Two questions for a slow Saturday (5/9):

1.) Had Brady resigned with the Patriots in mid-March for a contract averaging 25M annually vs. the cap, how good do you think the team would be in 2020? (Assuming that the 13.5M dead money was absorbed by the new contract somehow and still gave us a cap # of 25M for Brady)

For me, I think if we did this...we would have definitely without doubt traded Thuney and drafted similarly. I think the Patriots would still be a 12-4 team even with the tough schedule...but would they have been underdogs to the Chiefs/Ravens in the AFC? I say yes...and they would still need to win 3 playoff games to get to Tampa Bay with likely 1-2 of those on the road. So, my guess...a divisional round exit on the road or an AFC title game exit on the road...depending on how many home games we got in the 7 team AFC format, but definitely no BYE.

2.) Which of the 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL would you unquestionably rank above Jarrett Stidham? (With Stidham maxing out his potential based on your belief, not track record).

Here's my list (In order):
Mahomes
Brady
Wilson
Watson
Jackson
Rodgers
Roethlisberger
Brees
Ryan
===========

Guys I still find questionable (sketchy play or showed promise..but not consistently), unknown (rookie or injured), and/or think Stidham could out perform.

In order of divisions:

Darnold
Allen
Tagovalia/Fitzpatrick
Mayfield
Burrow
Tannehill
Minshew
Rivers
Herbert/Taylor
Carr
Lock
Prescott
Wentz
Haskins/Allen
Jones
Trubisky/Foles
Cousins
Stafford
Bridgewater
Goff
Murray
Garoppolo

1) They’d have had to have been much more aggressive with restructuring contracts, and perhaps the McCourtys may not be here instead. Thuney seems to be part of their plans, at least this year. Although, I don’t believe Brady leaving was as much a surprise to them as we have been led to believe. I think they planned ball control offense for this year and so wouldn’t be much different regardless of his return.

2) Until Stidham plays a real game, he’s a complete unknown to me and I’m not ranking him above any QB that has played in the league. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t take a chance on him over starters in this league; I just don’t know what to expect. Bill thinks he can win with him otherwise they’d have done things differently.

1. I don't think the team would be much better. In fact, they would look like they do now which is why Tom left. They didn't have enough resources to do anything.

2. I haven't seen enough of Stidum to rank his potential over anyone.

Hyped said:

1.) Had Brady resigned with the Patriots in mid-March for a contract averaging 25M annually vs. the cap, how good do you think the team would be in 2020? (Assuming that the 13.5M dead money was absorbed by the new contract somehow and still gave us a cap # of 25M for Brady)

Not much better than last year if at all. 10 wins and then one-and-done.


2.) Which of the 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL would you unquestionably rank above Jarrett Stidham? (With Stidham maxing out his potential based on your belief, not track record).

Absolutely no idea. I hope he is a top 10 QB someday. Anything better would be awesome.

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Response in quote.

Hyped said:

1.) Had Brady resigned with the Patriots in mid-March for a contract averaging 25M annually vs. the cap, how good do you think the team would be in 2020? (Assuming that the 13.5M dead money was absorbed by the new contract somehow and still gave us a cap # of 25M for Brady)

For me, I think if we did this...we would have definitely without doubt traded Thuney and drafted similarly. I think the Patriots would still be a 12-4 team even with the tough schedule...but would they have been underdogs to the Chiefs/Ravens in the AFC? I say yes...and they would still need to win 3 playoff games to get to Tampa Bay with likely 1-2 of those on the road. So, my guess...a divisional round exit on the road or an AFC title game exit on the road...depending on how many home games we got in the 7 team AFC format, but definitely no BYE.

2.) Which of the 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL would you unquestionably rank above Jarrett Stidham? (With Stidham maxing out his potential based on your belief, not track record).

Here's my list (In order):
Mahomes
Brady
Wilson
Watson
Jackson
Rodgers
Roethlisberger
Brees
Ryan
===========

Guys I still find questionable (sketchy play or showed promise..but not consistently), unknown (rookie or injured), and/or think Stidham could out perform.

In order of divisions:

Darnold
Allen
Tagovalia/Fitzpatrick
Mayfield
Burrow
Tannehill
Minshew
Rivers
Herbert/Taylor
Carr
Lock
Prescott
Wentz
Haskins/Allen
Jones
Trubisky/Foles
Cousins
Stafford
Bridgewater
Goff
Murray
Garoppolo

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Are you calling brady at 43 the second best QB in the NFL?

