WEEI/Rapoport: Brady deal "imminent" - 3 years, $58M

[AzPatsFan]

If this is the deal or close too it there is an unrecognized benefit.

It means Tom Brady can spend his entire career as a Patriot. There is real money while he is on top of his game. There is freedom to pay him realistic money later, if he is not injured. Guys like Montana had to leave their clubs the last year or two, because the end of contract dollars were phony, and completely disproportionate.

I look forward to Brady being a Patriot all the way to the HOF.

Mankin's allocated kitty is getting eaten up.

 

[efin98]

I'd agree if it was one of ESPN's crappy reporters, but I doubt ESPN would ask Schefter to take that his to his credibility. He's the most reliable guy in the business, to the point that I usually take what he reports as fact. Now, I wouldn't be shocked if ESPN brass is dumb enough to screw that up, but it doesn't make sense. For now, I'm inclined to believe that the Herald probably jumped the gun a little (are we really that quick to forget that they have a history of doing exactly that?...). Rapoport's a damn good beat writer, but it's certainly possible that either he or his source could have gotten a little bit ahead of themselves.

Either way, this is a tough one, because Rapoport and Schefter are both very credible. If I had to guess, the truth is probably in the grey area where either one of them could be right depending on how you're looking at it. As in, the Brady deal is close but not quite imminent (which are both subjective terms in the first place).

That wasn't off the main ESPN page where Schefter's report would be, it's coming from the ESPN Boston page. Schefter doesn't look to be involved in the link at all, and I'm not so sure that Reiss was involved in it either. This looks like it was over their head or pool with neither of them being a factor in it.

 

[JMarr]

It should be against the law to use Twitter if you are above the age of 15.

 

[efin98]

We all know that the Herald would never jump the gun without confirmation on a big Patriots' story...oops, sorry about that Tomase...

Rap still has to gain back his credibility with me after the Brace idiocy but even so where there is smoke there is fire and neither the team nor Brady has denounced it as false yet so it at least is still very credible that it is happening.

 

[LoganMankinsPancakeBlocks]

Schefter was on Sportscenter about 15 minutes ago and said enough progress was made that a deal could be done either this week or next week. He made no mention of the report being "inaccurate" or or "wrong". Seemed like he had heard something different, as he had changed his tune from earlier.

 

[LoganMankinsPancakeBlocks]

Schefter now mentions what he said on Sportscenter on twitter, that what he's hearing lately seems to suggest the Herald's report was correct.

Twitter / Adam Schefter: Boston Herald was on to so ...
Twitter / Adam Schefter: If and when Tom Brady's co ...

He links to his article on ESPN.com

 

[SVN]

Source: Talks between Tom Brady, New England Patriots heat up - ESPN Boston

 

[Patspsycho]

Could be a 4 year deal worth 18 to 20 mil a year. I hope this happens.

 

[tajapandu]

Could be a 4 year deal worth 18 to 20 mil a year. I hope this happens.

would those 4 years kick in starting this year or next year?

 

[wiggins!]

would those 4 years kick in starting this year or next year?

from the article:

"Discussions between the two sides have focused on a four-year extension, to start after this season. The previous two contracts that Brady signed were for four years, and the expectation is this one also will be for four."

 

[Uncle Rico]

from the article:

"Discussions between the two sides have focused on a four-year extension, to start after this season. The previous two contracts that Brady signed were for four years, and the expectation is this one also will be for four."

Even better.

 

[goheels22002]

Because of the uncertainty about the cap and the rules on how money is treated going forward it's almost impossible to do a long term deal of double digit magnitude now that you are comfortable will work for both sides in a year or two from now. The team can't guarantee the bulk of any deal in an extension (such as Manning and Brady would be receiving) because of the reallocation rule in the expiring CBA short of signing bonus. Signing bonus is generally based on the total value of the deal - ergo the longer and larger the deal the bigger the signing bonus which is paid up front. Neither team is in position to give these guys a signing bonus in excess of $50M which is what it would take on a 5 or 6 year $100M+/- deal. And a 6 year deal is unmanageable because the amortization for signing bonus under the expiring CBA is only 5 years (including 2010) under the expiring CBA. If both were FA next season they could be in line for a 6 or 7 year deal with guaranteed option as well as signing bonus that could be spread over the entire term of the deal. And the team would have more flexibility to manage those deals going forward. But again, if you want a deal done now you have to find a compromise. It's either short term but guaranteed or long term and not really.

The ESPN talk show at 7 PM pretty much confirmed the shorter term more guaranteed approach and no one including Clayton or Shefter backed off on a deal getting done this week or next.

The question is, and I apologize for not getting this, wouldn't a signing bonus equal to the first year of a $12 million/year deal get spread over the full four years for cap purposes?

If Brady gets $24 million this year and $12m per year over the next three giving him a $60 million 4-year deal with each year charged at $15 million per year to the cap. In essence the Pats cough up $54m in new money given that $6m was already committed for this year. Or does the reallocation rule prevent a new signing bonus in the final year of the existing contract?

What the hell does Bob Kraft care? Other than the $12m signing bonus it's all Logan Mankins' money anyway! Thank you, Logan, for your generous contribution to Patriot Nation.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Breer weighs in:

For clarity on Brady ...At $80 million on a 4-year extension, if you include roster bonus from spring, it adds to five years, $86.5 million.

Albert Breer (albertbreer) on Twitter

 

[wiggins!]

Breer weighs in:



Albert Breer (albertbreer) on Twitter

Basically what we're going to be seeing...until the numbers are posted on the NFLPA website....is that every media member who's been "following the story" are going to try and one-up each other with the smallest detail...so they can say they were the first 2 get it!

 

[Frezo]

Basically what we're going to be seeing...until the numbers are posted on the NFLPA website....is that every media member who's been "following the story" are going to try and one-up each other with the smallest detail...so they can say they were the first 2 get it!

Which is why I don't follow Twitter. The Tweedia is more concerned about being first than being accurate.

 

[efin98]

Basically what we're going to be seeing...until the numbers are posted on the NFLPA website....is that every media member who's been "following the story" are going to try and one-up each other with the smallest detail...so they can say they were the first 2 get it!

They all are trailing the Herald though...ESPN and the Globe are going to keep fighting over the smallest detail until it is signed but Rap beat them all out and no matter what the final details are he hangs that over their heads until someone else breaks the next big story.

 

[SuperPatsFan]

For a QB of Brady's caliber, I'm surprised it's not $20-million per. Kraft's "value" approach?

 

[ginachen]

I'm a little confused about something. How come the media keep saying it's a 4 yr, $64.5M, adding this years $6.5M into the extension? That will bring his average salary down from 19M to 16M. That just doesn't make sense at all.

 

[JFK]

I'm a little confused about something. How come the media keep saying it's a 4 yr, $64.5M, adding this years $6.5M into the extension? That will bring his average salary down from 19M to 16M. That just doesn't make sense at all.

I agree. Its not as if Brady was underpaid with his last deal.

 

[emoney_33]

I'm a little confused about something. How come the media keep saying it's a 4 yr, $64.5M, adding this years $6.5M into the extension? That will bring his average salary down from 19M to 16M. That just doesn't make sense at all.

Because, the Pats are cheap