NEW ARTICLE: Brady Proved on Sunday the Patriots Gave Up On Him Too Soon

[RobertWeathers]

This is about as succinct as it gets. Looking back, it's crystal clear. He was sore about them trying to insure that if he did indeed fall of the cliff, they had a options. The whole no OTA's, not working with wideouts and his general demeanor, especially being such a whiny biotch in 2019... he could have handled it way better.

He stopped doing the things that made him the GOAT, went to Tampa and started doing those things again.

Yep.

I totally subscribe to the notion BB did a lot of the alienating (contracts, booting Guerrero, not including Tom in the game-planning) as opposed to Tom being the catalyst but nonetheless Tom could have handled it better. Maybe BB could have handled the "Move On From Tom" plan better as well.

Whatever. Whats done it done.

 

[Pape]

I agree about 2018 but they could have signed him for 2 like Tampa did.

What is cap speculation? That Cannon would count for almost $10m against the cap and was sure to be cut? If you're trying to sign Brady, that cut is obvious and glaring. They had the space.

Another thing forgotten here is Brady's $14.5 cap hit that could have been spread over 3 years. That's another $10m in available money right there.

speculative fiction... everything you claim that could have happened with the cap, didn't. You cannot re-write history because "it might have worked"

The Patriots could have signed him to a 4 year deal at the end of 2016, when the deal was renegotiated. They could have signed him to an extension in 2018 that wasn't a year to year deal. They didn't. Belichick/Kraft declined to do so. I said at that point 4 years/100 million for Brady. I was laughed at.

So, no, they couldn't have signed him for a two year deal like Tampa did. They owed him more than Tampa did.

eot for me... not going to argue about what could have been. Doesn't do anyone any good.

I will root for the Pats next season to do better ... and If they are eliminated from the playoffs/contention, then I will root for Brady and co if they are still playing

 

[sean10mm]

Brady wasn't going to stay because the Pats didn't have the cap space to both give him 2 years/$50m AND give him decent weapons on offense in 2020.

That's not an opinion so much as a virtual mathematical certainty. The Pats couldn't get there from here, so Brady went over there (waves vaguely at Florida.)

The alternative was to hang around on a sub-2019 roster and hope to get better than 2019 results, which is basically an appeal to magic.

Frankly at 43 Brady would have to have been a moron to stay on the Patriots in 2020. Make less money to play for a curmudgeon and get blamed every time some scrub drops a pass, or go to Tampa Bay and have a shot at another ring while getting paid more and working for someone who acts like they are glad you're there? I mean come on.

 

[Doctor DDS]

I never thought BB gave up on Brady due to ability but mainly due to age, cap and need to rebuild. If goal is winning future championships I really do not see how Brady fit into that equation. Pats would have been better this year but due to cap space and limited weapons they were still far from a contender. Maybe they could have spliced enough together in 2021 for a final run but that would have likely meant mortgaging the future for a last shot and I am not sure BB would want that approach.

I miss Brady badly on the Pats but am thrilled to see him successful on Tampa. He chose wisely by going to a team that was 3rd in the league in 2019 in both points and yards and also had enough resources to bring in AB, Gronk, Fournette and others. His leadership and skill helped bring that team together and help get them to where they are. Would not have been nearly enough on the Pats so I am content with how it went down.

 

[skinnydog]

That part is fine. I have no qualms with Tom leaving. He wanted out and the NEP didn't want him.

My point was how he handled it while here.

Given that he was entertaining offers from the Pats indicates he did want to or was certainly willing to stay. Also, I’d say he handled things remarkably well On his way out. Certainly better than most other QBs would have. By the time Brady decided to move on it was pretty clear the Pats weren’t interested in bringing him back and, more importantly, they weren’t interested in trading for Diggs or going out and signing a real WR or TE.

 

[skinnydog]

speculative fiction... everything you claim that could have happened with the cap, didn't. You cannot re-write history because "it might have worked"

The Patriots could have signed him to a 4 year deal at the end of 2016, when the deal was renegotiated. They could have signed him to an extension in 2018 that wasn't a year to year deal. They didn't. Belichick/Kraft declined to do so. I said at that point 4 years/100 million for Brady. I was laughed at.

So, no, they couldn't have signed him for a two year deal like Tampa did. They owed him more than Tampa did.

eot for me... not going to argue about what could have been. Doesn't do anyone any good.

I will root for the Pats next season to do better ... and If they are eliminated from the playoffs/contention, then I will root for Brady and co if they are still playing

The point is the Pats could have cleared cap space for Brady in 2020 and brought in a real offensive weapon or two if they had wanted to. They could have cut A Cannon or a Chung and if the choice was to sign Thuney to the franchise tag at 15 million or keep Brady and sign another guard of lesser quality for 5-6 million then it should have been bye bye Thuney.

