Schefter: Just based on the facts...Brady thinking/setting up to leave NE

[Biffins]

I think Brady just wants to avoid getting lowballed.

As he should.

 

[Clonamery]

Not really. If JG was still on the team now it might be, but that deal is cut and dried.

I’m sorry. But there are people who believe BB was forced to trade JG and he wanted to trade TB. I cannot overlook that from a poster who is eminently more intelligent than me but doesn’t understand the first thing about wishful thinking.

 

[Biffins]

Nor should it be. Belichick has to (and does) care about the team first, not Brady first.

We might feel team first and Brady first are synonymous and might disagree with BB.

 

[Oswlek]

I’m sorry. But there are people who believe BB was forced to trade JG and he wanted to trade TB. I cannot overlook that from a poster who is eminently more intelligent than me but doesn’t understand the first thing about wishful thinking.

I'm not getting your point. How does that relate to this discussion?

 

[Biffins]

I just want to know the missing part of the equation here, if Schefter is aware of something behind public facts. He is not one to speculate and stake his reputation on guesses, and despite him claiming this is just speculation, he knows that’s not how this will be interpreted. He’s saying he thinks Brady doesn’t want to play for the Patriots, or the Patriots don’t want Brady.

1. It makes no sense for Brady to go to another team from a competitive standpoint. No team is even close to the Patriots in terms of supporting cast and coaching.

2. Let’s remember that most athletes, and the ones Brady likely named, like Farve, Manning and Montana, were forced out because of a younger emerging superstar. The Patriots do not have that, unless you think Stidham is the chosen one. I don’t buy it. In addition, the Patriots have a lot of legacy stake in Brady retiring with the team.

3. So given that a breakup is irrational for both sides, his leads me to believe that if there is information that Schefter has, it has something to do with a personality/ ego/ control situation like the reports in 2017. I do not think Brady or Belichick care about “proving” they can win without the other...that’s totally unsupported. Here are the potential divides that I could see:

Speculation A. Brady feels disrespected that the Patriots didn’t give him the long term extension he wanted. It comes back to the Guerrero rift again, where Brady believes wholeheartedly he can play until 45, and the team doubting him as a slap in the face to his whole belief system and TB12 Inc. He wants security and feels he’s earned it, and he basically said this politely after the contract was signed. Remember, this is a guy who feeds off of doubt, and that point should not be underestimated..this is the first time his own team has been the doubters, in his mind.

Speculation B. Brady wants to have a lot more leeway with his football/personal time at his age. Some older vets QBs have worked out deals where they had a lot of personal days. Belichick may be unwilling to do that, whereas other coaches may be (and beyond that, the grind of playing for NE is different from the laid back atmosphere of some other organizations.). I believe they could have kept Gronkowski if they had allowed for preferential treatment.

Speculation C. Both sides are just posturing as much as possible as a normal contract standoff and plan to continue working together. Brady doesn’t want to get lowballed, and the team doesn’t want to concede that they will pay anything to keep him. You have the ultimate game of chicken here, though sometimes these things blow up in the wrong direction once the reality of free agency begins.

Point D (not speculation). I honestly don’t think Brady has an answer for whether or not he wants to retire. This just adds more fuel to the fire for the Patriots position of not being sure if they want to commit. However, I think the Patriots are protected financially if Brady does retire early, and it’s not like they have some elite QB they’re passing on by giving him a multi-year extension.

Good summary of the situation. The spanner in the works could be blowout offers from other teams.

 

[Ring 6]

I'm not here to argue if brady is or isn't declining but let's at least be honest about one obvious fact here.... We have the largest point differential ever because our defense has been historic this year.

That has a lot to do with it but the offense is also part of it.
The point being Brady wins and while he is winning as well as ever talk of decline and wanted to cut him is stupid.

 

[Ring 6]

I don't think you realize how unpredictable performances are at this age. Brady is still a good QB, that doesn't mean in any way, shape or form he will be the same next year or even close to that.

His YPA, passer rating etc. have been declining every year since 2016.

We have the largest point differential because of the defense. The offense right now is the worst since 2006 (or 2008).

Almost everything you say in here is wrong.

