OTAs - TB absence thread

[Deus Irae]

I suppose.

My overall take : while I’ll be fine sleeping at night, I can understand how fans are concerned that Brady is changing his habits after so many years. It can be especially concerning when you consider reports of possible discord between the QB and the coach.

Absolutely. And I understand, and agree with, the people who are saying "Well, this is a different approach by Tom, and I wish he were attending, because that's the norm". I'm just not going to go nuts about a player who misses a few days in May, when that player is as crazily devoted to body and game prep as anyone who's ever played the game because, in terms of being ready to play once the regular season starts, I don't think it's significant for the 41 year old guy with more than 15 years in the system to miss them, and I don't think the other players will fall apart because they have to wait until June to get hard reps with Brady.

If Brady doesn't show up until training camp, and he's 25 pounds overweight, and he's belching from the quarter keg he just polished off, I'll be very concerned. But reports are that he and Gronk are expected to attend the minicamp, so I'm not going to lose any sleep over a few missed days of running around in shorts and tee shirts in May.

 

[bormio]

Brady is the leader of the team - he has always been “first in, last out”. Nothing from a pure football sense is irrevocably lost by him skipping OTAs - all of that is easily recovered. But, as the leader, he should be there - period.

 

[Ring 6]

Yes. Showing up to OTAs is an example of the culture.

Personally, I don't think this impacts wins and losses at all.

What I do believe is if you aren't hurt or in a contract holdout, BB has made showing up to these things mandatory thus part of the culture and team building process.

An example of the culture but it doesn’t define it.

And I think Brady has earned some slack.

 

[Deus Irae]

Le'Veon Bell missed all the offseason stuff last year, showing up just a week before the team's first game. Bell finished the season with 1946 combined yards. The Steelers finished 13-3. He's skipping the OTAs this year, too.

 

[fxmallon]

What I think is that something as nearly out of the ordinary as Butler being benched during the SB, deserves, as that benching did, a low key press conference or press statement, to make clear the main factors for the decision. This was never done post SB and it's not being done now. Thus the endless threads trying to throw a little light on the problem. The Butler affair was far more important, but why not just clear the air here too.

 

[Mark.]

Le'Veon Bell missed all the offseason stuff last year, showing up just a week before the team's first game. Bell finished the season with 1946 combined yards. The Steelers finished 13-3. He's skipping the OTAs this year, too.

How dare you be rational when many Patriots fans and the media are certain this is the beginning of the end!

 

[ivanvamp]

Random internet dope ivanamp is all about Brady's own words, yet is ignoring Brady's current actions as a potential sign of a change of opinion regarding his earlier words.

I wonder why that could possibly be?

Brady has lots of reasons for skipping OTAs this year that may have little to do with the success of the team. I doubt he thinks they're suddenly unimportant. I doubt Belichick thinks they're suddenly unimportant.

I think I'll trust BB's words and Belichick's words rather than internet dope Deus Irae.

 

[ivanvamp]

Umm... as I noted, you have expressed those things. Then there are posts like these





But, yeah, let's pretend that you people aren't saying what you're obviously saying, because that's the only way your lousy argument can hold water.

Or, we can just admit the obvious:

• While it's not optimal for Brady to miss these OTAs, it's not a particularly problematic thing, either.
  
• Plays will still be practiced. Whether it's Brady calling them in May, or Hoyer, makes no difference to that.
  
• Rreceivers will still be learning the system and routes and adjustments and assignments.
  
• Running in shorts doesn't equate to timing in pads, so the argument about on-field timing is a straw man.
• There will still be June, July, and August, for new guys to get more familiar with Brady, assuming they are still on the team by then and, if they are cut before them, Brady's absence won't be the reason they are cut.

Moron, I never said anything like what you're claiming. Your quote of me isn't at all what you're trying to make it out to be, and neither are these other quotes a "sky is falling" deal.

 

[Deus Irae]

Moron, I never said anything like what you're claiming. Your quote of me isn't at all what you're trying to make it out to be, and neither are these other quotes a "sky is falling" deal.

Brady has lots of reasons for skipping OTAs this year that may have little to do with the success of the team. I doubt he thinks they're suddenly unimportant. I doubt Belichick thinks they're suddenly unimportant.

