Brady's exit from the Bucs as it relates to the 2022 Patriots

[Rob0729]

With the talent they have on their roster, I don't think they'll be in a rebuild.....if they get a f/a qb they'll be in the mix for the NFC central title next year.....will be interesting to see what Gronk does though as well as some of the other f/a they have....will ground think of coming back to NE? hmmmmmm

The only reason I say they are in rebuild mode is much of their core talent are older, free agents, and/or retiring. That is why I am saying they are in rebuild mode.

If Brady didn't retire and played like he played this year which was elite, they still would likely take a significant step back in 2022. But losing him puts them even that much farther back.

But Arians already said they are not going to try to keep all the band back together. They are going to lose more significant pieces besides Brady. They might have franchised Godwin if Brady stayed, but they are not going to give him a 20% raise under the franchise tag coming off a late season ACL tear when they do not even know who will be their starting QB in 2022. Once he hits the open market, he is gone. Without Brady, they are not going to keep Gronk, JPP, or Suh either. Possibly the same with Gholston. As I said before, I don't know if Forenette has a future in a Bradyless Arians offense and will likely leave. Jordan Whitehead will likely have a lot of suitors. Same with Carlton Davis (although Davis may be franchised).

If it was just Brady leaving, I would have a different attitude. I just expect a lot of turn over by the Bucs this offseason.

 

[Rob0729]

The Pats are the team that pays big money for bottom of the marker players. Brady has retired. The time where you could get productive receiver for 6M is over. At some point we will need to pay for top of the market players.

I stand by Godwin at 20M after an ACL is a better investment than 11M on Agholor or 12M on big RZ target Smith

I am not saying that Godwin isn't a better investment. He is. By far. But you are comparing apples and oranges.

 

[Sicilian]

Huh? I thought the Bucs are a super team…can’t they win with any top 15 QB? A lot of really smart posters in here claimed just that. I think they‘ll just land Teddy Bridgewater and win two in three years.

There's a pretty big difference between a team that has a bunch of talent for the 2-3 year window and one that can maintain that talent beyond that 3 years. We see teams looked stacked from top to bottom all the time in the NFL, but none that can consistently do it for long than 4-5 years (if that). Both things can be true: Tom Brady picked a team that was primed to take the next step (just needed a good QB) and that team wasn't going to be primed forever, regardless of who the QB was. The NFL is transient.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

With the talent they have on their roster, I don't think they'll be in a rebuild.....if they get a f/a qb they'll be in the mix for the NFC central title next year.....will be interesting to see what Gronk does though as well as some of the other f/a they have....will ground think of coming back to NE? hmmmmmm

On Gronk, while I think it’s clear he respects BB at this point, I also think it’s clear he doesn’t ever want to go through the grind of playing for him again.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he outright retires again given how he said for the longest time that he doesn’t want to play for anyone but Brady. Having said that, if he’s still up for football, I wouldn’t be surprised if he would up in Buffalo. Hometown team, he checked them out last year, great QB, a clear contender and a team he might help put over the top.

 

[borg]

I think they're now rebuilding.... and Chris Godwin just got put right on our radar. I can imagine what someone like Godwin if healthy would do for Mac. Hope the Pats can afford him.

I wonder who else they'll cut now and make available for us.

Seriously, how does any of this relate to NE?
Might as well start 30 more threads asking how every teams' FA's or for that matter 'under contract' players relate to the 2022 Pats.
-------------------------------------------
Damn!!!!
I just planted a nonsensical seed in the brain of a compulsive thread starter
Ian.....up your bandwidth allocation....or ration from BaconGrungyCandy

 

[Ring 6]

The bills are coming due for going all in. Smart move to go all in but there will be a down period now.
They have 32 mill left hitting the cap for Brady without Brady playing.

 

[ashley]

On Gronk, while I think it’s clear he respects BB at this point, I also think it’s clear he doesn’t ever want to go through the grind of playing for him again.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he outright retires again given how he said for the longest time that he doesn’t want to play for anyone but Brady. Having said that, if he’s still up for football, I wouldn’t be surprised if he would up in Buffalo. Hometown team, he checked them out last year, great QB, a clear contender and a team he might help put over the top.

Yeah, Hammer, just spoke with my brother...he basically said the same thing as you....his response was: Ash...do you think Gronk wants to go through another hard, brutal training camp with the Pats....you know BB will not go easy on him.

 

[ashley]

The bills are coming due for going all in.

Wasn't it rumored last season that Gronk was close to signing in Buffalo? Maybe that is a landing place if he decides to come back..

