Cheer me up

[RobertWeathers]

I'm sad. I know the run was awesome but it ended earlier than it should have. I am used to at least a couple playoff games and AFC championship trophies propping doors open at Gillette Stadium. I miss Bill’s utter disgust as he is handed the Lamar Hunt trophy. He cant wait to get it out of his hands. It is even more sad that a big reason for the success is still lighting it up with 40 TD's and an 11-5 record and gets the chance to earn a doorstop.

We'll be in the playoffs next year.

 

[TheRainMaker]

So, if Brady stayed for $50/2 (probably 3 so that the money could be spread a bit), we could be deep in the playoffs? I guess that belichick could have let Thuney to get the cap money.

So, SURELY, the 2020 patriot talent was plenty for Brady to take us to the Super Bowl (probably without Thuney)? I have some land in the FL Everglades that you might be interested in?

Sorry you're not getting it. Bill's bad drafting since 2013 caught up to him. In fact, he only had one job to do in 2019 and that was to surround Brady with talent in which he couldn't even do that. The fact they "couldn't" sign a QB to $25M per year is comical, but that's besides the point.

The team is deteriorating Bobby Grier style and that's 100% Bill's fault.

 

[WinstonSmith]

I'm 99.99% certain that the world will end in 2021, which will make sports results and life in general meaningless. I hope this helps.

 

[Dr Pain]

Patriots were toast this year with or without Brady. They were in salary cap hell and had all those players covid opt out.

The Christmas credit card bill came due in 2020 and was paid. If Brady was here my guess is they go 9-7 and still either miss the playoffs or go one and done again.

The 2019 season sucked with Brady's attitude. They tried to get him talent but they got Antonio Brown and he blew up on them and hurt them a ton.

Patriots knew 2020 was going to be toast and never even made Brady an offer.

Brady doing OK in TB in not a knock on the Patriots, they threw in the kitchen sink for Brady this year and we will see how it works out. I am impressed by the Bills.

 

[Triumph]

Cam is gone.

This season exposed the man pulling levers behind the curtain. BB cannot simply plug and play QBs with this roster. The days of stocking up on ordinary Jimmies and Joes at WR and TE are gone. 2021 hinges on fixing the holes on offense that have been there for years, but we ignored them because the Pats kept winning.

We need to look back and say that the 2021 was a great draft.

 

[slash83]

Stop being a biatch

 

[Doctor DDS]

Sorry you're not getting it. Bill's bad drafting since 2013 caught up to him. In fact, he only had one job to do in 2019 and that was to surround Brady with talent in which he couldn't even do that. The fact they "couldn't" sign a QB to $25M per year is comical, but that's besides the point.

The team is deteriorating Bobby Grier style and that's 100% Bill'

Not sure why you persist with this nonsense. Do you honestly believe the Patriots drafted poorly in 2015? That draft includes Mason, Brown and Flowers. All 3 are important starters and in the top 30 of Career Actual Value and would be potential 1st round picks in a re-draft. And they also drafted Cardona and Roberts and they are still contributing. If that draft stunk can you list the 10 or so teams that did better that year? I know how much people enjoy the exceedingly lazy Patriots have not drafted well for 5, 7, 10 years narrative when the facts are really about a lack of impact players from 2017 - 2019 (with some of that time frame still to be decided.) We all agree they need to draft better I just do not see the need to exaggerate the timeframe and impact (2013 draft is as relevant to current success as 2007 draft as all players are on 2nd contracts)

 

[PatsWSB47]

Atleast you’re not a Jete fan.

What else do you need to hear?

I dunno. The majority Jete fans aren't self aware enough to even know they suck. They perpetually think glory is right around the corner.....and the ones that do realize they suck enjoy it. Whatever happened to all the kick in the balls memes? Are they banned?

 

[203Pat]

Not sure why you persist with this nonsense. Do you honestly believe the Patriots drafted poorly in 2015? That draft includes Mason, Brown and Flowers. All 3 are important starters and in the top 30 of Career Actual Value and would be potential 1st round picks in a re-draft. And they also drafted Cardona and Roberts and they are still contributing. If that draft stunk can you list the 10 or so teams that did better that year? I know how much people enjoy the exceedingly lazy Patriots have not drafted well for 5, 7, 10 years narrative when the facts are really about a lack of impact players from 2017 - 2019 (with some of that time frame still to be decided.) We all agree they need to draft better I just do not see the need to exaggerate the timeframe and impact (2013 draft is as relevant to current success as 2007 draft as all players are on 2nd contracts)

Brown was average. Was not a great first round pick. Mason is a good player but he's a guard. He doesn't exactly move the needle on an anemic offense. Flowers is another guy we drafted developed and didn't want to pay. At some point we will need to pay market value, or what the board deems every time someone signs a player, "overpay". That will probably be now without Brady carrying us.

 

[sean10mm]

To be honest I don't really fault Belichick that much for moving on from 40+ Brady in a vacuum. It hurts but I get it.

However, it's clear as day that BRADY made the right decision to leave.

If he stays on the 2020 Patriots it's a replay of 2019 all over again - being underpaid just so Belichick can trash him every day, and goons here would keep calling him a washed up prima donna who is stunting the growth of would-be stars... N'Keal Harry and Ryan Izzo? Yeah that tracks.

