Category: Tom Brady

The case for and against Tom Brady with the Steelers

Could Tom Brady sign with a fierce AFC rival?

As we near the 2020 offseason of the NFL, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are in a situation they have never delved in before. Brady is a free agent come March 18. And although there is a strong chance he returns, other teams will be vying for his services. Here is a look at one of the teams that could be interested in Brady’s services. Should Brady consider signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Case for Brady signing with the Steelers

Pittsburgh is well-ran organization that flexed its muscles in that area this season, when they were treading water at 8-5 under perhaps the worst quarterback room in the league, before missing the postseason thanks to a December swoon.

This is a credit to Mike Tomlin, who’s no-time-for-b*ll sh*t attitude is similar to Bill Belichick’s. Under Tomlin, the Steelers have one of the league’s very best defenses that should only improve with young starts like T.J. Watt, Devin Bush and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

On offense, Pittsburgh sports one of the league’s better offensive lines, but is in need of one or two more playmakers. JuJu Smith-Schuster is an excellent X-type receiver option with slot ability, but has struggled some as the team’s No. 1 receiver, while James Connor’s has cooled down as the team’s starting running back.

Luckily for Pittsburgh, they draft skill-position players well, particularly wide receivers. With James Washington and Dionte Johnson already showing upside, the Steelers can attempt to draft a receiver or two in what looks to be the best wide receiver draft class in recent memory, to help build an offense around Brady that would compliment their top-five defense.

All this would depend on Ben Roethlisberger retiring, of course, which is not out of the question. He’s severely beat up and will need surgery on his right elbow yet again. But this is unlikely.

Then again, Pittsburgh could decide they have a better chance at winning a Super Bowl with a healthy 43-year-old Brady than a beat-up 38-year-old Roerthlisberger, and jettison Big Ben in favor of signing Brady.

Case against Brady signing with the Steelers

The Steelers are in some salary cap trouble.

Pittsburgh enters this offseason with roughly just $1.4 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap.

The Steelers can cut ties with a few veterans to create some space to attempt to lure Brady, but they also have several key free agents, most notably EDGE rusher Bud Dupree, who has helped form a successful tandom with T.J. Watt.

Even if Pittsburgh opts to sign none of their major free agents, and do all they can for cap relief, they still may not have enough to give Brady the deal he wants.

Also, with hopes lying with the draft to build their offense, this means Brady is going to work with more inexperienced pro pass catchers, as opposed to veterans.

Additionally, Brady would be leaving the Patriots for one of their biggest rivals, and would compete in a conference with them and the loaded Kansas City Chiefs, while battling the Baltimore Ravens in the division.

How good is the fit?

Had the Steelers had the cap room to give this a realistic shot, it would be one of the more underrated fits for Brady this offseason. But alas, the Steelers are cap-strapped. And playing with a band of unproven youngsters, even if those players were all drafted by the Steelers — a team that almost always hits on their draft picks on offense  — is not the most ideal fit for Tom.

Fit: 4 out of 10

The case for and against Tom Brady with the Browns

Could the Browns abort Baker Mayfield plan in favor of Tom Brady?

As we near the 2020 offseason of the NFL, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are in a situation they have never delved in before. Brady is a free agent come March 18. And although there is a strong chance he returns, other teams will be vying for his services. Here is a look at one of the teams that could be interested in Brady’s services.

Should Brady consider signing with the Cleveland Brown?

Case for Tom Brady signing with the Browns

Brady could arrive in Cleveland, supplant Baker Mayfield as the starter, and the Browns would still have a bit of cap space to work with, whether Mayfield remained or if he was traded — although the former would make for an awkward batch of team chemistry.

Although the Browns failed to live up to expectations in 2019, they are still loaded with talent, and have rid themselves of one of their biggest problems, Freddie Kitchens at head coach. Nothing against Kitchens, who had a rapport with Mayfield, but he was not yet ready to lead this team of egos.