I think I'll trust BB's words and Belichick's words rather than internet dope Deus Irae.

Your words are your words. Your lousy arguments are your lousy arguments. Your silly concerns are your silly concerns. Your personal attacks against me are your personal attacks against me.

For you to try claiming that you didn't "say anything like what you're claiming", when I posted exactly what you wrote, is very dishonest of you. But you keep being ridiculous on the subject, if you think clowning yourself is working for you.

By the way,

Julio Jones isn't attending OTAs.
Aaron Donald isn't attending OTAs
Le'Veon Bell isn't attending OTAs

 

[IcyPatriot]

Brady was the poster player of the Patriot way and has been for years ...

So time for someone else to get on the poster.

Other than that we will be fine ... his absence now will not hurt our play this season.

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

Brady seriously whining to get Jimmy G traded and then pulling this ****?

Amazing

The kool-aid drinkers on this forum are embarrassing. "Yeah it's the first time he's ever done this....but it's a GOOD thing actually! Everything is fine here!"

 

[RobertWeathers]

An example of the culture but it doesn’t define it.

And I think Brady has earned some slack.

Of course he has. Only Bill Russell and Larry Bird earned as much slack.

In the grand scheme of things this us much ado about nothing.

If he's a no show to TC then we have am issue

 

[Ring 6]

Brady seriously whining to get Jimmy G traded and then pulling this ****?

Jimmy g was traded because his contract was up and only a ******ed person would keep him and get rid of Brady. Brady didn’t whine because he didn’t need to.

Amazing

The kool-aid drinkers on this forum are embarrassing. "Yeah it's the first time he's ever done this....but it's a GOOD thing actually! Everything is fine here!"

It’s a big nothingburger in the big picture.

 

[rochrist]

Your words are your words. Your lousy arguments are your lousy arguments. Your silly concerns are your silly concerns. Your personal attacks against me are your personal attacks against me.

For you to try claiming that you didn't "say anything like what you're claiming", when I posted exactly what you wrote, is very dishonest of you. But you keep being ridiculous on the subject, if you think clowning yourself is working for you.

By the way,

Julio Jones isn't attending OTAs.
Aaron Donald isn't attending OTAs
Le'Veon Bell isn't attending OTAs

Is one of those the QB of his team?

 

[captain stone]

...Unless you think Brady has lost his teammates, this is not a culture or team-building issue.

Nope, just a Brady-Is-The-Only-Starting-QB-In-The-League-Who-Is Skipping-OTAs issue.

 

[Love The Drake]

Is one of those the QB of his team?

Its bad for the team Tom isnt there period.
Whatever the reason Tom is acting out of character and if its family related in my mind this is step 1 of riding off into the sunset with his family.
If its out of rebelion in my opiniom we should of held on to Jimmy G that made the most sense from whats best for the team over the long haul.
San Francisco moved on from Montana and it was the right call.
Im not looking at whos better now which is clearly Tom.
I dont believe Tom plays 3 seasons from now.
Maybe not even 2 more.
I may be unpopular but I would of traded him for a kings ransom and rolled with Jimmy.

 

[lancerman]

Its bad for the team Tom isnt there period.
Whatever the reason Tom is acting out of character and if its family related in my mind this is step 1 of riding off into the sunset with his family.
If its out of rebelion in my opiniom we should of held on to Jimmy G that made the most sense from whats best for the team over the long haul.
San Francisco moved on from Montana and it was the right call.
Im not looking at whos better now which is clearly Tom.
I dont believe Tom plays 3 seasons from now.
Maybe not even 2 more.
I may be unpopular but I would of traded him for a kings ransom and rolled with Jimmy.

In three years from now Jimmy G could prove to be average at best and it wouldn't have mattered anyways. It's too hard to predict these things. All you can go with is you had the MVP. And yes San Fran moved on from Montana, Montana was also plagued with injuries by the time that decision was made.

 

[Ring 6]

Nah, just a Brady-Is-The-Only-QB-In-The-League-Who-Is Skipping-OTAs issue.

So

 

[Deus Irae]

Is one of those the QB of his team?

Are you really trying to slip "But QB" into the excuse bin about practices in May, when other QBs are on the roster who can run things in his absence?

 

[maust]

So

Well that settles it, there's no refuting that well supported a position.