NEW ARTICLE: Brady Proved on Sunday the Patriots Gave Up On Him Too Soon

[upstater1]

gave up on him too soon? no

i think it's clear that Tom Brady can still play at a fairly high level at 43.......he's proven that

i think in hindsight it's clear that they could have extended him multi-year in 2017, kept the cap hit reasonable, and they could still be getting upper tier QB play out of him, for the most part

whether or not they could have/would have built a championship caliber team along with not, i'm not sure......i really think Tom staying at a high level for so long really altered how they attacked he draft/free agency, and really altered their plans.....so i am not sure they would have been in the same cap mess/talent drain they ended up in, because i don't think that was wholly due to 'operator error', ie front office failings......some of it was due to the situation they found themselves in, i think 'long term planning' ended up being let's squeeze one more year out because Tom is still getting it done......for about 5 years, haha

i think what IS clear is that considering all of this unpredictability, that the 'divorce' was best for both parties.......no one really saw this level of play at 43, and if you did, you should have been an active part of this forum 5 years ago lol......and i'd be even more sad if TB12 was still with this team, playing out his string with a team we all knew couldn't compete for a Lombardi

A lot of people here including me argued that Brady had not lost his abilities.

It's in the beginnings of the Tampa thread but also lots of stuff all last year

 

[yukon cornelius]

A lot of people here including me argued that Brady had not lost his abilities.

It's in the beginnings of the Tampa thread but also lots of stuff all last year

it's been discussed here for 5+ yearts

i only got sucked into the tampa thread once......i don't understand why this forum has a thread dedicated to another team

lost his abilities, no......but he HAS declined, and at times his mental effort to this team had a SEVERE drop off

 

[Todd Bradley]

Of course they did. Made ZERO sense to let Brady go with no QB successor in the wings and Tom's $13 million still on the books for this season, especially when Brady only wanted a two year deal, some added weapons and fair market value...



Belichick fanboys are in shambles round these parts.

Hate to see it.

 

[Sfpat]

Brady wasn't asking for a long term deal. He asked for 2 years. It's not really that much of a stretch cap-wise. Just FYI--the Patriots were $30m under the cap this year.

They weren't $30 MM under the cap when Brady made his decision to move on. I believe the Pats were only something like $750k under the cap. The extra cap money came during training camp when players opted out.

 

[upstater1]

it's been discussed here for 5+ yearts

i only got sucked into the tampa thread once......i don't understand why this forum has a thread dedicated to another team

lost his abilities, no......but he HAS declined, and at times his mental effort to this team had a SEVERE drop off

I don't want to open a can of worms here to discuss this in this thread when the other thread actually exists to talk about these types of questions. Suffice it to say, we disagree. I did think your last post implied that there weren't many or any Patriots fans on this board saying Brady still had all his capabilities. That's not true. A lot of us last year were saying the troubles with the offense were due to circumstances beyond Brady--namely the offensive line injuries.

 

[upstater1]

They weren't $30 MM under the cap when Brady made his decision to move on. I believe the Pats were only something like $750k under the cap. The extra cap money came during training camp when players opted out.

They brought Brady's dead money forward. $14m. That money would have been pushed out over 3 years with a 2 year contract.

The opt out extra money was $26m. Very close to $29m. BUT, we wouldn't have signed Vitale if we were up against the cap and it's highly likely Marcus Cannon would've been cut with a contract of $9.6m. So I take $11m off that $26m # for opt outs right off the bat. The opt outs gave us $15m in extra money.

And with a 2 year contract, Brady's $14m gets pushed out over 3 years. Even if you average it at say $23m a year contract over 2 years plus $14m in dead cap money, you get $60m over 3 years for Brady. $20m cap hit.

That fits under the cap. Hightower + Chung = $15m + Brady $20m (-$14m in dead money) = $21m. You still have $8m in cap room if you sign Brady.