Brady is ready to lead talented bunch.

From the outside looking in, it appears Brady has built a friendship with Odell Beckham Jr., who would be his new No. 1 receiver in this scenario. Additionally, Jarvis Landry manning the slot and former first-round pick David Njoku make for solid weapons.

And then there is Nick Chubb. A former teammate of Sony Michel’s at Georgia, Chubb is now one of the NFL’s best running backs. Chubb and the uber-talented Kareem Hunt — if Cleveland decides to keep the restricted free agent — would supply Brady with a running game capable of taking the pressure off Tom.

Still in need of a third receiver, the Browns could use some of their remaining cap space after the Brady deal to pick one up in free agency. Cleveland will enter the offseason with roughly $50 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap.

And although learning a new offensive system may be daunting, former Patriots wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea was recently hired by the Browns to coach that same position. The familiarity should help.

That’s a lot of upside on offense, without even mentioning a defense that boasts young talent in the form of Myles Garrett Denzel Ward and others.

Case against Brady signing with the Browns

Cleveland is in the midst of implementing an entirely new offensive system under new head coach Kevin Stefanski. And although the talent is there (both offensively and defensively) the Browns appear to be snakebitten when it comes to performing as one cohesive unit.

Furthermore, the franchise’s luck is a catastrophe, and it remains to be seen if Brady (and perhaps his family) would be willing to spend a boatload of time in smaller market city with cold weather, especially if the team fit is not perfect, with a handful of familiarity.

And lastly, the AFC North is a division on the rise in 2020, with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, Ben Roethlisberger presumably returning to a defensively-loaded Steelers squad, and the Bengals beginning a rebuild behind the most- hyped quarterback prospect in years in Joe Burrow. The division could be a tough one.

How good is the fit?

Although the division is tough, and the thrown-together team of talent has yet to show any mental toughness, Cleveland does have a ton of potential. If the Browns were to lure Brady in with a mega-deal of three years, while also having a set plan to acquire more talent on both sides of the ball, there is the chance for success here. It’s just unlikely to happen. It would almost be shocking, really, for the Browns to ditch Mayfield to roll with a 43-year-old Brady at this juncture. But the fit is not bad.

Fit: 6 out of 10

Adam Schefter thinks Patriots want Tom Brady’s decision before free agency

Adam Schefter guesses what the Patriots’ timeline will be with Tom Brady.

The New England Patriots are likely to want an answer from Tom Brady before free agency.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter explained why he anticipates New England and Brady will have made up their minds about the quarterback’s extension — or lack thereof — before the tampering period begins on March 16 ahead of the 2020 league year.

“Here’s the situation: I don’t believe the New England Patriots are waiting until March 16 to get an answer from Tom Brady,” Schefter said on ESPN’s Get Up on Thursday. “Last year, Rob Gronkowski wound up retiring in late March. I don’t know the conversations they did and didn’t have before, but New England missed the window on free-agent tight ends. So, I don’t think they’re going to let Tom Brady go to free agency, all of a sudden, sign with Team X, and then on March 20, say ‘Well, what do we do at quarterback now?’ That’s not the way that organization operates.”

What’s more, the Patriots will have to work to accommodate Brady’s contract on their cap, along with the free agents they attempt to retain and add. Because New England has just $45 million to spend this offseason, they wouldn’t want to save cap space for Brady — only to find he isn’t coming. Similarly, they wouldn’t want to spend on other players, only to find they can’t appease Brady’s contract demands.

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9 burning questions about Tom Brady’s free agency decision

There’s so much uncertainty. Here’s what we know — and what we don’t.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will make a decision that could change the complexion of the NFL. He is set to enter free agency in March, and could play for a team not named the Patriots.

There haven’t been many rumblings about where he’ll play or when he’ll make his decision. Though Brady does a regular spot on Westwood One, the sports radio station has been unable to get a good answer from him about his future. So we’ll wait for his decision and we’ll study and scrutinize every indicator that appears even mildly relevant to his decision.