Instead he goes to Tampa Bay, throws 40 touchdowns and takes them to the playoffs for the first time in 13 years or something while on a 2 year/$50m guaranteed deal. He fully sheds the "system quarterback" label by playing in a completely different offense that makes his grampa arm chuck bombs left and right, and it worked.

The real thing to feel bad about is the general rot of the offensive roster under Belichick the GM. Brady left and Cam is washed up, sure... but the 2020 offensive weapons make the 2013 offensive weapons look like the 2007 offensive weapons.

 

[Doctor DDS]

Brown was average. Was not a great first round pick. Mason is a good player but he's a guard. He doesn't exactly move the needle on an anemic offense. Flowers is another guy we drafted developed and didn't want to pay. At some point we will need to pay market value, or what the board deems every time someone signs a player, "overpay". That will probably be now without Brady carrying

Take a peek at the Saints forum and see what they think about Brown. Being a solid starter on a good defense has value. Flowers signed a top of market deal that the Pats did not have the cap space to deal with. Mason is a very good guard. If that is considered a bad drat then the Patriots have drafted poorly 90% of the time during their dynasty.

 

[203Pat]

Take a peek at the Saints forum and see what they think about Brown. Being a solid starter on a good defense has value. Flowers signed a top of market deal that the Pats did not have the cap space to deal with. Mason is a very good guard. If that is considered a bad drat then the Patriots have drafted poorly 90% of the time during their dynasty.

So then apparently he got better when he went to NO because he was as average as average could be here. If he was so wonderful why did we not bother picking up his 5th year option? As for Flowers my point was that at some point we need to pay players that we draft and develop at impact positions. Mason is a good guard but he is a guard.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Not sure why you persist with this nonsense.

Because they haven't drafted ONE Pro Bowl/All Pro type player during this timeframe. Thuney is the closest getting second team All Pro last year which was Brady's last year.

Do you honestly believe the Patriots drafted poorly in 2015? That draft includes Mason, Brown and Flowers. All 3 are important starters and in the top 30 of Career Actual Value and would be potential 1st round picks in a re-draft.

Again, they are fine players. Brown was okay but not even close to being "the best decision the Pats ever made". Mason is a solid starter and Flowers was great find in the 4th. But I'm speaking as a whole and that's when it started. 2015 and 2016 were the best of those years.

And they also drafted Cardona and Roberts and they are still contributing.

Roberts is gone. Not sure what you meant by that.

Flowers signed a top of market deal that the Pats did not have the cap space to deal with.

Nor would they sign him even with the cap space. Flowers was a great find in the 4th round, but he's highly overrated and not even close to being worth a top contract. In fact, the Owner should've intervened and blocked that awful deal. He's been a massive bust in Detroit and I see him as a cap casualty with the next regime.

 

[yukon cornelius]

the fact that Bill & crew were able to keep this franchise at such a high level for such a long time in an era of salary cap, etc is remarkable......his legacy is cemented, and if he can rebuild this franchise post-Brady into a contender again, there will be no doubt

this team WAS a non playoff team (as constructed) WITH brady this year......and TB will get a playoff win and be happy......

 

[Steve102]

Be glad you were here for all of it. It was 20 years. Twenty. It'll never happen again in the NFL.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Would you rather have Brady miss the playoffs as a patriot or make the playoffs as a buc?

Bingo, like 2019 were not Winning anything important with or without Brady. Might as well get started on the rebuild now. Toms last years would have been wasted here barring an incredible offseason this year

 

[XLIX]

The worst thing that could happen for the Pats Franchise is Brady winning the Super Bowl as soon as this year. The run had no business ending and Bill takes 100% blame for that.

I just don't see it happening this year for TB.... but the window is certainly open for 2021.

 

[1960Pats]

I'm sad. I know the run was awesome but it ended earlier than it should have. I am used to at least a couple playoff games and AFC championship trophies propping doors open at Gillette Stadium. I miss Bill’s utter disgust as he is handed the Lamar Hunt trophy. He cant wait to get it out of his hands. It is even more sad that a big reason for the success is still lighting it up with 40 TD's and an 11-5 record and gets the chance to earn a doorstop.

Yes, it ended earlier than it should have but it lasted much longer and was far more successful than we could have ever imagined. If they never go above .500 for the rest of my life I'll still be way ahead.

Think of all the great memories we have to look back on. The Snow Bowl, Silence of the Rams I, This Ain't Peyton's Place I & II, The Harbawl Double Comeback, The Seahawks 4QC, The Butler Did it, 28-3, Defamegate Revenge, Tom Glaring at Goody, KC on the Road and Silence of the Rams II.

I can try and list some of the great plays and great players, but I'm sure I'll leave many out. Troy's catches and punt returns, Tedy's big stops, Willie everywhere but especially in Indy, Lawyer and Law, Rodney stomping when he walked, Gronk the human steamroller/freight train, Jules catches and toughness, and of course Tom.

Whenever I start to look back on it all, a s**t eating grin starts building on my face until I laugh. That's where I am now so cheer up and be thankful that you lived long enough to be a part of it.

 

[1960Pats]

Bingo, like 2019 were not Winning anything important with or without Brady. Might as well get started on the rebuild now. Toms last years would have been wasted here barring an incredible offseason this year

I see the other side of the same coin. Since we were going to be back in the pack anyway I would have preferred to see Brady stay a Patriot until he hung them up or until he became a backup here. He should have been an exception.