With sad tom back the Pats are 10-6 perhaps

Right now, stidham shouldn’t rank above any starter in the nfl

FCB02062 said:

With sad tom back the Pats are 10-6 perhaps

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You don’t think they would be better with him??

NG Pats Fan said:

Right now, stidham shouldn’t rank above any starter in the nfl

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Why?

Based on absolutely nothing, I wouldn’t rank Big Ben in his current incarnation above Stidham, but I’d move Prescott and Jimmy G to the top part of your list, above Stidham for now. Otherwise, seems like a good ranking.

I mean, he could be worse than all those guys, who knows. But I wouldn’t bet $1000 that, say, Carson Wentz will have a better year than Stidham this year.

Ring 6 said:

Why?

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we don’t know if he’s any better than backup level..and he was a mid round pick. His scouting reports show he doesn’t have the highest ceiling and he certainly didn’t wow us his first year. Lastly, he has Been given horrible weapons on offense..the slowest offense in the nfl

NG Pats Fan said:

we don’t know if he’s any better than backup level..and he was a mid round pick. His scouting reports show he doesn’t have the highest ceiling and he certainly didn’t wow us his first year. Lastly, he has Been given horrible weapons on offense..the slowest offense in the nfl

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I disagree with most of that.

NG Pats Fan said:

we don’t know if he’s any better than backup level..and he was a mid round pick. His scouting reports show he doesn’t have the highest ceiling and he certainly didn’t wow us his first year. Lastly, he has Been given horrible weapons on offense..the slowest offense in the nfl

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They also had the “slowest offense in football “ in 2018 when they won their 6th Lombardi.

Hyped said:

1.) Had Brady resigned with the Patriots in mid-March for a contract averaging 25M annually vs. the cap, how good do you think the team would be in 2020? (Assuming that the 13.5M dead money was absorbed by the new contract somehow and still gave us a cap # of 25M for Brady)
.

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First, a contract for Brady might have been similar to that given McCourty, with more salary in Year 2 and Year 3, with more guarantees. Not that McCourty's 2020 cap his is $15.4M; add $6.5M for unamortized bonus and the total is under $20M.

So, the question might be whether we could afford signing a player now with a cap hi of $20M. I suspect that we could. We have several restructures we could take, in addition to extending or trading Thuney.

The only QB Stidham is definitely better than is Trubisky

That’s not a nod to his talents but just how absolutely terrible Trubisky is.

NG Pats Fan said:

we don’t know if he’s any better than backup level..and he was a mid round pick. His scouting reports show he doesn’t have the highest ceiling and he certainly didn’t wow us his first year. Lastly, he has Been given horrible weapons on offense..the slowest offense in the nfl

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Nope...PHI definitely had the slowest offense in the league last year. No debate.

Ring 6 said:

Are you calling brady at 43 the second best QB in the NFL?

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Yeah, I'd take Brady over anyone but Mahomes.... of course ignoring age, economics, and etc... just for 2020.

My answers in quote block.

Hyped said:

1.) Had Brady resigned with the Patriots in mid-March for a contract averaging 25M annually vs. the cap, how good do you think the team would be in 2020? (Assuming that the 13.5M dead money was absorbed by the new contract somehow and still gave us a cap # of 25M for Brady)

If Brady stayed this year would be no better than last year. Might be a tad worse from collateral damage making the cap numbers work.
Expect there will be noticeable improvement with Stidham instead of Brady this year. I’m convinced most posters on here are unwilling to see how much Brady’s injuries and attitudes hurt the team last year. I expect the locker room chemistry to be much healthier now that there isn’t a generation gap between the QB and his teammates.

2.) Which of the 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL would you unquestionably rank above Jarrett Stidham? (With Stidham maxing out his potential based on your belief, not track record).

Here's my list (In order):
Mahomes
Brady
Wilson
Watson
Jackson
Rodgers
(removed Rapistburger)
Brees
Ryan
Prescott/Dalton
Garoppolo
===========

Guys I still find questionable (sketchy play or showed promise..but not consistently), unknown (rookie or injured), and/or think Stidham could out perform.

In order of divisions:

Darnold
Allen
Tagovalia/Fitzpatrick
Mayfield
Burrow
Tannehill
Minshew
Rivers
Herbert/Taylor
Carr
Lock
Wentz
Haskins/Allen
Jones
Trubisky/Foles
Cousins
Stafford
Bridgewater
Goff
Murray

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