So wait..is that supposed to own the BB critics? Again, the question from “the Bill haters” was why not trade Gilmore for the best offer in the 2020 offseason, since Brady is gone, you need draft capital, and the Brady split would be a lot more logical if they were hitting the reset button.
And remember…a year too early is better than a year too late…was the motto during
championship window seasons. Just look at all the controversy from 2017-19.
So, seems like a no-brainer? No, because despite the BS spin, the Patriots were clearly as all-in as possible in 2020. Not only did they punt on a Gilmore trade, with teams interested according to reports, they increased his salary by $5M.
So now, an article saying Gilmore’s play was slipping in 2020, meaning his trade value was wasted,
and he was “a year too late”, is supposed to make this all look better somehow? It‘s the opposite. And Bill telling everyone how they had no chance to compete, and fans buying it? No way.
The short moves made in 2020 (Slater, McCourty, Thuney, Gilmore decision) were actually a major deviation of their typical MO. Despite not having Brady, they went completely into an all-in mode trading short-term wins for long-term missed opportunities. Out of character to shun future considerations at the very time you’d most need to look at future considerations. More and more this looks like Bill wanted to have a **** measuring contest in 2020 with Brady, and showing the team wouldn’t miss a step under him.