 

[PatsDeb]

So, BB should have bet against all data and history that says that QB's in the 40's fall off a cliff and fast? What about going against his own philosophy of getting rid of a player a year early rather than a year late. What Brady is doing at his age is unprecedented and it's easy with hindsight to look back and say BB should have known Brady was going to keep playing at a high level.

And, as I said in another thread, with what money were they going to pay Brady? And who was he going to be throwing to if he decided to play with the Pats this past season? I'll hang up and listen.

Yes. You already knew what you had. Treating all players "the same" was an insult to Brady (and the fans) and it has backfired spectacularly, as many of us thought it might. I'm happy for Brady that he is continuing with his success, but mad that the powers that be could not work it out. I hope that BB can find the next Brady in the draft, or we'll continue to see Tampa enjoy what might have been ours for a few more years.

(and I know the Pats weren't in great cap shape, but that isn't the point. Maybe we wouldn't have gotten to the SB like Brady has right now, but we would have been a contender if we kept him happy and got him a few weapons.)

 

[long distance]

Brady Proved on Sunday the Patriots Gave Up On Him Too Soon
Ian Logue
Obviously, everything has to end. Moving on from Brady needed to happen eventually, but the fact New England put Brady in the position to have to move on is the part that will potentially go down as one of the more frustrating ones in team history.

Continue reading...

(If you enjoyed this entry - hit the Thumbs Up/If not, hit the Thumbs down in this thread)

Respect always @Ian . but why go down the silly reaction hot takes road?
And what is the meaning of the word PROVE in this purely speculative situation and reasoning?
By the same measure you could argue that he “proved“ last yr that he is no longer good enough to carry the kind of offence NE could offer..

How is success of Tom on another team connected with the decision this team made that is in completely different situation?
What would another mediocre season together by NE standards mean for Pats or Tom?
Isn't it a win win situation that Tom is in another SB and Pats are in prime position to rebuild depleted roster on the biggest bargain FA . being one of the very few teams with big cap room to take full advantage?

 

[PatsFanSince74]

He left because he was ready to leave and the Pats were maxed out this year on cap space. There was no way the Pats could have surrounded him with the weapons he has in Tampa Bay, then many players took the option of sitting the season out for Covid reasons.

Right decision all around. This season turned out better than expected for Brady and about as expected for the Pats (I had them 8--8 at best).

It is what it is.

Congratulations TB 12. Get number seven on the seventh...is that an omen?

 

[Joker]

We're all Patriots fans...or at least I thought so before THIS season. So many people in here want vengeance on other people over some sports argument that can never be resolved. THAT is not being a Patriot fan, it's being a selfish little kid trying to impress the rest of the world what a "knower of things" you are. Must be what the sports world is about today....

 

[Steve102]

Respect always @Ian . but why go down the silly reaction hot takes road?
And what is the meaning of the word PROVE in this purely speculative reasoning?

How is success of TB on another team connected with the decision this team made that is in completely different situation?
What would another mediocre season together by NE standards mean for Pats or Tom?
Isn't it a win win situation that Tom is in another SB and Pats are in prime position to rebuild depleted roster on the biggest bargain FA . being one of the very few teams with big cap room to take full advantage?

I agree it's a bit of revisionist history. Tom didn't want to be here for probably multiple reasons. Sick of Bill, sick of not being respected and having a multi year deal, sick of not having good targets, sick of not having a say in personnel, sick of not having a say on the O plan week to week, Kraft's situation at the rub n tug, sick of being treated like every other guy when he's the GOAT... it could be any or all of this. To say that they gave up on him isn't entirely accurate. Brady could have stayed. He chose to go.

I said in another thread the Brady finds a way. He found a way to get to the Super Bowl, it just didn't include being on the Patriots anymore. It is what it is. The sooner he retires and comes back for his red jacket, the sooner we can all get beyond it.

 

[Steve102]

We're all Patriots fans...or at least I thought so before THIS season. So many people in here want vengeance on other people over some sports argument that can never be resolved. THAT is not being a Patriot fan, it's being a selfish little kid trying to impress the rest of the world what a "knower of things" you are. Must be what the sports world is about today....

