Reminder: EVERYONE knew that Brady would have between 1 and 3 productive seasons

[Biffins]

I'm not sure we let him go. I think it was more on Brady wanting to prove he could win without the Patriots. I doubt Brady would have come back even if the Pats offered him $30M+/per

Brady was going to and wanting to come back. BB didn't want him and gave him a crap offer.

 

[sb1]

Brady should walk away right now.

But he wont and I believe that he just played in his last Super Bowl.

I think the Bucs will be in the mix in the NFC elite again next year. Could repeat. Nothing's for sure obviously.

 

[Biffins]

This is where I stand on it too. If you’re ready to move on, okay. But no succession plan and a pretty bizarre strategy in 2020 of not trading for draft picks and building for the future.

I think Belichick overestimated Stidham and, to be honest, is perhaps guilty of overestimating his own abilities to coach this roster and QB into contention. And that's understandable. You have to believe in yourself and take risks...I'm sure Brady has overestimated his own abilities many times. You don't get to the pinnacle of success by playing it safe.

But I think what bugs me the most about Belichick is there were quite a few reports that they could have traded Gilmore and perhaps McCourty midseason for some draft picks. Possibly Thuney as well, if they're not going to pay him long-term anyway. I really don't understand why you don't pull the trigger there and just take the best offer. They've now had some prime opportunities to cash in big-time for their assets; they could have traded Garoppolo in 2017 for at least a mid first round pick (rumored to be even more) but again were hedging their bets about Brady's longevity. And in 2020, with a team that's clearly not going to contend, holding on to some of these veteran players? I just don't think they're at a point where finding bargain free agents, flipping draft picks, and landing comp picks is enough to rebuild. They have the 15th overall pick but it seems they could have more than that and need more than that. Is there some stubbornness here in acknowledging it's time for an all-out rebuild? Is there some degree of outsmarting yourself when a strategy to exchange the present for the future is an obvious call?

For once, I'd like to see them get the same draft shopping spree that it seems almost every other franchise gets. As great as Belichick is, maybe he could use some checks and balances in the power structure. By nature, none of us can see our own blind spots, and there are some blind spots within the organization for the last few years...the problems with the 2020 club may be obvious now, but the issues that led to it go back pretty far, at least the mid-2010s...and it isn't solely because of bad luck with draft picks. The draft picks explain why they have a lot of holes in their roster; they don't explain why they're not well positioned to replenish them.

Agree word for word. Thanks!!

If it’s a rebuild why half-ass it?

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Brady should walk away right now.

But he wont and I believe that he just played in his last Super Bowl.

Let's hope he doesn't get any more in Tampa...it would make Bill look even more foolish.

 

[1960Pats]

Even with better drafting, our success year after year wouldn't have allowed us -- in terms of salary cap -- to have the massive talent of the current Buc roster.

Did the Pats ever have that amount of massive talent? I don't think so but I didn't care. I just wanted Brady to finish his career as a Patriot.

 

[1960Pats]

I'm not sure we let him go. I think it was more on Brady wanting to prove he could win without the Patriots. I doubt Brady would have come back even if the Pats offered him $30M+/per

I don't think that money was a factor for Brady but I'm selfish and I don't care. He should have finished his career here.

 

[Triumph]

Let's hope he doesn't get any more in Tampa...it would make Bill look even more foolish.

The drive to win a World Championship will not be as intense as this past season.

So much luck is involved and you get every teams best shot. Sooner rather than later the years will show up on Brady. Hes played at least 2 additional regular seasons just in post season games.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

The drive to win a World Championship will not be as intense as this past season.

So much luck is involved and you get every teams best shot. Sooner rather than later the years will show up on Brady. Hes played at least 2 additional regular seasons just in post season games.

im just glad he‘s proven he’s not a system QB. now that he’s done that, I hope Tampa loses every year until he’s done. and a 17 game schedule (likely) makes it even more difficult.

 

[lancerman]

If he would only have 1-3 productive seasons it made sense to give him a deal then.

 

[PatsWSB47]

im just glad he‘s proven he’s not a system QB. now that he’s done that, I hope Tampa loses every year until he’s done. and a 17 game schedule (likely) makes it even more difficult.

Your $10000 Brady card will lose some value. Better sell it. It feels more and more that if you did buy Brady stuff it was purely a money thing for you. You posts proved you didn't like him up until the NFC championship game and the sudden about face since looks hollow now that you're back to hoping he fails again.

 

[Deus Irae]

The fact that Brady is successfsul outside the Patriots organization in the first year was known. It's also irrelevant. Preparing for Life After Brady was going to have to happen sooner or later. Whenever Bill chose that time, we knew it would be with a couple productive years to go. This is one of them. That's all.

Odd O.P..

1. First, people here were writing him off, and it's certainly not the case that EVERYONE knew that Brady would have between 1 and 3 productive seasons.
2. Second, preparing for life after Brady shouldn't mean deciding to bring in the corpse of Cam Newton to replace the G.O.A.T..
3. Third, if you've got 3 productive seasons left in your G.O.A.T. QB, why the hell aren't you signing him to a multi-year deal?
4. Fourth, 12-7= 5, and 15-7=8, and 5+8=13. That's the win swing for Brady this past season. Brady was literally a 13 win difference in the 2020 NFL.

I mean, pretend whatever you have to, if that's what you need to do in order to cope. But posting it isn't always the way to go.

 

[oldrover]

12-7= 5, and 15-7=8, and 5+8=13. That's the win swing for Brady this past season. Brady was literally a 13 win difference in the 2020 NFL.

 

[upstater1]

Lol yeah everyone knew a 43 year old QB would waltz into the losingest organization in NFL history and win them a super bowl in year one. Please you’re embarrassing yourself.

Eh, many of us did say it. Was not very surprised. I predicted it. But a lot of other analysts did too. Why is everyone so surprised?

 

[upstater1]

If the Patriots were transitioning, they would have been better off doing it with Brady. Just offer him a 2 year contract. You can't go wrong. That's all it would take.

Can't understand why you wouldn't try to keep winning with him even if it means no SB championship. It doesn't hurt you to keep him on. Why would it hurt you?

If we end up with a retread like Wentz or Carr or Garoppolo someone like that, we'll be paying them $20m anyway. So what's the difference?