, training, etc. keep getting better and ...
3. ... to the extent that the choice is within his purview, Brady seems open to always trying the latest and greatest self-improvement options.
4. The reporting that suggests he's kept his focus and dedication are persuasive. He in no way seems burnt out.
5. The evidence of Brady having lost much to age so far is very sparse. (My guess: He's lost a bit of physical and/or mental quickness in avoiding the rush, and that's the main area of decline.) Similarly, I'm not aware of any identifiable chronic condition such as Manning's neck, many guys' knees or backs, or many guys' concussions.

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I don't think it will be his play, as such, declining so much as it will be injuries catching up. As you note, he's already lost some quickness at avoiding the rush. That isn't likely to improve over time, and that likely means getting hit more often, or at least not LESS often. And you don't bounce back from injuries as quickly as you get older. I suspect that with each year, smallish injuries that keep him out of a couple of games here and there are likely to start appearing.

The question is when do you cross a line that says those things are no longer supportable with a team that's trying to win it all every year.

hwc said:

There isn't even a scintilla of reporting in the linked Tom Curran piece. It is a complete mediot nothing-burger. Tom Curran has no more of an idea when Tom Brady will be gone than my cat does.

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I don't think he billed this as anything other than an opinion piece.

TBR said:

I don't think you can compare this to Bledsoe situation at all.

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Why? The comparison isn't about the incumbent QB, it's about what BB needs to evaluate someone he's drafted how they've already (I'm sure) invested a ton of scouting into before he ever got to the team.

RhodyPatriot said:

Brady may have another 4 years but will the Patriots want to keep him given his age, his level of play and AT HIS SALARY??
That is the issue. ....see Logan Mankins.

The only judgement one can make on Jimmy Garrapolo is that he has a pocket presence and coolness under pressure that simply can't be taught. He has "it" instinctively and that's pretty exciting. Reminds me of another QB we know and love who possessed the same "it" as a young player.

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I don't think salary really enters into it. QB is not like any other position on the team. There isn't much space for a 'value' QB, because he runs the machine, and he has to be ABLE to run the machine and run it effectively. It's not like guard, where you might plug in someone not as effective and take the hit to improve the team in other areas. At least not in my view.

kennyb said:

What is his basis for saying so? Sounds like he says it for shock value. To get noticed.

They drafted Kevin o'connell and mallett in 3rd rohnds. Did that mean Brady was on his way out? If Brady declines a good bit he'll probably retire. I don't believe Curran can see into the future.

He's acting like he has inside info and I doubt he does. People like that are swine.

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No, he wasn't. He was acting like he had an opinion. He didn't act like he was /reporting/ anything.

rochrist said:

I don't think he billed this as anything other than an opinion piece.

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i just hope we dont have to read about this every year until TB retires.

robertweathers said:

Just to clarify, I do think because TB is a face of the franchise, BB will involve RK in any exit discussions or contract re-dos.

Maybe in 2017 BB goes to RK and says he wants to re-do TBs deal (cap reasons, etc.) or thinks TB is done and can't run the offense the way JAG can. Kraft will "agree" (because he won't under cut his coach's authority) but will insist on as much of a graceful, respectful, appreciative exit as possible.

It is my understanding that Kraft has "led" the negotiations with TB in the past and this may be the most appropriate approach.

I think between the three of them and how they carry themselves, it'll end gracefully...

Either way, it's be a sad day but one to look back on with a lot of great memories.

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Sorry for the superfluous "yo". That was an Apple error.

Patjew said:

Sorry for the superfluous "yo". That was an Apple error.

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No worries!!

Brady6 said:

I agree, but if I am ranking them in order of significance to the Patriots success, I go –

1. Tom Brady
2. Bill Belichick
3. Robert Kraft

I do not want #2 pushing #1 out the door any more than I want #3 pushing #2 out the door.

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Much as I love TFB, he does not run the Pats. BB runs the Pats.

Brady6 said:

I am not saying Belichick is not a great coach, but Brady is also a great QB and in my opinion his significance to the success is higher with Belichick being the second most significant person to the teams success. That is my opinion if you think it is the opposite feel free to voice that, but I am going to stay with my opinion either way.

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If BB didn't draft Brady, chances are he goes undrafted and never even PLAYS in the NFL.