Bill Belichick Press Conference 7:30am (1/8/24)

[Rob0729]

He did. He he face an interview explaining it. He literally said he wouldn’t pay Brady as a top paid qb.

I’m sure you can find an example if”they all say it”. You won’t thigh because you are embellishing it to your version.

Kraft literally discussed the cap impact of paying too much to a qb.

You are basing everything in what you think, and what you think has no value as reality.

Rather than start the process all over again of you spewing your opinion and claiming “everyone knows it” or “everyone said it” only to have me call you out, and you not being able to back it up, so that you end up just not responding, this might be a good time for you to throw in the towel.

Where is that Kraft quote? If Kraft said he wouldn't pay Brady as a top QB, that would have been a major story in this town. I mean as big as Brady leaving. And Kraft would never say that because Kraft is way too concerned about his image and would never say publicly that he wouldn't pay the greatest QB of all time coming off his sixth Super Bowl win with the team top QB money. Would never happen.

You are either misinterpreting what he said or just hearing what you want to hear. Kraft has many times talked about the value of having a starting QB on his rookie deal and how gives you cap flexibility, but I am positive he has never said he wouldn't pay Brady top dollar because of cap ramifications. Even if he didn't give a top contract because of cap ramifications, Kraft would never say that publicly because it would put him and the team in a bad light. And Kraft is way too media savvy for that.

I am basing things on what has been reported. Not imaginary quotes that would have been talk show fodder for years, but the talk shows seem to have completely ignored. Felger and Mazz alone would have talked about a comment like this for years.

But I will give you credit. Unlike me, you make a claim of something Kraft said and you provided a link to a story backing it up. Thank you for posting the link to Kraft saying he wouldn't pay Brady top dollar on itisallmadeupinmyhead.com.

 

[Joey007]

Florio thinks this mornings press conference from Bill was him saying “I’m here until you tell me I’m not”. Florio thinks Bill isn’t gonna work out a trade or anything like that. If Kraft doesn’t want him, he’ll have to fire him. I agree with what Florio wrote. For Bill, it makes 0 sense getting traded. If the Pats don’t want him they can let him go.

Bill Belichick's comments underscore difficulty of a trade

Belichick's message is clear: I work here until someone tells me otherwise.

www.nbcsports.com

Kraft can also choose to let him sit around and not coach.

Bill may not have a choice.

 

[Ring 6]

Where is that Kraft quote? If Kraft said he wouldn't pay Brady as a top QB, that would have been a major story in this town. I mean as big as Brady leaving. And Kraft would never say that because Kraft is way too concerned about his image and would never say publicly that he wouldn't pay the greatest QB of all time coming off his sixth Super Bowl win with the team top QB money. Would never happen.

You are either misinterpreting what he said or just hearing what you want to hear. Kraft has many times talked about the value of having a starting QB on his rookie deal and how gives you cap flexibility, but I am positive he has never said he wouldn't pay Brady top dollar because of cap ramifications. Even if he didn't give a top contract because of cap ramifications, Kraft would never say that publicly because it would put him and the team in a bad light. And Kraft is way too media savvy for that.

I am basing things on what has been reported. Not imaginary quotes that would have been talk show fodder for years, but the talk shows seem to have completely ignored. Felger and Mazz alone would have talked about a comment like this for years.

But I will give you credit. Unlike me, you make a claim of something Kraft said and you provided a link to a story backing it up. Thank you for posting the link to Kraft saying he wouldn't pay Brady top dollar on itisallmadeupinmyhead.com.

"I was just trying to stay ahead of the curve. If we were going to have to pay him elite-quarterback money and have elite-quarterback cap numbers, I just didn't think we would be able to build a team. We don't want to have a team where we're paying 18 to 20 percent to a player on the cap. I wanted to do something elegant that would work for everybody. I had been talking to him off and on for maybe 18 months, about how I wanted him to finish his career here, and about how we both have to be smart about it. I just really want him to end his career a Patriot.
"I presented an idea to him that I thought could work for both sides. He takes care of his body in terms of exercise and working out and his food. Tom's intake of food is, really, so healthy. He has a whole style of living that is so important to him ... We're taking a chance making this commitment, and he's taking one, in terms of his ability to maximize pay. I just thought if winning is the most important thing to him, and I think it is, and it certainly is to our family, this gives us the best chance to win. Hopefully we have an elite quarterback that, even if his skills decline even a little bit, he'll still be better than 90 percent of the quarterbacks in the league. And his legacy -- I already believe he's the greatest of all time -- if we win one or two more, he can solidify that."

Kraft comments on Brady deal

You are wrong.

 

[Rob0729]

Your timeline is off.

