Fair points, I just actually believe in the “nobody’s above the team” stuff. I would’ve let Brady go back in ‘17, be better for him, us, and Bill too. It was becoming toxic. He wanted weapons, Bill either thought it was too late or selling out, or both. I’ll take Bill
and yes man, cams below average but I think he has potential to snap off some good ones, and last year was just as much an anomaly as 15-1.
don’t wanna whore out the values/team for one more ring. Like the challenge of rebuilding for two, three more.
'17-'19 might be best thought of as "No, mommy and daddy aren't fighting, we are just having differences of opinion and those mean reporters blew it out of proportion. But whatever happens, we want all our fan boys and girls to remember we'll always love
you." It really was like being the kids of super straight laced divorcing parents -- not like some trailer park couple in Green Bay doing the equivalent of smashing up a car with a golf club, because the one thing that mommy and daddy always cooperated on was shielding the kids (and the neighbors) from information that neighbors could use against them and the kids could be hurt by.
Brady's and the Pats' interests just diverged. Brady just eventually decided that the hits he kept taking to the ego (there's your "diva" reasoning, I guess,) were too much, at least looking back through the filter of "football's fun again" etc. The team kept thinking he's going to be gone
eventually, and could not afford both the Elite QB - even at a steep discount -
and targets for him to throw to. Whether or not they meant to lose him, it was the best thing that could happen to him, in terms of weapons. Also I'm sure the climate down there must be better for his joints
At first, they thought they had the successor teed up, just ready for Tom to decline. Trouble is, Tom didn't want to decline yet. So for the first time, he saw them really thinking about the post-Brady future, regardless of how well he played. They really were high on Jimmy G, and lots of fans were too. I don't think I know any inside scoop, but whatever transpired, nobody acted like it was anything but irreconcilable differences. I don't think anybody did or said anything that made that a bitter divorce (but like everybody, I will studiously hang on the Foxborough Handshake after TB visits this year. I know it's dumb but fans gonna fan.)
But Brady's irrelevant to the Cam situation. I don't care that Cam is eccentric in many ways, I sort of care that the team reportedly really does follow his leadership. I don't actually know why. "His men would follow him anywhere -- not because they thought they would be led to victory, but out of a sort of morbid curiosity such as one finds at train wrecks and natural disasters..." I mainly just care that we have a good QB, and that if Cam is still not one, then the rookie is. (Because Hoyer is just Cam without the upside, and if there is anything to Stidham, by this point, I would be shocked.)
Anyway who knows. Welcome to open competition for QB in New England. Weird feeling.