Here are nine burning questions about Brady’s free agency decision.

1. Is he coming back to New England?

It’s the obvious question, right?

Brady won’t say. Bill Belichick won’t say. Only Patriots owner Robert Kraft has provided a hint: He told a TMZ paparazzi that the Patriots “plan to” keep Brady. But even the best-laid plans can go awry.

The Patriots can afford to pay Brady at a premium — perhaps in the range of two years and $60 million. But then with only $45 million in cap space, New England may have difficulty surrounding Brady with talent. The Patriots have a handful of important pending free agents, including guard Joe Thuney, safety Devin McCourty and linebacker Kyle Van Noy, among others.

If the Patriots pay Brady, they may put themselves in an uncomfortable situation where he’ll need to elevate the play of those around him, which he struggled to do in 2019. Brady may not want to return, if he’s not going to have a restocked arsenal of skill-players. His contract may make that challenging.

2. He won’t retire… right?

There is practically no chance. He has said he wants to play in 2020.

There’s only one scenario where Brady retires: no one gives him the money he’s seeking in free agency. It’s extremely hard to imagine that happening. A few teams will likely be willing to pay him handsomely, even if the Patriots aren’t one of them.

3. What’s the word on Brady’s house in Brookline, Mass?

Though a rumor swirled that Brady might be moving to Connecticut, the family does not have a house there, according to NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran.

The Brady-Bundchen house is up for sale for $33.9 million. It has yet to sell. Brady mentioned on WEEI that he simply felt it was a good time to sell the house, and would not address questions as to whether that sale was linked to his potential departure from New England.

4. Does Brady want to stay with the Patriots?

He won’t say. His lack of commitment to New England may be the most interesting part of this uncertain situation. After 20 years and six Super Bowls, Brady won’t provide assurances that he wants to return to the Patriots.

After New England’s playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans, the Patriots quarterback fielded (and dodged) a question about whether he thinks he’ll be back with the Patriots and whether he wants to return.

“I love the Patriots,” Brady said after the game. “They’ve obviously got the greatest organization. And playing for Mr. (Robert) Kraft for all these years and for coach Belichick, there’s nobody whose had a better career than me for just being with them, so I’m very blessed. I don’t know what the future looks like. I’m not going to predict it.”

That said, he has shown multiple signs of appreciation for the fans in New England, including a few posts on social media.

5. When can Brady and the Patriots sign a new deal?

The Patriots and Brady can ink a contract right now. New England has exclusive negotiating rights with the quarterback until the new league year starts on March 18. That’s when free agency starts. That’s when the other 31 teams can approach Brady.

6. And what if Brady hits free agency without a deal?

He is free to field interest. The Patriots quarterback put a clause into his latest contract which prevents New England from placing the franchise tag on him, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Brady will be an unrestricted free agency.

7. Who might be interested in Brady? Could their situation possibly be better than what the Patriots have?

A few teams come to mind for Brady in free agency: the Indianapolis Colts, the Los Angeles Chargers, the Chicago Bears, the Carolina Panthers, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans.

Those teams will have to weigh their options; do they want to commit big money to a 42-year-old quarterback who showed signs of decline in 2019? A few will say, no. The remaining suitors — and there may be more (or fewer) than the ones listed above — will begin their pitches and bids for Brady.

There is always the chance that Brady finds the devil he know (Belichick and the Patriots) are better than the one he doesn’t. But the Colts are among the most compelling options, with enough cap space to pay Brady and a few free-agent skill players of his and general manager Chris Ballard’s choosing.

8. Who might replace Brady, if he leaves?

New England had three quarterbacks on the roster in 2019: Brady, Jarrett Stidham and Cody Kessler. Stidham, a 2019 fourth-round pick, would jump to the top of the depth chart, in the event of Brady’s departure.

