Whining Vs. Winning

[amfootball]

Barring Brady winning another Super Bowl, I'm not sure how he can be happy in Tampa Bay. He's left the home and city he loved (and loved him) for a team associated primarily with losing. He left the best coach in the business for a below average to average staff. He left the team he won six Super Bowls because he was mad at going 11-5 a season removed from a championship.

Sure, he has more weapons this season and both Brady and Belichick (theoretically) benefit from the separation as noted by another poster. But it's got to sting for Brady, regardless of the "logic," to leave such a legacy and the GOAT coach behind for Tampa.

He seems really happy every time he is interviewed. I think he is having a ball down there with those weapons and the sunshine even if there have been some bumps. I don't see sad Tom at all. I mean 20 years is a long time and Belichick is one of the most grating coaches. I am surprised in many ways that Brady lasted as long as he did playing for Bill. NE is a pretty miserable environment only the winning made it bearable and now that is disappearing because Brady is gone. I am sure many other players will follow suit. There is already rumors/reports that Hightower and Cannon will retire. I would bet money that the McCourty brothers do too as well as Chung.

 

[MainePatsFan26]

Why do people automatically think we will be contenders in a year or two? Why are people saying "when we find a quarterback" like it is some easy thing to do? There are teams that go decades burning pick after pick on QB's and never find the guy. Even if we end up getting Fields or Wilson somehow who's to say that they pan out. This isn't meant to be doom and gloom but I think people are being naive thinking we will be legitimate contenders in the next year or two without a lot of things going right.

You're right - the odds of stumbling on a great quarterback are unlikely.

Moving on from Brady was still the right choice, though, when we look at what he was doing with a depleted roster. He couldn't lift the team past the wild card round and Bill felt rolling the dice with uncertainty had better odds of success than sinking MORE cap space into Brady.

The window closed on the second wave of Super Bowls. Now, time to accept the new normal and not put unrealistic expectations on a quick rebuild.

 

[MainePatsFan26]

He seems really happy every time he is interviewed. I think he is having a ball down there with those weapons and the sunshine even if there have been some bumps. I don't see sad Tom at all. I mean 20 years is a long time and Belichick is one of the most grating coaches. I am surprised in many ways that Brady lasted as long as he did playing for Bill. NE is a pretty miserable environment only the winning made it bearable and now that is disappearing because Brady is gone. I am sure many other players will follow suit. There is already rumors/reports that Hightower and Cannon will retire. I would bet money that the McCourty brothers do too as well as Chung.

It's for the best to move on from these players to go young. These players all saw the good times and likely won't stomach losing for a few years. But younger players? They'd give anything to work with Belichick on a rebuild.

Just like 2000, let's purge the roster of anyone who isn't 110% buying in to the rebuild. All the respect in the world to those who helped win championships, but the question isn't what they did but what they can do.

 

[MainePatsFan26]

It really is a problem as a whole with a lot of younger people. I assume I am younger than a lot of people on this forum but it always irks me to see the 20 somethings and their "this or that" attitude towards absolutely everything. Their insistence that one side (theirs) is right so the other side is 100% unequivocally wrong. What makes it even worse is they just shout buzzwords and nonsensical new age psychobabble at anyone who dares express an opinion they disagree with. Look at JK Rowling for example. She dared to support a woman who basically said men are men and women are women and the woke group thinkers fired up the outrage machine and have been trying to "cancel" her. People need to stop looking to demonize the other side 95% of the time and realize that other people are allowed to think differently.

While I agree with you that nuance is a problem with younger people, I'm not sure I'd side with team JK Rowling.

At first, Rowling may have made a mistake and the initial outrage was overblown. But Rowling -- like many trolls out there -- kept doubling down and figuring out ways to exploit outrage by marginalizing the already marginalized.

I'm all for giving benefit of the doubt and stopping the outrage machine from being as arbitrary. But we've also got to hold people accountable who keep trying to stoke divisions and hate for their personal gain.

Here's a video on this topic:

 

[MainePatsFan26]

Things we know or think we know...

1) This current roster is JAG central with massive holes all over
2) Many of the non JAG portion of the roster are either sitting this year out and/or finishing their current contracts.....with several of this aging group likely considering retirement
3) The team's lack of foundation pieces is at a crisis level
4) The team's best defender will likely force a trade in the off season
5) No viable future QB currently on the roster
6) Bill the frugal economist is unlikely to overpay to secure a decent free agent QB given the warts unwanted free agent QBs typically possess
7) Any newly drafted QB will ride the pine for 1 year minimum
8) NE does not possess enough premium draft picks to quickly bolster the anemic roster
9) The future cap, while encouraging, only allows the team to shop for other team's discards
etc
etc
etc

This isn't 2000 with a roster littered with quality players who in time proved to be foundation pieces.
I am hopeful for a 3 year rebuild, but I wouldn't bet the ranch on it. Every misfire at QB will delay the process by a couple of years.
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Now if Jimmy G pops free............and stays healthy (LMFAO).....then.............

While it is controversial around here, one reason I like tanking -- in this specific situation -- is that we've got so many problems. What is the point of doing things the traditional way when the best we'll manage is 8-8 for a few years? I'd love to gut the roster for picks, take on bad contracts for other teams for picks or young talent in package deals, etc.

I can't see emerging from this hole for three years, at least, with a legitimate Super Bowl contender (the only goal around here). So, rather than try to stitch this roster together enough to get a #6 or #7 seed in a few years... let's do what it takes to win in 2023 or 2024.

 

[Nikolai]

I've always said I hoped we would have results similar to Pittsburgh over the long term. Sure, there's a year or so every 10-15 years where there's a losing record, but they're usually considered a respectable team and a contender more often than not. They haven't tanked in my lifetime. The only "tankers" I've seen are Indy and Miami. The jury is out on Miami's tank job and Indy's returned a mixed bag at best.

If I'm choosing between the Pittsburgh, Miami and Indy paths, give me the Pittsburgh option. Stay competitive and draft well. Easier said than done, but more respectable than tanking for uncertain returns.

 

[sb1]

I really don't think it's a lock anymore that this is a playoff team if Brady had stayed.

2019: subpar offense with Brady + a really good defense + really good special teams + a very easy schedule = 12-4 and one and done
2020: subpar offense with Cam + a really average defense + not as good special teams + a very hard schedule = 4-6 and out of the picture so far.

Definitely best for Brady himself that he moved on to a better situation for him and best to get this rebuild started sooner than later.

Pats will likely have a third place schedule next season and get the benefit of that, just like they did in 2001 with a last place schedule.