 

[A Defiant Goose]

So Brady left us in 2020 with a depleted roster that he couldn't have won a Super Bowl with by 2022. Can we all agree now that BB made the right decision in moving on from him? Otherwise had he stayed here, he'd probably be retiring with only 6 Super Bowl rings and our offense would even be missing some of the (few) decent players we have now.

IOW, TB and BB both made the right decision to part ways. We could be seeing Brady retire a patriot with New England picking in the 20s in a bad QB year.

 

[Rob0729]

On Gronk, while I think it’s clear he respects BB at this point, I also think it’s clear he doesn’t ever want to go through the grind of playing for him again.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he outright retires again given how he said for the longest time that he doesn’t want to play for anyone but Brady. Having said that, if he’s still up for football, I wouldn’t be surprised if he would up in Buffalo. Hometown team, he checked them out last year, great QB, a clear contender and a team he might help put over the top.

Yeah, Gronk will either retire or go to a contender with a great QB. The idea of playing in his hometown might be the added gravy for him to go to Buffalo.

And you are right. I don't think there is any bad blood, but no way he comes back to the Patriots. He was just never a great fit for the atmosphere in Foxboro and they just found a way to make it work. That required the Patriots to break a lot of their policies to accommodate Gronk. I don't think they would do it now for an older Gronk who is still a good TE, but not an elite TE.

 

[Sicilian]

The bills are coming due for going all in. Smart move to go all in but there will be a down period now.
They have 32 mill left hitting the cap for Brady without Brady playing.

Did you mean the Bucs?

 

[VectorPrime]

Trade for Ridley

 

[sb1]

I think Gronk to BUF is a real possibility. That is his hometown and that team's window isn't closing anytime soon. Another headache for us...

 

[VectorPrime]

I think Gronk to BUF is a real possibility. That is his hometown and that team's window isn't closing anytime soon. Another headache for us...

Dude is not gonna want to play in the cold again lol.

 

[Sicilian]

If Gronk doesn't retire, I wonder if a dark horse destination for him would be Las Vegas. Seems like a place Gronk would have fun, he'd be a larger than life personality there, and I don't know if his reluctance to play for Bill again would extend to McDaniels or not. Plus he wouldn't have to be the focus of the offense at TE with Waller there.

My guess is he retires though. I really think he liked playing with Brady in Tampa, but his body is probably screaming at him for the last two years.

 

[Ring 6]

Wasn't it rumored last season that Gronk was close to signing in Buffalo? Maybe that is a landing place if he decides to come back..

I think he is retiring

 

[Ring 6]

Did you mean the Bucs?

No I mean the Bucs’ bills are coming due.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Wasn't it rumored last season that Gronk was close to signing in Buffalo? Maybe that is a landing place if he decides to come back..

That would be a great fit...I could see it happening. What a story it would be...finishing with his hometown team.

 

[rochrist]

The only reason I say they are in rebuild mode is much of their core talent are older, free agents, and/or retiring. That is why I am saying they are in rebuild mode.

If Brady didn't retire and played like he played this year which was elite, they still would likely take a significant step back in 2022. But losing him puts them even that much farther back.

But Arians already said they are not going to try to keep all the band back together. They are going to lose more significant pieces besides Brady. They might have franchised Godwin if Brady stayed, but they are not going to give him a 20% raise under the franchise tag coming off a late season ACL tear when they do not even know who will be their starting QB in 2022. Once he hits the open market, he is gone. Without Brady, they are not going to keep Gronk, JPP, or Suh either. Possibly the same with Gholston. As I said before, I don't know if Forenette has a future in a Bradyless Arians offense and will likely leave. Jordan Whitehead will likely have a lot of suitors. Same with Carlton Davis (although Davis may be franchised).

If it was just Brady leaving, I would have a different attitude. I just expect a lot of turn over by the Bucs this offseason.

I doubt Gronk will stay anyway. Pretty sure he only wanted to play with TB and I expect he'll hang em up again.

 

[Cam2HarryGOAT]

I think they're now rebuilding.... and Chris Godwin just got put right on our radar. I can imagine what someone like Godwin if healthy would do for Mac. Hope the Pats can afford him.

I wonder who else they'll cut now and make available for us.

Do you think Bill will break the bank for a WR who can't stay on the field? Moss is the only one he ever paid big money to. And he was one of our own at that point. I don't see it happening. Especially with Agholar eating up a bunch of cap space and all the holes on defense.
It seems like Bill would prefer to try to coach up solid vets or young guys he thinks have upside. He doesn't spend big on the position. He's looking for fit rather than superstars. Godwin will command top dollar. Like Golliday last year. If Bill were looking he would most likely be looking in that next tier down, price wise.