 

[SBLIII]

Almost everything you say in here is wrong.

lazy comment.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

An interesting thing about how the media is so incredibly up the asses of the Patriots:

Drew Brees has the same contract as Tom Brady, in that is also automatically voids and he will become a free agent. You’d think that the Saints being 5-0 with Bridgewater would make this the more juicy story, but it’s a non-story, whereas again, the Patriots have no real QB options outside of Brady.

Another angle that’s hard to buy is that the Brady-Bunchden Bunch is going to move to another city for a few years, and then another city again after retirement, with the ages of their kids. That’s why I’ve been of the San Francisco or bust mindset, and why my “crazy” theory that the Patriots may have wanted to trade JG to SF to block a Brady departure may not be as insane as it sounds on the surface, at least as an extra incentive to make that deal. Florio buys into the theory that SF is still on the table for Brady next year, as they could move on from Jimmy G’s contract quite easily, and JG isn’t exactly lighting it up there despite the team’s success. He is a jarring misfit with Shanahan. If the Niners fail this season and JG faceplants, there will be some major brainstorming in the Niners FO, as they are built to win now.

And from a personal standpoint, SF would be the only team where I would want to see Brady go to if he were to play elsewhere. It’s where he grew up idolizing the Niners, and his family is there. (And I live here, so there’s that!). But that move would certainly sit better with Pats fans, I think, than any other destination, in the catastrophic event he leaves. Then would JG return to the Patriots...lol...okay, now I’m deep into fantasy world.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

All I’m saying is that if Brady is on the 49ers next year and Jimmy G. Is on the Patriots, it would be one of most batsh1t crazy stories ever, yet I don’t think the odds of this are near the impossible range. If TB12 wants to settle down in the Bay Area, then he has his security and family situation worked out. The Patriots got what they wanted, which is getting Brady for a few more titles and then getting Jimmy G. back. Imagine that, just for fun!!!

 

[PatsDeb]

A big deal will be made out of practically everything he does. Every missed pass, every sack, the route he takes to the stadium, the way he dresses....every word he speaks will be dissected to become a clue to what hes going to do. It will get worse and worse as the season goes on

I think Brady can and should put the kibosh on all this ridiculous speculation by refusing to answer any more questions about next year. He should get mad as he's gotten in the last week about the stupid Kraft thing, and tell people "I DON"T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING NEXT YEAR. No more questions on it. I am focused on this team, and this year, and trying to win a Super Bowl. Anyone have any questions on the Browns game?" He's part of the problem as he continues to answer questions on it, slightly differently from the day before, and the vultures pounce immediately on every little imagined nuance of his answers. I'm so tired of it. I can't believe he isn't.

 

[fnordcircle]

All I’m saying is that if Brady is on the 49ers next year and Jimmy G. Is on the Patriots, it would be one of most batsh1t crazy stories ever, yet I don’t think the odds of this are near the impossible range. If TB12 wants to settle down in the Bay Area, then he has his security and family situation worked out. The Patriots got what they wanted, which is getting Brady for a few more titles and then getting Jimmy G. back. Imagine that, just for fun!!!

Oh I get the insanity if you take a step back but no, I can't have fun with any scenario that involves him taking a single snap for another team.

 

[PatsDeb]

I’m sorry. But there are people who believe BB was forced to trade JG and he wanted to trade TB. I cannot overlook that from a poster who is eminently more intelligent than me but doesn’t understand the first thing about wishful thinking.

Who believes that?

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Oh I get the insanity if you take a step back but no, I can't have fun with any scenario that involves him taking a single snap for another team.

I can respect that.

But if someone said to you in 2017, you could get Brady for 3 more years (and it looks like he could finish with 7 championships and set every imaginable record), and still then get Jimmy G. for the following 8-10 years, you wouldn’t take that deal, if the only tradeoff is Brady wearing red and gold for a year or two? Keeping Brady for a few more years and having Jimmy G. As the successor was the impossible to solve riddle at the time. Everyone wanted them to have their cake and eat it too, but it was impossible. In this wacky scenario, isn’t the puzzle solved in a rather Kasparov-Belichick way?

I keep coming back to Belichick calling Lynch and dropping Jimmy G. in his lap and asking, why the Forty Niners?