 

[Pape]

The point is the Pats could have cleared cap space for Brady in 2020 and brought in a real offensive weapon or two if they had wanted to. They could have cut A Cannon or a Chung and if the choice was to sign Thuney to the franchise tag at 15 million or keep Brady and sign another guard of lesser quality for 5-6 million then it should have been bye bye Thuney.

What part of Brady decided to leave in 2018 don't you understand?

As soon as the Patriots agreed to the No Tag clause in 2019, the end of the Brady in New England story was written in ink... And both Kraft and Belichick knew this... Thats why Belichick took the dead money hit in 2020... It doesnt matter how much money they could have "cleared up for Brady" because Brady wasn't coming back here

 

[Steve102]

Yep.

I totally subscribe to the notion BB did a lot of the alienating (contracts, booting Guerrero, not including Tom in the game-planning) as opposed to Tom being the catalyst but nonetheless Tom could have handled it better. Maybe BB could have handled the "Move On From Tom" plan better as well.

Whatever. Whats done it done.

I think Bill 100% could have handled it better. When Brady started talking about being an employee, the die was cast. I think Bill runs it his way, and he's not about to change for anyone. It's what made him successful. He's coached at least two guys who are GOATs, in LT and TB. You can bet your azz he never let LT have any input on anything, and he likely didn't here with TB either.

From my POV, Tom is a different kind of athlete. I think as Brady aged, he had more in common with Bill than anyone Bill has ever coached. No one knew what it took to stay on top like Bill and Tom. No one else has the drive to be the best for such a long time. No one in that locker room had 6 rings. Bill could have considered that and perhaps let Tom "behind the curtain".

As you say, what's done is done.

 

[oldrover]

 

[imahobgoblin]

They will not understand the Pats did not give up on him. The relationship soured and he chose to move on. It is what it is. Stop whining about it.

 

[skinnydog]

What part of Brady decided to leave in 2018 don't you understand?

As soon as the Patriots agreed to the No Tag clause in 2019, the end of the Brady in New England story was written in ink... And both Kraft and Belichick knew this... Thats why Belichick took the dead money hit in 2020... It doesnt matter how much money they could have "cleared up for Brady" because Brady wasn't coming back here

No, not at all. so when Brady wanted to know what the Patriots were offering for a contract, it was all for show and he was leaving no matter what the Pats offered? If the offered 2-3 years at 30 million he was still leaving? If 5hey traded for Diggs and signed a TE and offered 20 million he was going no matter what? If you flip it around to say when Brady insisted on the no tag clause (so he had some say in where he ended up) in2019, BB and Kraft then decided they were moving on from Brady after the 2019 season. Fixed it for you. You just had it backwards.

 

[long distance]

My point is he's still playing at a high level and I do feel they should have given him a multi-year deal, which by all accounts, that's really what he was looking for.

I mean, let's be honest. Right now - they have nothing. Moving on from him or taking that stance made no sense without a succession plan or at least a couple of younger players on the roster they could develop and build from.

This offseason, we're again looking for a bridge guy or someone to draft. I mean really, we're talking about Matt Stafford or Ryan Fitzpatrick...does anyone believe that Brady at his age - even if he wasn't playing at this level - wouldn't be better than any other mid-tier veteran they could bring in or any rookie? And I get the financial concerns but had things not gone south, they could have pushed it off and made it work and it could have at least been somewhat of a wash if they replaced him with a player under a rookie deal.

So worst case scenario, you would have had him starting for you and in a better scenario, another Garoppolo-esque guy develops behind him and they have someone to turn to. If they had that - after the other being just bad timing - you could at least say the bandaid was simply ripped off and we could enjoy the development of the future guy. Right now, we don't even have that.

But they essentially forced his hand without any type of safety net and now they're already down one year and have to start all over again in 2021. Forget whether or not he'd have gotten this club to the Super Bowl this year because I'm certainly not saying that. But what I am saying is that it just wasn't handled well and the fact they did it without any viable options was clearly a major mistake, and that was the point of what I wrote.

Thanks @Ian

If they wouldn't move on they would have less.

I can perfectly understand the adoration of Tom but reality as always is different. If one believes the mantra that his competitive edge is off the charts than one should also believe developing young players and esp. QBs “under“ him might actually be quite a challenge & far from perfect situation. This is only one of many reasons why “succession plans“ behind great QBs almost never work.

If i learned anything in these years is that NFL is a 2-yr league. Situations are turned upside down so quickly. So "succession plans“ mean only so much. Being fans of a franchise that had known only success over 20 years this is not easy to see.