In Wickersham's article, he has the Kraft-Brady-Belichick thing happening in October. Kraft first meets with Brady, then Brady meets with Belichick. It's as this point that they discussed numerous things, including the long term Brady extensions and of course Guerrero.

But the Guerrero timeline begins at the start of the season, September, when he wasn't allowed in.

Lynch is on record as wanting to trade for Brady the spring after the prior season. So this is 6 months before Guerrero was banned and before the Brady-Kraft-Belichick contract talks.

The refusal to talk about Brady with Lynch happened long before Wickersham claims that Kraft stepped in. This is why I think Wickershams story is bogus, the timelines don't match,.

As for weapons, they still had Gronk, Edelman, Amendola, & Hogan.

As for Ross and Brady, the important thing to note is that Brady was making moves to leave for our archrival WHILE he was under contract. It's fair to question Brady's ethics and commitment to the team and to the contract he signed.

I cannot argue the Wickersham article since I don't remember it. I can only argue what I remember.

The Guerroro thing was bubbling for a while with Belichick upset that Alex was training too many players and they were ignoring the Patriots' training staff. It just came to a head in 2019.

And I am talking about 2019 where Brady openly talked about the last of talent. Not 2018. Gronk had retired. Amendola and Hogan had moved on. That was the Sanu year. The other receivers were Edelman, Meyers in his rookie year, Harry, Dorsett, and Josh Gordon. Ben Watson was the TE.

 

[Patsgofor4]

@festy1986
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”

 

[skinnydog]

Comment was in response to a Q about the Falcons roster from another poster.

Got I, thanks

 

[festy1986]

@festy1986
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”

Y'all got heated really quick.

Shouldn't give away your trigger points.

 

[Rob0729]

Kraft comments on Brady deal

You are wrong.

Dude, that is an article from 2013.

And the article is quoting Kraft about giving Brady a real contract without backloaded money that would have Brady making 18-20% of the cap in later years of his deal. Back in 2013, many teams would give top talent backloaded deals so that in year four or five of the deal they were making 20% of the salary cap. Kraft is saying that they give Brady deals where he makes his money more evenly and not backloaded. Which is what the Pats did at that time with players.

Kraft never said he wouldn't pay Brady top money. He said that he wanted to structure the deal so that at the end of the contract that Brady so much money owed to him that they would be forced to cut or trade him. He wanted to structure the contract so that Brady could end his career with the Patriots if it was his final contract.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

I’d say Mayo makes more in game decisions than a st coach.

You said you couldn’t think of any, so I listed some off the top of my head

Understood. I’m just saying that if you hire Mayo, you have to be patient as he just hasn’t lead his own unit in a play-play situation.

Def will be growing pains.

If you think he’s a 10-year guy who will be great, do it.

If you want success in 2-3 years, not sure he’s that.

 

[skinnydog]

Kraft comments on Brady deal

You are wrong.

So you’re quoting from a 2013 article to say that after the 2019 season Kraft said he did not want to pay Brady? That’s some nifty time travel stuff right there.

 

[Ross12]

Kraft can also choose to let him sit around and not coach.

Bill may not have a choice.

That is the debate inflection point here for several folks. Many are saying that Kraft is forbidden from doing so per NFL rules. I do not know why.

At my job if my boss decides to hire another person to do my job, gives them all of my responsibilities, lets me keep my title and keeps paying me but gives me the responsibility list of "sit at home til next year", they can do so. Is the NFL so different? There are rules protecting OCs/DCs, etc, but Head Coaches are the top and there are different rules of engagement.

The owners have the power, not the coaches.

 

[upstater1]

I cannot argue the Wickersham article since I don't remember it. I can only argue what I remember.

The Guerroro thing was bubbling for a while with Belichick upset that Alex was training too many players and they were ignoring the Patriots' training staff. It just came to a head in 2019.

And I am talking about 2019 where Brady openly talked about the last of talent. Not 2018. Gronk had retired. Amendola and Hogan had moved on. That was the Sanu year. The other receivers were Edelman, Meyers in his rookie year, Harry, Dorsett, and Josh Gordon. Ben Watson was the TE.

Uh, all this stuff went down in 2017. Before the season that ended with the Eagles Super Bowl. In fact, that's when Garoppolo was traded.

Guerrero came to a head in 2017.

The Patriots really went all out to help Brady on that side of the ball in '19 but look at the bad luck that happened:

1. Edelman injury
2. 2nd rounder wasted on Sanu
3. 1st rounder wasted on Harry
4. 3rd rounder wasted on Antonio Brown
5. Josh Gordon washed

They clearly tried to give Brady weapons.

That's a lot of draft resources expended. I'm not even sure who pushed for Sanu. Doesn't seem like a Belichick move to me.

