Tom Curran

[ivanvamp]

If BB extended Brady and Brady played with this team like he did with them in 2019, everyone is talking about the huge mistake BB made locking up all that money for a 43-year old clearly in major decline.

He made the call that made the most sense at the time. Hard to fault him (without 20/20 hindsight) for not investing many years and dollars on a 43+ year old QB.

That Brady has done what he’s done is a huge testament to Brady, not in any way a slight oh Belichick.

 

[FCB02062]

This reads like an overreacting fan more than an actual journalist.

If you think there are actual journalists anymore, whether in sports or politics, I have some swamp land in Florida to sell you

But the fact remains Tom Brady quit on Belichick last season. Tom Brady seemingly quit on his team.

 

[Koma]

The Babe Ruth comparison doesn't make sense. The reason why the Red Sox are/were mocked for letting him go to the Yankees was that Ruth could have had his amazing, Hall of Fame career in Boston instead of NY. If the Patriots traded Brady away in 2002 and he went on to win 5+ Super Bowls in say, Atlanta, then, yeah, you could say the Patriots repeated the same error the Sox made with Ruth. After watching Brady win titles and set records over 20 years in New England, that's not the same thing.

 

[Todd Bradley]

It was obvious Belichick and Kraft made the wrong decision 10 months ago.

Only the Belichick fanboys round these parts couldn’t see it and vehemently defended Bill.

Looked dumb at the time with absolutely no succession plan at QB. Looks even dumber now that Brady is playing in another Super Bowl.

 

[SVN]

It was obvious Belichick and Kraft made the wrong decision 10 months ago.

Only the Belichick fanboys round these parts couldn’t see it and vehemently defended Bill.

Looked dumb at the time with absolutely no succession plan at QB. Looks even dumber now that Brady is playing in another Super Bowl.

But what decision did they make 10 months ago ? Brady told in his interview with stern that he knew it was his last season last august. There was no decision to be made. it was all Brady. Yes , they couldve offered him the brees contract last august. Tom curran thinks that would kept brady because he seems to be plugged in with don yee. But had brady stayed, he would been miserable here.
Brady was like lebron,went to a team which can win now and won. Were there egos and disagreement involved between BB and brady ? sure. But he kept at it as long he felt he had chances to win. Last yr he kinda knew he didnt have that chance here

 

[cmasspatsfan]

BB told Brady he couldn't pay him more than last year, TB decided to leave, simple as that.

 

[SVN]

BB told Brady he couldn't pay him more than last year, TB decided to leave, simple as that.

Really , you think he went for more money ? and kraft would just let tom go for more money ?

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Really , you think he went for more money ? and kraft would just let tom go for more money ?

That's what was said.

 

[jmt57]

Don Yee's errand boy

I have had the feeling for a while that Curran's inside unnamed sources were Yee/TB12. Once they were gone he no longer had an inside scoop which is too bad, because back in the day I really enjoyed his commentary. Once he became dependent on them his opinion had a sudden and noticeable shift. When Tom left Curran's well was dry.

Same thing happened in previous years with certain other writers who drifted from independent thinking, to relying on info fed to them - first from Parcells, then soon after from Bledsoe.

 

[Jlaff]

Curran is a gossip girl. Has this guy offered anything of value from an X’s and O’s standpoint? Classic NE news media shill, sports or otherwise.

Sounds like you're describing my posting history on this site.

 

[SVN]

That's what was said.

By whom ? And lets say they gave him the money, he would be might miserable with this team right now .

 

[SVN]

What if kraft had traded BB to tampa and kept brady ? After all t,ampa had traded for a head coach before in gruden . What do you guys think wouldve happened ?

 

[luuked]

It wasn’t possible - the team was in a cap bind, period, and there wasn’t a ton they could’ve done to avoid it.

They could’ve committed Brady in, say, 2017-2018, which would’ve spread his cap hit over several more years, but regardless, they were going to be tight against the cap for this season, with or without him.

I think the error was not extending Brady earlier. Once we reached where things stood a year ago, the Bucs were clearly the better option.

It’s not that Brady didn’t want to be in New England; he did, but he didn’t have a long term contract and as he hit free agency, Tampa clearly had the superior roster.

Belichick may wish he had extended Brady earlier, but outside of that I don’t think there’s a lot that could’ve been done differently, and the thin roster / lack of cap space would still be a reality.

I dont think BB regrets a thing about how it all went. You make the best decisions with the information available to you at the point in time.

Given Brady's age you just don't commit to a long deal and screw yourself in case that player suddenly falls apart.

People regretting things because the outcome went against them should be more concerned with the process that led to that decision and not with the results of it.

And I honestly don't see a huge issue with the decision making. You have a 40+y old QB so you try to create as much flexibility as possible to be able to navigate if he suddenly becomes an issue. But according to Curran & co incentive based contracts were an insult to Brady.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

Given Brady's age you just don't commit to a long deal and screw yourself in case that player suddenly falls apart.

