Brady was a free agent and the Patriots were cap strapped without much receiving talent. I don’t think their situations are comparable.
I think people just can't admit the antics Brady was showing prior to 2019. He all but enabled the Amendolas, Dion Lewises, Gronk, They all were on social media running their mouths. It was very unusual. Throw in Brady showing up teammates early in 2018's season and it was clear he wasn't happy. Ironically, all these players were either not wanted, oft injured, etc, and BB brought them in, coached em up and they worked hard, and they became millionaires. If all these guys were so great, why weren't they great elsewhere? I mean, Gronk missed his whole senior year and his early carerr in NE was in jeopardy due to his immaturity. BB got the best out of him, too. These players aren't robots who just appear out of a pod to make coaches look good.
Heck, even McDaniels looked he was done with him and I would have never thought that 5 years ago.
Brady wanted to play his whole career in NE on his own terms, which meant a contract "until 45". It's why he kept saying it ad nauseum in almost every interview he did. It was passive-aggressive behavior at its finest. I kept asking "why does he keep saying '45' over and over"? It's because he wanted the money. I was thinking "just cross that bridge when it comes like Ortiz was doing for the Red Sox". You know, like 2 year deals. Seemed more than reasonable.
Amendola on Twitter saying he was "free!" and Gronk doing his bit. How do people forget this stuff anyway?
What's sad is Brady aligned with them, where in years past like if a Ty Law or Samuel or someone else didn't like how BB needed to move on, Brady never said a word publicly about any of that stuff.
I think drafting Garoppolo pissed Brady off and the same deal with GB drafting Jordan Love for Rodgers. It's literally the same pattern tied to some idea that Rodgers isn't supported by their GM. Last time I checked, loading up on weapons around Rodgers and having a horrendous D for a decade, while being paid as much as he has, is why the Packers have failed. BB never let Brady down as a GM, but Ted Thompson and Mickey Loomis in NOs certainly let Brees down until very recently in 2018 when NOs finally improved on D, almost a decade after Brees's only SB appearance. I would argue Polian let Manning own in Indy for 10+ years unable to field a good defense. They sucked. Seattle, same thing. Schneider has been terrible of late and it started paying both Earl Thomas and Chancellor at the same time to peak money. It all matters and no GM in Cap Era history has done more to support his All Pro and HOF QB like BB has for Brady. After the Garoppolo draft pick, Brady certainly hunkered down and reacted the right way, so it worked. He didn't pout, he realized he had to improve from his subpar postseason play where he looked mediocre after changing how he played. BB worked with Garoppolo daily right in front of Brady. The only other guy to get that treatment was Brady himself in front of Bledsoe, so he knew what it meant. It worked. Brady used less shotgun, they ran more, used a FB again, etc. 2nd Dynasty formed.
Brady probably though he did his part improving in the postseason, looking like the pre-Giselle Brady he used to be where he was just outstanding in the postseason, and he absolutely did, but there was clearly some push and pull going on behind the scenes way before 2019.
The pushing of his brand, which is just completely obnoxious is like Brady trying to copy MeBron James. I don't like that at all and I don't like the obsession with Brady desperately trying to show he's great. We get it, dude. You are great. Act like an adult instead of scorned teenager.