But those are 3 draft choices down the drain

 

[50-yard-line]

Hey - I trademarked "lazy take" so it can't be used against me.

Opponents scored 3 times 30+, 5 times 24+ and 4 times 20+. To me that is not excellent.

Under 20 they held Jets twice, Giants and Colts and Chargers.

They were 15 in scoring defense. 7th in total defense (yards). Again they are good just not excellent.

When your offense is 3-and-out repeatedly, and turning the ball over, scoring Defense will suffer.

 

[upstater1]

That is the debate inflection point here for several folks. Many are saying that Kraft is forbidden from doing so per NFL rules. I do not know why.

At my job if my boss decides to hire another person to do my job, gives them all of my responsibilities, lets me keep my title and keeps paying me but gives me the responsibility list of "sit at home til next year", they can do so. Is the NFL so different? There are rules protecting OCs/DCs, etc, but Head Coaches are the top and there are different rules of engagement.

The rules are not specific to OC/DCs.

They prevent ANY lateral move.

In fact, if you're named Associate Head Coach, you can leave, but your team has a chance to name you Assoc. Head Coach.

Kraft doesn't need to make this decision UNTIL he names a head coach, but is he going to risk losing out on assistant coaches if he waits too long?

Is Kraft trying to submarine Belichick to make sure he fails in his next stop by preventing Belichick from creating a staff in time?

Is Kraft this petty? The whole NFL world will laugh at him, not to mention the coach in waiting will start with all the drama on his resume.

And lastly, this is really about Belichick's $20m contract. Let's not pretend this is about a draft pick.

 

[Bill Lee]

Never too late to re-legislate the events of 2017-9, so it seems.

Even better, 2013.

I forget, what bearing does this have on the current state of affairs?

Is Old Man Kraft going to sit down at that upcoming meeting with BB and say, "I've been thinking about this for the last four to six years and I won't be pushed around, you're fired!!!"

 

[Rob0729]

Uh, all this stuff went down in 2017. Before the season that ended with the Eagles Super Bowl. In fact, that's when Garoppolo was traded.

Guerrero came to a head in 2017.

The Patriots really went all out to help Brady on that side of the ball in '19 but look at the bad luck that happened:

1. Edelman injury
2. 2nd rounder wasted on Sanu
3. 1st rounder wasted on Harry
4. 3rd rounder wasted on Antonio Brown
5. Josh Gordon washed

They clearly tried to give Brady weapons.

That's a lot of draft resources expended. I'm not even sure who pushed for Sanu. Doesn't seem like a Belichick move to me.

But those are 3 draft choices down the drain

I am talking about the relationship between Brady and Belichick. I am saying the relationship had soured by 2019 and Belichick probably wanted him gone. Whether or not Belichick tried to get Brady weapons, doesn't change that Brady complained about the talent that year. And the Guerrero thing happening in 2017 would be a reason for Belichick wanting to get rid of him and not Garoppolo.

 

[Ross12]

If BB is kept, I have to think beyond just personnel, Kraft asks for BOB (or some other OC) to get more autonomy over the offense and offensive coaching hires. I do wonder how accommodating Bill would be on that?

If I step back and try to be as neutral as possible, I do think that the drafting has been good enough on defense, and they have done a good job drafting OL prospects generally. The major failure points have strictly been with offensive skill positions and I guess kickers. If Bill can let someone else take over the offensive operation and do the scouting and selection on that side of the ball and also coach that side of the ball and run the show (BOB, I guess, could do it although his rep as a GM in Houston gives me some pause) then maybe it can work. But I don't know if I feel particularly confident in that approach. As weird as it might sound, bringing back McDaniels might help in that regard.

 

[Bill Lee]

There is nothing wrong with a pocket passer and a fullback. Teams have won Super Bowls recently with pocket passers.

Finding the right pocket passer is the problem, college just ain't making them like they used to.

 

[mike_usagisan]

If I step back and try to be as neutral as possible, I do think that the drafting has been good enough on defense, and they have done a good job drafting OL prospects generally. The major failure points have strictly been with offensive skill positions and I guess kickers. If Bill can let someone else take over the offensive operation and do the scouting on that side of the ball and also coach that side of the ball and run the show (BOB, I guess, could do it although his rep as a GM in Houston gives me some pause) then maybe it can work. But I don't know if I feel particularly confident in that approach. As weird as it might sound, bringing back McDaniels might help in that regard.

I don't necessarily want BOB to do the personnel, as I think you have a personnel department for that. But I want him to bring in his OL and WR coach and really just clean up the Friends and Family problem over on that side of the ball. Also let him decide which players start or don't.

 

[Love The Drake]

r

Just look at how BB has aged as NEP HC/GM.

Those years are worth more than gold.

Mac Jones would age any coach.