If they don’t think he is ready to take over, they should have plenty of options. The draft boasts a handful of talented signal-callers, even if many of them could be gone by the time the Patriots pick at 23rd overall. Free agency may feature options like Marcus Mariota, Ryan Tannehill and Jameis Winston. And then there’s the trade market — quarterbacks Cam Newton and Andy Dalton could be available.

9. So what happens next?

Brady has indicated he is in no rush to get a contract in place, so it’s unclear when Brady, Belichick and the Patriots will return to the negotiation table. But if Brady does enter free agency, he will put New England in an uncomfortable situation. Should they wait on Brady’s decision and risk missing out on important quarterbacks and other talented players in free agency? Or should they do what’s best for the team and attempt to secure another quarterback before Brady makes a final decision?

In the meantime, we’ll wait. The Patriots and Brady have almost two months to agree to an extension. If that doesn’t happen, his entry into free agency will be absolutely surreal.

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Tom Brady has an unparalleled ability to mentor young quarterbacks

Tom Brady is known for many things, but his ability stay relentlessly locked in, while mentoring young quarterbacks is often overlooked. 

Tom Brady is known for many things, but his ability stay relentlessly locked in, while mentoring young quarterbacks is often overlooked.

The 42-year-old quarterback has spent 20 seasons with the New England Patriots and has been at the helm for 18 of those years. Brady spent most of the 2001 season on the bench behind Drew Bledsoe and he missed 2008 with an ACL injury.

This has left no room for his backup quarterbacks to shine in New England, but many of them have went on to have successful careers. Guys like Matt Cassel and Brian Hoyer went on to have successful careers as journeymen — while Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett are doing pretty well in their roles as starting quarterbacks. There were players like Rohan Davey and Ryan Mallett, who didn’t find their way in the league.

But, as Brady’s wisdom increased as a quarterback and mentor, his peers’ ability to branch off and become successful increased as well. Brissett and Garoppolo are the best examples of this.

Brissett was thrown into the starting role with the Indianapolis Colts in 2019 after Andrew Luck announced his retirement at the very last minute. He threw for 2,942 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. This was  with an injured T.Y. Hilton, who played in 10 games and only had 500 yards. Brissett had minimal time to prepare as the team’s starter, and he pulled away with a 7-8 record. His composure under pressure and ability to gain trust from his team is the reason that the Colts will be in good hands in 2020.

Garoppolo was a star in the making and he spent three seasons learning from Brady. He devoured information and was shaping up to be the Brady’s successor, but he found himself with the San Francisco 49ers before that could transpire. Now, Garoppolo and the 49ers are en route to the Super Bowl and he boasts a career record of 24-5.

After three years in the same locker room, Garoppolo spoke highly of Brady and his work ethic.

“That’s the impressive thing. After so many weeks in the season, guys start to get tired and pack it in. He just keeps grinding,” Garoppolo said. “To do it for such a long time — I’m telling you. It’s one of those things you feel like a robot doing it for 17 weeks straight. (His preparation) is impressive.”

He’s been like a big brother to me,” Garoppolo continued. “It’s very competitive. Arguments break out and stuff like that, but it’s just very competitive. It’s just great being around (Brady and Brissett).”

Brady isn’t always the serious and fierce competitor, he likes to have fun and even prank his teammates. In a feature by our own, Henry McKenna, he elaborates on a time Brady pranked Cassel. Brady removed the tires from his car, three of which were in his locker, and the fourth was hidden elsewhere in the facility.

“I go outside and my car is on blocks,” Cassel said. “Everyone’s laughing. I had to get a ride home from my roommate, because he wouldn’t give me my tire back.”

Above all, Cassel explained how Brady treats his teammates and doesn’t put himself on the pedestal.

“He is what you would hope someone of his stature in the game would be,” Cassel said. ”He’s a solid guy who treats people with respect. … They don’t understand how loyal he is with his friends.”

