I'm Finally Convinced: This is Brady's Last Year in New England

[Biffins]

Other than Smith, the rest had a better season than Brady.
Sure he has built a legacy, but he must be paid based on performance.
I just don’t see him being a starter on this squad.

Really? You think Brissett’s 2900 yards of passing at 60% completion with a 6.6 YPA and 7-9 season, outperformed Brady this year?

GTFO of here.

 

[Froob]

Really? You think Brissett’s 2900 yards of passing at 60% completion with a 6.6 YPA and 7-9 season, outperformed Brady this year?

GTFO of here.

To be fair, he wasn’t quite the same when he got back from his injuries.

 

[Steamer86]

Really? You think Brissett’s 2900 yards of passing at 60% completion with a 6.6 YPA and 7-9 season, outperformed Brady this year?

GTFO of here.

Well....Brissett’s completion% was 60.9% vs 60.8% for Brady. Brissett’s YPA was 6.6, same as Brady’ 6.6. TD% was 4.0 for Brissett and 3.9 for Brady. INT % was 1.3 for both. QBR 52.5 for Brady and 52.1 for Brissett, while Passer Rating was 88 for both. While he didn’t outperform, their stats were very similar.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Well....Brissett’s completion% was 60.9% vs 60.8% for Brady. Brissett’s YPA was 6.6, same as Brady’ 6.6. TD% was 4.0 for Brissett and 3.9 for Brady. INT % was 1.3 for both. QBR 52.5 for Brady and 52.1 for Brissett, while Passer Rating was 88 for both. While he didn’t outperform, their stats were very similar.

Interesting.

 

[blackglass3]

Hear me out: Brady goes to free agency. John Elway calls and sells him on the Manning Plan. 3 years, he'll mortgage the future to win now, and gives Tom a say in offensive weapons. They already have Fant, Sutterland, and Lindsey. Fangio handles the D and stays head coach and someone comes in to run the offense Tom wants to run.

I have no idea what Denver's cap space is like, but again; If Tom truly wants to win one more, Elway will throw everything he can at him to get Tom into a Broncos uniform (and save Elway his job for a few more years).

 

[RobertWeathers]

Hear me out: Brady goes to free agency. John Elway calls and sells him on the Manning Plan. 3 years, he'll mortgage the future to win now, and gives Tom a say in offensive weapons. They already have Fant, Sutterland, and Lindsey. Fangio handles the D and stays head coach and someone comes in to run the offense Tom wants to run.

I have no idea what Denver's cap space is like, but again; If Tom truly wants to win one more, Elway will throw everything he can at him to get Tom into a Broncos uniform (and save Elway his job for a few more years).

After projected cuts and restructures DEN should have around ~$75m of cap space.

I don't see Tom going to DEN.

 

[blackglass3]

After projected cuts and restructures DEN should have around ~$75m of cap space.

I don't see Tom going to DEN.

I'm just trying to figure out where he would go if he isn't wanted (or doesn't want to be) here. He would want to go somewhere with built in talent that wouldn't need a lot of spin up. He would probably want a say over things so he doesn't end up with what he's had this season in the skills position. And the thin air might help him also.

And I think Elway would go all out to get him here, like he did with Manning.

 

[primetime]

Well....Brissett’s completion% was 60.9% vs 60.8% for Brady. Brissett’s YPA was 6.6, same as Brady’ 6.6. TD% was 4.0 for Brissett and 3.9 for Brady. INT % was 1.3 for both. QBR 52.5 for Brady and 52.1 for Brissett, while Passer Rating was 88 for both. While he didn’t outperform, their stats were very similar.

Yeah, Brissett wasn't very good this year but he played a more difficult schedule with a worse supporting cast (bad line, questionable defense, rotating cast of castoffs at running back, Hilton missed a substantial chunk of the season) and was essentially indistinguishable from Brady as a passer while adding over 200 yards on the ground and 4 TDs. Think folks on this board are a little blind to how bad Brady was this year. Some of that surely has to do with the supporting cast but Edelman and White are better top targets than many teams in the league can boast, a fact we're also a little blind to given that we had all those years with Gronk.

 

[libra957]

Tom is more durable than all of them.

To be fair, he wasn’t quite the same when he got back from his injuries.

And Tom is more durable than both him and Garoppolo.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I'm just trying to figure out where he would go if he isn't wanted (or doesn't want to be) here. He would want to go somewhere with built in talent that wouldn't need a lot of spin up. He would probably want a say over things so he doesn't end up with what he's had this season in the skills position. And the thin air might help him also.

And I think Elway would go all out to get him here, like he did with Manning.