It was not some average 40 yo QB though! It is the GOAT who was a MVP at 40. Brady earned the benefice of the doubt.

Bill had no problem offering a two year deal two a declining old safety.

 

[amfootball]

The Babe Ruth comparison doesn't make sense. The reason why the Red Sox are/were mocked for letting him go to the Yankees was that Ruth could have had his amazing, Hall of Fame career in Boston instead of NY. If the Patriots traded Brady away in 2002 and he went on to win 5+ Super Bowls in say, Atlanta, then, yeah, you could say the Patriots repeated the same error the Sox made with Ruth. After watching Brady win titles and set records over 20 years in New England, that's not the same thing.

Curran tried with the Ruth scenario but it does not fit and really there is no comp. I say this all the time to my family but Kobe played his last year on a bum ankle, a shell of himself and was the highest paid player. Jeter also played his last year in NY on a bum ankle making a hefty salary. David Ortiz kept getting 2 year extensions from the Sox until he finally told him his feet were broken and retired.

None of those great players are Brady in terms of accomplishments or salary demands. All Brady wanted was a multi-year deal to take him to 45 after he delivered ring 5 with the biggest comeback in NFL history and then the next year was named league MVP and put 500 yards up in the SB vs Philly.

What a colossal misjudgment by Bill all the way around. I'll never understand why he so badly wanted to move on from the GOAT with all the evidence in front of him that Brady was still an elite QB in his 40s.

At least with Montana and Manning there were real injury concerns and also great QBs behind them to take over. None of that was in play with Brady which is why we are currently coveting lousy Matt Stafford.

 

[lancerman]

The last 4 years? 2016-2019? They won 2 Super Bowls during that stretch.

I’m sure there were bumps in the road, as there always are in any relationship. I’m sure both parties wish certain things had gone differently, and perhaps Belichick wishes he had given Brady a long-term contract earlier.

But these “discord in New England” posts are silly. They won 6 Super Bowls in 20 seasons, including 3 over the last 5-6 years. Brady has said Belichick is the best coach he’s ever played for and Belichick (after Brady informed him he was leaving) referred to Brady as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game.

I mean, c’mon . . .

Not 2016 but at least 2017-2018 when all that speculation was drummed up particular in regards to the Eagles SB. It’s very obvious right now that things like Curran’s report and Wickersham’s article that we all laughed at were not as far off as they were treated. And everyone likes to site the 2018 SB but it didn’t stop Gronk from ****ing is around in the off season before retiring and then waiting until we were in cap hell to unretire to basically form a trade. It also didn’t stop Brady from leaving and you heard directly from him that he knew he was probably going to leave before the start of 2019. So basically got a SB and were still done with the franchise.

I completely see the logic of Bill’s decision making, but people make career decisions based off emotion. I don’t think it’s a surprise that two players who felt they were in a legacy defining game felt let down by the coach’s decision and then one was not given the extension he wanted, the other was in trade talks he clearly wasn’t happy about, and they by the end of the next year both players checked out and were ready to move on.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

At least with Montana and Manning there were real injury concerns and also great QBs behind them to take over. None of that was in play with Brady which is why we are currently coveting lousy Matt Stafford.

Exactly, I would have understood if you go on 1 year deals if you still had a guy like Jimmy on the bench.

If I resume correctly, we want Bill to trade for a QB who will not be as good as Brady but will have pretty much the same cap hit as Brady would have had and all of that losing draft capital in the process!

 

[Biffins]

This is precisely my point.

The subjective feelings/opinions of fans /=/ journalism.

Editorial columns are part of journalism. Read the Economist. It's practically one large editorial.

You can have subjective opinions in journalism.

 

[stcjones]

It wasn’t possible - the team was in a cap bind, period, and there wasn’t a ton they could’ve done to avoid it.

They could’ve committed Brady in, say, 2017-2018, which would’ve spread his cap hit over several more years, but regardless, they were going to be tight against the cap

I think the error was not extending Brady earlier

for this season, with or without him.

I think the error was not extending Brady earlier. Once we reached where things stood a year ago, the Bucs were clearly the better option.

It’s not that Brady didn’t want to be in New England; he did, but he didn’t have a long term contract and as he hit free agency, Tampa clearly had the superior roster.

Belichick may wish he had extended Brady earlier, but outside of that I don’t think there’s a lot that could’ve been done differently, and the thin roster / lack of cap space would still be a reality.

“I think the error was not extending Brady earlier”
This! By the end of last season BB had painted himself into a corner. The time to extend Brady was after you traded away the heir apparent Garropolo 2.5 years ago. Tom should have retired a Patriot...and obviously we now know....he can still play. Big whiff by BB and Krafty

 

[sb1]

Bill got the reboot without Tom that he wanted.

It better pay off for his job’s sake. We need to see a contender soon.