Whether it’s time to be serious or joke around, Brady is engaged and playing a leadership role for his peers. His most recent task is Jarrett Stidham, who was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round in 2019. For the first time in Brady’s career, he’s entering free agency. If Brady were to leave, Stidham would be the only quarterback who was with the team in 2019 — potentially leaving him with the starting gig.

Stidham elaborated on the knowledge he learned from Brady in 2019.

“It was priceless,” Stidham said. “It’s going to be really cool one day when I can sit there and tell my children, or my grandkids one day, that I got to be in the same quarterback room and talking about coverages and different passing concepts with Tom.”

Brady’s future is unknown with the Patriots, but it’s hard to believe he left his current successor without the tools to lead this team. Brady, the six-time Super Bowl champion, made sure to put intention and care into everything he’s done — including the nurturing of his backup quarterbacks.

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How Tom Brady developed his renowned connection with Randy Moss

From the outside, everything seemed to click immediately for Tom Brady and Randy Moss. 

From the outside, everything seemed to click immediately for Tom Brady and Randy Moss.

Why wouldn’t a three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback mesh instantly with a 6-foot-4, All-Pro receiver? The numbers produced after Moss found himself in a New England Patriots jersey even backed this notion up — 98 catches, 1,493 yards and a career-high 23 touchdowns. But, this relationship was curated by much more than just reps on the field.

Brady took a different approach to acclimating Moss, and he did it by bringing him in close, according to Patriots Wire’s own, Henry McKenna.

The 42-year-old quarterback is well-known for showing his emotions on the field and flaunting his frustrations. This approach worked with Wes Welker, Julian Edelman and countless other receivers. The Patriots’ intricate playbook and Brady’s signals from the backfield have oftentimes been too much for incoming pass-catchers. So, the combination of Brady’s vocal outbursts and the complex playbook isn’t always the way to bring in a superstar playmaker.

Brady adapted and showed less emotion on the field, but he channeled that energy into locker room conversations. Moss was assigned a locker right next to Brady and that’s where the relationship was constructed.

“With his body of work that [Moss had] already accomplished, Tom would talk to Randy or go over a certain route or go over a certain depth,” former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel said. “Those conversations took place in the locker room. Instead of doing it out in front of everybody — just to get more out of them — he would, on the other side of that, understand who he was talking to and understand the temperament of the player.”

When it came to Welker, who also joined the team that summer, Brady was capable of showing his emotion and receiving positive results.

“Some guys he would get after a little bit more, like in terms of the Welker’s of the world,” Cassel said. “I always refer to Welker as a Labrador retriever. He always wanted more and more and more.”

The most minuscule hand signal from Brady matters — so, he and Moss would discuss these details regularly. Moss also had an internal craving for knowledge, and that’s what made this combination as prolific as they were.

“I wanted them to put my locker right beside his because whenever game time came about, I wanted to know everything,” Moss said. “If not everything, at least 98, 99 percent of everything he’s going to call. So if I see a defense shifting or I see the linebackers doing something, he might change the play, and I know why and what he’s changing it to. I know why he’s changing it.”

The Patriots finished the regular season undefeated that year and lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. Brady threw for 4,806 passing yards and a career-high 50 touchdowns.

Ultimately, they didn’t achieve their goal of a Super Bowl win, but Brady and Moss cultivated one of the most dynamic quarterback-receiver duos that we’ve ever seen. They did it by paying attention to the small details and learning every single nuance that each other carried.

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Patriots fans wrote Tom Brady a message in the snow, and the QB loved it

Tom Brady shows love back to Patriots fans.

When it comes to Tom Brady, there isn’t a lack of love or appreciation in New England.

The 42-year-old quarterback has given everything to the Patriots’ organization and has consistently won for two decades. He picked up some not-so-great teams and led some incredible teams — totaling up six Super Bowl wins. Brady’s legacy will live forever in the New England area, and fans aren’t ready to lose him.