I hear you.

We will all have clarity by St Patricks Day.

 

[203Pat]

Who said Brady wants $30 mill a year?

 

[blackglass3]

Jehoshaphat said Brady wants $30 mill a year?

I mean, if Jameis is asking for it Brady might as well...I know which one I'd rather have.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Other than as a mechanism to manipulate cap dollars, I don't know. Brady did just fail to meet all the performance-based clauses in the prior season, right? Won the SB anyway, so maybe he considered those types of clauses a non-starter this time.

Sorry, should have been clearer. I meant "these years void if X or Y does/doesn't happen."

 

[luuked]

Interesting.

Yeah that puts things into perspective.

 

[Kontradiction]

I think one more shot at the Super Bowl next year is realistic. It would also give both parties more time to prepare. I’m simply not convinced that any other QB gives them the best chance to win, and I think all of Kraft, Belichick, and Brady realize that the window is slamming shut.

If they win this year, I think he’s calling it a career. No contract, two years in a row with nagging injuries that could be made worse by age, and he didn’t really look like he had any fun out there for about the last 10 weeks or so of the season. For the first time since he came into the league, I thought it looked like football was a “job” to Brady instead of a passion. He reminded me of your average boomer who is about a year or so away from retirement that’s exhausted with his daily tasks and can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[RobertWeathers]

If they win this year, I think he’s calling it a career. No contract, two years in a row with nagging injuries that could be made worse by age, and he didn’t really look like he had any fun out there for about the last 10 weeks or so of the season. For the first time since he came into the league, I thought it looked like football was a “job” to Brady instead of a passion. He reminded me of your average boomer who is about a year or so away from retirement that’s exhausted with his daily tasks and can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I'll say this....

Many years ago, I co-founded a company with a couple of other guys. I dumped everything into it. Heart. Soul. Energy. Worked tirelessly (despite the # of posts I have here I do actually work for a living ) After a few years I still loved the company, our product, the team and was still passionate about it but the ~15hr days and the emotional tax of years living on the edge just got to me and my family. I had lost that "extra gear". I became fatigued mentally. Now I have a cushy job, see my family a lot more and play a ton of golf.

I have no idea what is going on inside Tom's head. But if he decides to walk away, it'll totally get it.

 

[Gronk]

Sorry, should have been clearer. I meant "these years void if X or Y does/doesn't happen."

I remember thinking at the time that the sort of weird contract agreement was exactly what I would expect Brady and the team to do if they knew it was his last year and none of the TB/BB/Kraft triumvirate wanted to acknowledge that so as to avoid what they (or at least BB, an probably Tom as well) would regard as an undesirable sideshow of a farewell tour.

I still don't know but I guess if I'm trying to answer your question, the answer to why not tie the voidable years to statistical performance, team performance, or even simple playing time is...that maybe the team would want to move on even if he met the conditions (e.g. he still started 16 games, still threw for 4k yards, they still won 12 games, etc). In exchange, Brady asked not to be eligible to be franchise tagged.

And now that the team still in it, but he didn't have a superb season, and the team didn't finish the season strong, it feels like we're at the impasse that the contract foretold. It would feel different today if GillyLock didn't get GillySmoked by Devante Parker. And it would feel different if they'd gotten a legit TE, or the AB thing had worked out and Brady's numbers looked more Brady-ish. But here we are.

 

[condon84]

I don't think Brady's retiring even if we win the SB. He's consistently said his goal was to play until 45 and I believe him.

The most interesting part about this is how much influence Kraft has on this decision whether we resign him or not. We all know Kraft does not want Brady to wear another jersey so even if BB determines that it's time to move on, will Kraft step in and stop it?

At this point I think Kraft should let BB do what he's been doing and make these tough decisions. But it's easy for me to say that since I don't have a personal relationship with these players like Kraft does.

 

[ensoul]

Brady isn't retiring but he won't be here next either. BB sees how the NFL is changing where the QBS are fast and can scramble. Think it will be a mural decision. BB does not want him back and after this season Brady may not want to be back here. Yes he has great talent at receivers but they are rookies and they have struggled a bit making catches.

 

[Biffins]

Well....Brissett’s completion% was 60.9% vs 60.8% for Brady. Brissett’s YPA was 6.6, same as Brady’ 6.6. TD% was 4.0 for Brissett and 3.9 for Brady. INT % was 1.3 for both. QBR 52.5 for Brady and 52.1 for Brissett, while Passer Rating was 88 for both. While he didn’t outperform, their stats were very similar.

You missed out on fact that Brady had 50% more volume with 4000+ yards