Also success in a particular season is quite circumstantial. Almost every year the top teams of the season are also the healthiest teams. (TB this year is one of the healthiest teams i can remember losing zero starters and only one rotational player on a stacked TE position - OJ Howard. On the other hand NE lost many key starters & had almost half of the cap tied to IR, Opt Outs and Dead Money).

Success over long periods is result of culture and sustainability. Pats fans are lucky to have stability in managing and coaching entering great rebuild opportunity. And if there was a need to “sacrifice“ a season this covid season was perfect for that.

 

[venecol]

I think the obvious fact is that Brady took everything he could from the Patriots, and when the 2nd dynasty ('13-'19) left the team in a cap hole and a talent depravity, he jumped to the greener retirement home to live out his golden NFL years. Many anointed "that team" as champion-caliber from the get go because of the skill weapons in abundance. Brady has flaws, and would have struggled a lot on the Pats this year. But, he can achieve his goals with 2 good years in TB and hang it up at 45.
I for one, would rather they lose to the repeat Chiefs. Because a SB victory with a new team, would cast a dark shadow on the Pats dynastic legacy.

You wanting Tyreek "the spouse/kid abuser" Hill to get back to back rings over our own Tom Brady is beyond pathetic. Shows how much Patriots ****ed up to have our own fans rooting against the GOAT. Wow.

 

[yukon cornelius]

Is it more or less effed up than a 500 page thread on this forum dedicated to another team?

 

[Todd Bradley]

Is it more or less effed up than a 500 page thread on this forum dedicated to another team?

How? Tom’s the ultimate Patriot who was here for 20 years and it’s his first season on a new team that just made the Super Bowl. Seems pretty normal to talk a little Brady on the Bucs. Not to mention our former all-time great TE is there too.

Say things sour in Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers somehow gets traded here. Do you honestly think Packers fans are just going to forget about their longtime former QB and blacklist discussions about him from their forum? LOL no.

 

[Pape]

No, not at all. so when Brady wanted to know what the Patriots were offering for a contract, it was all for show and he was leaving no matter what the Pats offered? If the offered 2-3 years at 30 million he was still leaving? If 5hey traded for Diggs and signed a TE and offered 20 million he was going no matter what? If you flip it around to say when Brady insisted on the no tag clause (so he had some say in where he ended up) in2019, BB and Kraft then decided they were moving on from Brady after the 2019 season. Fixed it for you. You just had it backwards.

When did he put his home on the market?

 

[Tottie]

Ya.....ok. Lets let the guy go because he's a certain age and it doesn't fit our long term 'goals'. It's assured that BB will put this thing back into dynasty mode and Brady is in the way of that. It's not easier to keep him and retool the offense like we've done before. Of course not. I look forward to the next SB run that must be part of the great plan that has been put in motion. Sigh.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Given that he was entertaining offers from the Pats indicates he did want to or was certainly willing to stay. Also, I’d say he handled things remarkably well On his way out. Certainly better than most other QBs would have. By the time Brady decided to move on it was pretty clear the Pats weren’t interested in bringing him back and, more importantly, they weren’t interested in trading for Diggs or going out and signing a real WR or TE.

What offers did Brady receive from BB?

 

[RobertWeathers]

I think Bill 100% could have handled it better. When Brady started talking about being an employee, the die was cast. I think Bill runs it his way, and he's not about to change for anyone. It's what made him successful. He's coached at least two guys who are GOATs, in LT and TB. You can bet your azz he never let LT have any input on anything, and he likely didn't here with TB either.

From my POV, Tom is a different kind of athlete. I think as Brady aged, he had more in common with Bill than anyone Bill has ever coached. No one knew what it took to stay on top like Bill and Tom. No one else has the drive to be the best for such a long time. No one in that locker room had 6 rings. Bill could have considered that and perhaps let Tom "behind the curtain".

As you say, what's done is done.

I think when successful men get to their middle age or in their 50s, their tolerance for ******** and being jerked around wanes.

 

[jdlboot14]

If BB had fielded any level of competence at the QB position this year, we wouldn't be so sore about it. We all knew Brady was still a high level QB with a loaded team around him. We just didn't have that. However, if we'd had seen some half-decent NFL caliber player who gave us at least a chance with his arm (and head), we would have rallied around him. That's in fact what most did for as long as possible until it was clear Cam shriveled up and died throughout the season. Whoever it is next year - Mac Jones, Stafford, Jimmy G - Pats fans will bleed loyalty for him, and not yearn for Brady. In 2 years from now, Brady will be done, and we'll have an established newcomer. Then all will be restored, and we'll wait for Brady to go into the HoF as a Patriot.