New Orleans only discussed this year’s first rounder if you believe Howe. 28th overall. There’s always a price to move up and, if you truly believe that’s your guy at the most important position, you’ll make it happen.
Brady should have been signed until age 45 long before 2020. But you’re correct that they wouldn’t have put together a better team around him. That’s what happens when 8 drafts are anywhere from mediocre to outright terrible.
Math actually lies all the time. Especially in the business world. That said? The decision worked out for both parties. It’s worked out much better for Brady than it has for us.
Playing GM from your lazyboy recliner is a lot different than actually doing it in the real world NFL. The Saints tried to trade up, teams ahead of the Patriots were happy with their position and knew who they were taking. Some teams that aren't very smart like Mike Ditka trading his entire draft for Ricky Williams don't often workout. If Trey Lance is a bust then John Lynch will look like the biggest clown in draft history, that's generally why you don't mortgage your future. Draft picks are unreliable, it's a crapshoot.
The rest ^ of what you wrote a typical misanthropic negative Nancy take on the Patriots situation the last six years of the dynasty when they were playing in four Super Bowls and winning three rings... they were simultaneously the best and worst at the same time... it makes sense but only if one is off their medication. Also those four Super Bowls and three rings they won at the end were partly the result of short one year deals for Brady and Gronk that kept them flexible and able to make moves in an attempt to win rings.... these were contracts Tom agreed to and signed... and Gronk begrudgingly signed. Those rings likely don't happen without wringing every last dollar of cap space out of the roster.
But I'll put it in math terms a 12 year old could understand.
In 2020 Dead Cap + Gilmore's Cap combined equalled roughly 54.8 million dollars.
In 2020 the entire Salary Cap for the NFL was 198 million.
That's roughly a quarter of the Pats 2020 cap space.
In 2020 their QB along with 11 other starters or major contributors were free agents and needed to be re-signed or replaced.
They also had a vet team with little in the youth pipeline, not because they were terrible at drafting, but because they mostly didn't draft until 2018, primarily employing vet experienced players who knew how to win. To that point they traded out to future years or for players like Brandin Cooks to help them win now, or only drafted players like Sony or Wynn who could step in and play immediately.
In 2018 when they finally started drafting they missed a first round pick and BB Haters lost their minds. It had nothing to do with a rebuild that had to happen anyway.
In 2020 Tom Brady wasn't making his decision based off what some 22 year old kid did in 2019.
Math