Brady’s first venture into free agency has a lot of people on edge, because it’s very possible he plays for another team in 2020. Patriots fans wrote a message for him in the snow on Tuesday and he responded on his Instagram story by saying, “Love you All ❤️❤️”.

Whether there’s a cryptic message attached to this or not, it seems clear that Brady is going to take his time with the free agency process.

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UFC president Dana White is hyping Tom Brady to the Raiders

“Come on man. If that dude isn’t playing for Boston he’s playing here.”

There’s one influential Las Vegas-native who has begun hyping the possibility of Tom Brady joining the Raiders (who were recently minted Las Vegas’ team).

UFC president Dana White went out of his way to talk about Brady’s free agency prospects this weekend in a post-fight press conference at UFC 246. Brady, after all, was spotted chatting with Raiders owner Mark Davis during the event. White seemed playfully frustrated that no one asked him about the moment.

“I thought you guys were going to ask me ‘Hey, Tom Brady was here. Davis was here. I saw them talking. What’s going on?’” White joked on Saturday night. “Are you guys (expletive) Las Vegans or what? Come on man. If that dude isn’t playing for Boston he’s playing here. I don’t know. I have no idea what I’m talking about. But year, he liked the fight.”

Even White admitted he doesn’t have the inside scoop. He and Brady were hanging out (as documented by ESPN), but it’s clear the New England Patriots quarterback is providing zero hints on where he might land, if he decides to enter free agency in March.

In the meantime, the Raiders have flexibility to commit or abandon quarterback Derek Carr. And while general manager Mike Mayock said Carr improved in his second season under coach Jon Gruden, Mayock was non-committal to his quarterback.

“As far as what the future holds, I’m gonna tell you the same thing I told you last year. About every position. And that is, my job is to evaluate every position and try and make us better,” Mayock told Vic Tafur of TheAthletic.com. “And if I can, I will, and if I can’t, I won’t. And that holds true at every position.”

So there is a chance, however small it may be.

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Tom Brady sits behind Patrick Mahomes on top-selling merchandise list in 2019

For the first time since 2017, Tom Brady isn’t the NFL’s leading player in merchandise sales. 

For the first time since 2017, Tom Brady isn’t the NFL’s leading player in merchandise sales.

The NFL’s hottest quarterback right now, Patrick Mahomes, took the top spot and Brady trailed at No. 2. Mahomes is en route to his first Super Bowl and is coming off of a historic season in 2018, where he passed for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns. Although the New England Patriots finished 12-4, Brady struggled this season and couldn’t find a rhythm with his skilled players.

The top-5 players in sales this season were Mahomes, Brady, Ezekiel Elliot, Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr.

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David Andrews shares story of wake-up call with Tom Brady, Patriots

David Andrews learned quickly about the culture in New England. 

David Andrews learned quickly about the culture in New England.

The Patriots veteran center stepped up in a major way in his rookie season, starting for the greatest quarterback ever, in one of the most successful organizations ever. He had to quickly acclimate himself to the tempo of the NFL, while meeting the demands of Tom Brady.

On Barstool Sports’ “Surf & Turf Podcast”, Andrews discussed one of his first memories at OTA practices.

“I remember the first time stepping on the practice field for like OTA practice and like seeing him (Tom Brady) run out on the field, I was just like, ‘Wow,’ ” Andrews said, transcribed by NESN. “We’re sitting there taking snaps and I fumble a snap, and you gotta run a lap. I’m sitting there running a lap with him and I’m just kind of like, ‘Damn, I just made this guy run a lap.’ He had to run one with me because we fumbled a snap. It was just kind of like at that point like one, all right, the details matter here. Like, everything is important. Two, there’s no sacred people. I should have been the one running, not Tom. It was obviously my fault.”

It was quick wake-up call, but he became more prepared and eventually won two Super Bowls as the starting guy. It also gave Andrews the opportunity to learn and become close with the legendary quarterback.

Andrews missed the 2019 season with blood clots, but he’s optimistic to make a return in 2020.

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