I think Brady wants to start settling down for the future. If he wishes to continue playing and wishes to retire to the Bay Area, wouldn’t this be the perfect move for him, and might it be out of the Patriots hands anyway? The guy has given us 20 years of off-the-charts greatness...I would be happy for him despite preferring he retired a Patriot. I would just be unhappy if he left out of spite like Farve or left because of some disagreement about his value, or some dysfunctional issues.

 

[Soliel]

What I see in my mind (while drunk and daydreaming) is he keeps signing one year deals here until the wheels come off as he said. That’s one. Two is he might retire when we win the bowl because that’s what he said a few years ago. Just two more

 

[supafly]

An interesting thing about how the media is so incredibly up the asses of the Patriots:

Drew Brees has the same contract as Tom Brady, in that is also automatically voids and he will become a free agent. You’d think that the Saints being 5-0 with Bridgewater would make this the more juicy story, but it’s a non-story, whereas again, the Patriots have no real QB options outside of Brady.

Another angle that’s hard to buy is that the Brady-Bunchden Bunch is going to move to another city for a few years, and then another city again after retirement, with the ages of their kids. That’s why I’ve been of the San Francisco or bust mindset, and why my “crazy” theory that the Patriots may have wanted to trade JG to SF to block a Brady departure may not be as insane as it sounds on the surface, at least as an extra incentive to make that deal. Florio buys into the theory that SF is still on the table for Brady next year, as they could move on from Jimmy G’s contract quite easily, and JG isn’t exactly lighting it up there despite the team’s success. He is a jarring misfit with Shanahan. If the Niners fail this season and JG faceplants, there will be some major brainstorming in the Niners FO, as they are built to win now.

And from a personal standpoint, SF would be the only team where I would want to see Brady go to if he were to play elsewhere. It’s where he grew up idolizing the Niners, and his family is there. (And I live here, so there’s that!). But that move would certainly sit better with Pats fans, I think, than any other destination, in the catastrophic event he leaves. Then would JG return to the Patriots...lol...okay, now I’m deep into fantasy world.

Just to add to your thought about Brees being in the last year of his deal, Philip Rivers is too. We’re not hearing a word about those situations.

 

[luuked]

What if Brady is offered $120m guaranteed for next 3 years (Same rate as Mahomes). Pats offer $25m for 1 year. What should he do? It's a hypothetical but $100m isn't chump change for even Brady.

Then its goodbye Brady, lol at whatever team offers him that and it doesnt even require much contemplation.

Make it easy for BB to move on and you will screw yourself.

 

[luuked]

All I’m saying is that if Brady is on the 49ers next year and Jimmy G. Is on the Patriots, it would be one of most batsh1t crazy stories ever, yet I don’t think the odds of this are near the impossible range. If TB12 wants to settle down in the Bay Area, then he has his security and family situation worked out. The Patriots got what they wanted, which is getting Brady for a few more titles and then getting Jimmy G. back. Imagine that, just for fun!!!

Why would Shanahan replace a QB he can have success with for the next 10 years with one that could be retired a year or two from now?

It makes zero sense. Brady wouldn't make the 49ers substantially better than JG.

 

[patfanken]

This entire narrative is simply batsh!t crazy...and that's an understatement.

NOTHING has changed in this story for the last six months, yet the media, talk shows, AND fans trot it out on a daily basis as if its 'breaking news". WTF, guys, the level to which Brady's "body language', tone, facial expressions and eyebrow knits are scrutinized, reminds me of the books that were written based on who was sitting next to who at the May Day parade during the cold war years.

Adam Schecter has made Brady speculation into a cottage industry by simply changing the emphasis on which section of his own ADMITTED speculation he wants to trot out that day. And as I might add AGAIN, there has been ZERO new news on what Brady intends to do about his career for next year. In other words nothing has happened that changes ANYTHING since last August. Which would make one wonder, WHY are we still talking about it. Are we THAT bereft of anything else to say concerning this really wonderful team.

It doesn't say much for our fandom and this site if all we can find interesting to talk about is this, Antonio Brown, and whatever the latest receiver possibilities is getting everyone hard.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Why would Shanahan replace a QB he can have success with for the next 10 years with one that could be retired a year or two from now?

It makes zero sense. Brady wouldn't make the 49ers substantially better than JG.

I think Jimmy G. is a bad fit for his system.