That's the online world. People don't want discussion, they want to be right. The twitterverse-acation of people. Cancel them if they don't believe what you believe. We've become an intolerant society, at least online.

 

[Nehalem]

I'm not sure a game where Brady threw for 3 interceptions and was gift wrapped 2 TDs by his defense exactly proves the Patriots gave up on him too soon.

 

[jujubee576]

I'm not sure a game where Brady threw for 3 interceptions and was gift wrapped 2 TDs by his defense exactly proves the Patriots gave up on him too soon.

When Max Kellerman can give credit and has better takes than Pats fans. Stupid ass conclusion and you know it. No way they get to the NFCCG without him and the Pats’ 3-headed QB monster combined can’t even begin to tug on Brady’s cape.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I'm not sure a game where Brady threw for 3 interceptions and was gift wrapped 2 TDs by his defense exactly proves the Patriots gave up on him too soon.

According to Webster:

de·lu·sion | \ di-ˈlü-zhən , dē- \

1a: something that is falsely or delusively believed or propagated
1b: psychology : a persistent false belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary

 

[Ian]

Respect always @Ian . but why go down the silly reaction hot takes road?
And what is the meaning of the word PROVE in this purely speculative situation and reasoning?
By the same measure you could argue that he “proved“ last yr that he is no longer good enough to carry the kind of offence NE could offer..

How is success of TB on another team connected with the decision this team made that is in completely different situation?
What would another mediocre season together by NE standards mean for Pats or Tom?
Isn't it a win win situation that Tom is in another SB and Pats are in prime position to rebuild depleted roster on the biggest bargain FA . being one of the very few teams with big cap room to take full advantage?

My point is he's still playing at a high level and I do feel they should have given him a multi-year deal, which by all accounts, that's really what he was looking for.

I mean, let's be honest. Right now - they have nothing. Moving on from him or taking that stance made no sense without a succession plan or at least a couple of younger players on the roster they could develop and build from.

This offseason, we're again looking for a bridge guy or someone to draft. I mean really, we're talking about Matt Stafford or Ryan Fitzpatrick...does anyone believe that Brady at his age - even if he wasn't playing at this level - wouldn't be better than any other mid-tier veteran they could bring in or any rookie? And I get the financial concerns but had things not gone south, they could have pushed it off and made it work and it could have at least been somewhat of a wash if they replaced him with a player under a rookie deal.

So worst case scenario, you would have had him starting for you and in a better scenario, another Garoppolo-esque guy develops behind him and they have someone to turn to. If they had that - after the other being just bad timing - you could at least say the bandaid was simply ripped off and we could enjoy the development of the future guy. Right now, we don't even have that.

But they essentially forced his hand without any type of safety net and now they're already down one year and have to start all over again in 2021. Forget whether or not he'd have gotten this club to the Super Bowl this year because I'm certainly not saying that. But what I am saying is that it just wasn't handled well and the fact they did it without any viable options was clearly a major mistake, and that was the point of what I wrote.

 

[Observer]

So, BB should have bet against all data and history that says that QB's in the 40's fall off a cliff and fast? What about going against his own philosophy of getting rid of a player a year early rather than a year late. What Brady is doing at his age is unprecedented and it's easy with hindsight to look back and say BB should have known Brady was going to keep playing at a high level.

And, as I said in another thread, with what money were they going to pay Brady? And who was he going to be throwing to if he decided to play with the Pats this past season? I'll hang up and listen.

Bogus reasoning. By this logic, you would have probably wanted Brady gone in 2015 since he was also already too old then.

 

[Observer]

Excellent article that presents the actual reality.

 

[yukon cornelius]

is it also possible that perhaps Tom Brady also didn't handle all of this well?

 

[Observer]

is it also possible that perhaps Tom Brady also didn't handle all of this well?

Results show that he handled it fantastically well.